First of all, we hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and your new year is off to a great start!

There’s lots of exciting things happening within the RCN family…new faces, different approaches and other news that we will be unveiling soon, so keep checking back to “The Shop” so you don’t miss any of the surprises and changes occurring over the upcoming weeks.

Secondly, we have some highlights from the last few weeks of the high school football season, along with our first look at highlights from broadcasts of our first wrestling matches and basketball games of the new season.

Here’s a look…

RCN Sports: Northampton vs. Freedom (11/21)
https://youtu.be/rj1DdRthtLQ

RCN Sports: Parkland vs. Emmaus (11/21)
https://youtu.be/TnuQkSCpJlQ

RCN Sports: Freedom vs. St. Joseph’s Prep (11/21)
https://youtu.be/VakjiyFQVIM

RCN Sports: Emmaus vs. Freedom (11/21)
https://youtu.be/ssznMJ2eGlw

RCN Sports: West Catholic vs. Northern Lehigh (11/21)
https://youtu.be/t36mQGDqsuM

All of these games are still available for free for RCN customers through RCN On-Demand and DVD copies are available by calling 610-443-2909 during normal business hours!

Remember to check back to our website over the next few weeks for some exciting news concerning RCN and our sports coverage!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

It was another unique fall sports season!
As we continue to reflect back on this past year, we saw two more Lehigh Valley teams win state championships (Emmaus field hockey, Central Catholic girls soccer) and several individuals do well in golf, tennis and cross country. We actually had less teams than normal advance to the state playoffs in football, but were represented well with several impressive showings from Freedom and Northern Lehigh.
There’s also a bunch of talented players coming back and squads like Emmaus, Nazareth, Notre-Dame (to name a few) should be fun to watch in 2022.
Now, here’s part three of our look back at the best plays and highlights of this past season for games we broadcast on RCN-TV…

RCN Sports: Freedom vs. Liberty (10/21)
https://youtu.be/gxMt9sLXQLs

RCN Sports: Easton vs. Emmaus (10/21)
https://youtu.be/1cdK82N2j3A

RCN Sports: Polo (10/21)
https://youtu.be/hMKfxc5dySA

RCN Sports: Easton vs. Freedom (11/21)
https://youtu.be/efchTzUSTTk

RCN Sports:Nazareth vs. Emmaus (11/21
https://youtu.be/K9-csJIKo_w

RCN Sports: Notre Dame vs. Jim Thorpe (11/21)
https://youtu.be/RjL4137zsy0

Don’t forget, RCN customers can still watch many of these games–for free–at any time by visiting our Video On Demand platform. In addition to viewing these games, you can also purchase DVD copies of all of our sports productions and studio shows by calling (610) 443-2909.
Happy holidays everyone!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on RCN TV with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

It’s hard to get through the Christmas holiday season without seeing the annual classic White Christmas or humming a few bars from one of the unforgettable Irving Berlin penned songs from that film.

A large part of that movie’s success came from the outstanding song and dance talents of Danny Kaye, whose career spanned 54 years working in film, television, radio, theater, voice acting work and as a humanitarian.

David Daniel Kaminsky was born in Brooklyn, New York, on January 18, 1911 (though he would later claim to be born in 1913).

According to Jack Benny’s autobiography “Sunday Nights at 7,” Benny saw Kaye performing stand-up in a small club in New York City and instantly found a kinship with him, citing the need to “help out a fellow Jew” in the entertainment business.

Benny ended up being a mentor for Kaye, helping him further his career in movies, paving the way for Danny to star in 17 films overall. Among his best include The Kid From Brooklyn, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The Inspector General and Hans Christian Anderson.

Kaye’s movie success lent him to have his own successful radio program for two years in the mid-1940s, which did affect the performer’s ego.

Famed Hollywood biographer Arthur Marx (son of “Groucho”), retells a story in which Kaye gave his writers a tongue-lashing after a first-read of their script for his show, complaining that they gave all the best laughs to his guest stars and had too few funny lines for him.

Marx reports that Kaye ended his rant by sarcasting asking his writers if they thought he should become the highest paid straight man in the entertainment industry. After an extended, awkward silence fell over the room, one of his writers spoke up and quipped, “no, you’ll never be Jack Benny.”

One of Kaye’s biggest objectives in the early 1950s was to co-star with legendary actor/crooner Bing Crosby.

Kaye finally got his chance with White Christmas when Fred Astaire bowed out of the production. Astaire, who had previously retired but was considering a comeback before the film went into full production, said he couldn’t recreate his role as Crosby’s partner from Holiday Inn. He also said the scheduled dance routines were now too far beyond his abilities and would be able to star in the film. Then Donald O’Connor was cast but also had to drop out to do illness, opening up the door for Kaye to step in.

Although both the film and Kaye’s performances as both a singer and dancer were lauded, co-star Rosemary Clooney indicated that Kaye was overall saddened by one aspect of the holiday classic. On the film’s DVD in-movie commentaries, Clooney states that Kaye was extremely disappointed that he couldn’t strike up a long-standing friendship with Crosby and the two never worked together again.

Despite that personal setback, Kaye would continue to have great success in television, winning Emmy and Peabody awards for his own TV show in the mid-1960s and had a number of stellar performances on the silver screen until 1969.

He continued making guest appearances on television specials throughout the 1970s in addition to having success as a pilot, a chef and in several business ventures. He also endeared himself to a new generation by providing the voices for three different characters in the holiday cartoon, Peter Cottontail.

Kaye gave numerous performances for soldiers overseas during war time in the 1940s and 1950s and was very giving of his time through charitable efforts over the last three decades of his life. He was the first ambassador-at-large of UNICEF in 1954 and years later received the French Legion of Honour for his years of work with the organization.

Kaye still showed great comedic timing in his final acting performance when he made a guest appearance on the nation’s number-one television show at that time, The Cosby Show, in 1986.

Kaye died less than a year later after complications from hepatitis C. He was 76.

Before you watch White Christmas this holiday season, be on the lookout for Kaye’s starring role in the 1949 film, The Inspector General, along with his guest starring roles on classic television shows on RCN-TV. To view the complete rundown of classic programming on RCN-TV, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on RCN-TV, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

Last week we started our annual recap of the top plays from this past high school football season.
Before we continue that trip through the best highlights of 2021, a quick reminder that RCN customers can still watch many of these games–for free–at any time by visiting our Video On Demand platform.
In addition to viewing these games, you can also purchase DVD copies of all of our sports productions and studio shows by calling (610) 443-2909.
Now, here’s part two of our look back at the best plays and highlights of this past season for games we broadcast on RCN-TV.

RCN Sports: Catasauqua vs. Pine Grove (10/21)
https://youtu.be/08ZNrpC77rk

RCN Sports: Freedom vs. Bethlehem Catholic High School (10/21)
https://youtu.be/lBNQOXSJVE8

RCN Sports: Whitehall vs. Freedom (10/21)
https://youtu.be/NasLQp3RPzk

RCN Sports: Easton vs. Nazareth (10/21)
https://youtu.be/XZIQwbycvHo

RCN Sports: Emmaus vs. Parkland (10/21)
https://youtu.be/EGKtbtms-Fs

RCN Sports Whitehall vs. Liberty (10/21)
https://youtu.be/0TRFeSu8MKw

RCN Sports: Parkland vs. Freedom (10/21)
https://youtu.be/688MVhW3q18

Check back next week for more samples of the best plays from this past high school football season, along with some final thoughts on the season gone by!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

FALL ‘21 HIGHLIGHTS # 1

Before we start our look back at the top teams and plays that you saw on RCN-TV this fall, a quick programming note.
The RCN SportsTalk show is getting ready for the winter sports season.

Our upcoming programs will include:

• Our annual high school basketball and wrestling preview shows, featuring members of the RCN Sports team
• Local basketball statistician Karl Gilbert discussing a brand new venture in the Lehigh Valley promoting sports memorabilia for area teams
• New DeMatha Interim Head Basketball Coach Pete Strickland discussing his new program, this winter’s nationally-ranked schedule and details on his playing and coaching experience from around the country and around the world
• District XI administrators updating us on the winter sports season, how teams are adjusting with COVID and other rule changes and the latest news on local sports issues and scheduling
• Members of the first-ever sanctioned girls wrestling team from Parkland High School. They’ll talk about their struggle to get the sport PIAA-approved for this season, scheduling and logistical issues for the new year and more on this glass-ceiling-busting initiative
  ….and more!
  Now, here’s part one of our look back at the best plays and highlights of this past season for games we broadcast on RCN-TV…

RCN Sports: Parkland vs. Easton
https://youtu.be/YOIrmqmiX-8
RCN Sports: Bethlehem Catholic vs. Whitehall (9/21)
https://youtu.be/MS9ZYhlXVkU
RCN Sports: Notre Dame vs. Saucon Valley (8/21)
https://youtu.be/RoEUkpjvTCA
RCN Sports: Emmaus vs. Allentown Central Catholic (10/21)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAFI6uRohGs
RCN Sports: Freedom vs. Nazareth (9/21)
https://youtu.be/odPM_SspxaA

Check back next week for more samples of the best plays from this past high school football season, along with some final thoughts on the season gone by!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.

Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on RCN TV with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

“That’s it! Out you two pixies go… through the door, or out the window!”

“Get me. I’m givin’ out wings!”
–Nick the Bartender

Those are just two of the memorable lines from the great holiday traditional film you will no doubt see on your television listings this time of year, It’s A Wonderful Life.

While the owner of those lines, “Nick,” played a small part in that movie, the actor who played him, Sheldon Leonard, played a major role in shaping classic television comedies while also acting in and producing other great shows and movies from Hollywood’s Golden Era.

Born Sheldon Leonard Bershad on February 22nd, 1907 in Manhattan, New York, he quickly learned to utilize his heavy New York accent to play “gangster-type” bad guys or hard-nosed police detectives in various films throughout the 1940s. Successful movies featuring Leonard this decade included Guys and Dolls, The Gangster, Open Secret, Somewhere In The Night and Take One False Step.

Leonard parodied his own characterization on both radio and television versions of The Jack Benny Program, playing “the Tout.” He would open his appearances by asking Benny to “come here” to get him away from the rest of his cast and proceed to give him inside information–first on horse betting–with seemingly contradicting insights that always drew laughs. His later sketches had him “informing” the comedian of tips increasing outlandish inside information, like telling him what types of eggs he should order for breakfast.

His success with this character set the stage for Leonard to star as a “nice guy” in the popular radio show, The Damon Runyan Theatre. He also played against type in the 1950 movie adaption of The Iroquois Trail.

But Leonard would carve out a brand new career by creating some of the most successful television shows in the 1950 and 1960s.

As producer of The Danny Thomas Show / Make Room For Daddy, he created the role of Sheriff Andy Taylor and cast Andy Griffin in that role, in which Thomas is arrested for speeding while driving through the small town of Mayberry.

The episode was so successful that it spawned one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time with Griffith in the lead in The Andy Griffith Show The show also sparked the often-used idea of using a successful TV show to create a “backdoor pilot” for another –a technique used again by Leonard three years leader by sending Jim Nabors’ Gomer Pyle character off to join the Marines, which later became Gomer Pyle, USMC.

Among the other successful Leonard-produced (or “executive produced”) shows include The Dick Van Dyke Show, Lassie and the action-adventure series I, Spy.

Leonard, along with star Robert Culp, had difficulty in convincing network executives in having a mixed-raced co-star pairing, with both Leonard and Culp insisting on Bill Cosby for the show. The role of the tennis player was actually originally written for an older, caucasian character, but Leonard caught Cosby’s stand-up act. He then insisted on rewriting the role and wanted Cosby to play the part, despite extreme dissenting opinions by executives. (Cosby later paid tribute to his former boss at his passing by dedicating an episode of his “Cosby” TV show to his memory.)

Leonard’s name actually preceded the show’s main title for that series. He also played a gangster-villain role in two I, Spy episodes and poked fun at his own acting persona in a third episode in which he portrayed himself. In addition, he directed one episode and served as occasional second-unit director throughout the series.

Although he never reached the same level of success with any future acting or producing programs again after 1970, Leonard’s legacy was frequently tributed by more contemporary show creators who admired his work. One of the most recent examples was The Big Bang Theory, whose creators named their two lead characters, “Sheldon” and “Leonard.”

You can see Sheldon Leonard’s recurring appearances on The Jack Benny Program seen on RCN TV as well as his various guest starring roles and behind the scenes efforts on other classic programs and films.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on RCN TV, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

Full disclosure time!

With the high school football playoff season winding down, it’s time to take a look back to our preseason predictions from early August and see how our SportsTalk pollsters did this year.

Most years we can brag a little (although we really don’t do much of that) or, if we were completely off base, we are fully prepared to offer up a mea culpa to our readers and viewers.

This year, instead of having a big school and small school poll as in seasons past, we are going to break the two polls down into EPC and Colonial League schools within the RCN broadcast area.  This season was the first year in which Colonial teams cross-scheduled and played teams from the Schuylkill League, so our poll reflected teams in the Lehigh Valley while many local teams did not play a majority of teams within the Lehigh Valley area. 

So below we have both our preseason and our final high school polls for both leagues in the RCN viewing area, along with the listing of all of the teams that are included in our respective categories.

EPC-LV TOP 5 (PRESEASON)

1) Freedom
2) Parkland
3) Emmaus
4) Nazareth
5) Bethlehem Catholic

Eligible Teams (in no particular order):

Allentown Central Catholic, Northampton, Bethlehem Catholic, Easton, Freedom, Liberty, Dieruff, Allen, Parkland, Whitehall, Emmaus, and Nazareth.

EPC-LV TOP 5 (FINAL)

1) Freedom
2) Emmaus
3) Parkland
4) Nazareth
5) Central Catholic

Our posters were correct in naming Freedom as our preseason number one team as they captured District XI 6A title for the first time since 2018. Emmaus, Parkland and Nazareth were also in our top four, both before this season back in August and in our final tabulation.

Central Catholic Head Coach Tim McGorry was on our “SportsTalk” program recently and freely stated that his younger players developed much quicker than he had anticipated. SportsTalk co-host Keith Groller also admitted vastly underestimating the Vikings in his preseason prognostications on our last episode, citing that he ranked them eight out of 10 teams back in August.

Regarding Bethlehem Catholic as our preseason “number five,” the Golden Hawks ended up going through a transition under their new coaching staff. It was clear late in the season when I talked to Head Coach Kyle Haas that his emphasis with the program was more on changing the culture, instilling more discipline and building for the future than on winning games this year.

COLONIAL TOP 5 (PRESEASON)

1) Notre Dame-GP
2) Northwestern
3) Palisades
4) Saucon Valley
5) Southern Lehigh

Eligible Teams (in no particular order):

Bangor, Pen Argyl, Notre Dame – Green Pond, Wilson, Catasauqua, Salisbury, Saucon Valley, Northwestern, Northern Lehigh, Southern Lehigh, Palmerton and Palisades

COLONIAL TOP 5 (FINAL)

1) Northwestern
2) Northern Lehigh
3) Notre Dame-GP
4) Palmerton
5) Southern Lehigh

It’s clear this wasn’t our most accurate poll we’ve ever done, but it’s due to many good reasons and we are quite happy to be proven wrong in a few circumstances.

One of the area’s nicest head coaches, Northern Lehigh’s Joe Tout, has had an incredible season after his program really struggled the last few years with injuries and low participation numbers.

Tout was quite vocal when the schedule came out.  He complained his school, one of the smallest in the area, had a disadvantage in playing much larger schools and much better football teams – on paper – than other schools his size.

Joe’s team lost to three teams this fall (including our “number one” team, Northwestern), but remains the last school “alive” from our viewing area in the state playoffs. RCN TV is looking forward to bringing you live coverage of his team’s game against PIAA powerhouse Southern Columbia this Friday night!

Palmerton was another team that had struggled to keep their program going in recent years but became another feel-good story by becoming one of the top teams in the Colonial League this fall.

The resurgence of these two teams was reflected in their appearance in our poll, complete with the Bulldogs defeating the Blue Bombers for the 2A championship.

Notre Dame suffered an incredible rash of injuries and, in one of the biggest surprises of the year, failed to even reach the 3A championship this year.

Palisades also had a disappointing season.  Fresh off a district championship in 2020, the Pirates struggled mightily this fall and saw their head coach resign at season’s end.

Of course, these polls are for amusement purposes only and we hope you enjoyed following along all season. Keep checking back to “The Shop” and to our “SportsTalk” show on RCN TV as we get you ready for the winter sports season, rapidly approaching!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

We interrupt the announcement of our final “SportsTalk” high school football poll of the fall season for this breaking news….

Actually, it’s not exactly a “breaking” flash, but it was really big news!

RCN TV’s long-time sports director and the current voice of the Lafayette Leopards, Gary Laubach, decided to cut back on many of his duties with RCN TV. This includes his roles coordinating and broadcasting the high school sports and other events that he would either host or announce throughout the year.

His “semi-retirement” officially kicked in a few weeks ago, and with that, we saluted him on a tremendous tenure guiding the Twin County and RCN TV Sports broadcasting teams and wished him all the best in embarking on the next chapter of his great career.

Please remember, his work with RCN TV and his broadcasting partnership with us will continue for many more years to come. Gary continues to handle the play-by-play duties for the Leopards football and men’s and women’s basketball games, along with emceeing other Lafayette College events that may occur throughout the year.

So the question then became, how to sum up the part of his career that has, to date, totaled almost 50 years as a broadcaster, plus more years as a local student-athlete and teacher in the Lehigh Valley.

We attempted to do that recently with a tribute show to him on “RCN TV SportsTalk.” The program went by very quickly, asking Gary about all of his many experiences, his thoughts on how local sports have changed since the mid-1970s and other comments on the broadcasting industry in general.

If you missed the show, which also included my own thoughts on Gary’s career and all that he has meant to the community, we invite you to check out the program for yourself through RCN’s video on demand.

Also, we present to you the last half-inning that Gary broadcast of a “non-Lafayette” event, which included his official signoff as RCN’s sports director.

VIDEO: “RCN Sports: Gary’s Last Inning Announcing”

Fortunately, it’s certainly not the last we will hear from Gary. We look forward to his announcing Lafayette football and basketball games, along with his continuing presence within the RCN family for many more decades to come.

One more thing to be thankful for.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!

For over a hundred years some of the greatest video treasures of all time have been produced. Some have been lost in the sands of time and others, soon to be rediscovered, will become fan favorites for a whole new generation.
Each week we will feature just one of the many hidden gems that you can see on RCN TV with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

Last week here at the Showplace we took a look at the early career of Milton Berle. Today we look at the “second act” of this legendary entertainer’s career.

********
Despite success on the silver screen, nightclubs, live performances and popular guest stints on radio, Milton Berle languished for nearly 20 years in mediocrity with inconsistent gigs as a regular radio show host (none of his own shows lasted more than 14 months). While struggling on an audio-only medium, Berle believed that the invention of television would be the perfect place for his “physical comedy heavy” brand of humor.
He was right!
Milton became the first megastar of the medium (predating Lucille Ball’s I Love Lucy by three years) and was one of the most successful TV programs–comedy or otherwise–from 1948 to 1952.
Berle and his show each won two Emmy Awards after the first season (he added two more Emmys in 1950) and NBC signed him to a whopping 30-year, one million dollars per year contract! Television set sales more than doubled after Texaco Star Theatre’s debut, reaching two million in 1949. Berle’s stature as the medium’s first superstar earned him the nickname “Mr. Television.”
He also earned another nickname, “Uncle Miltie,” after ending a 1949 broadcast with a brief ad-libbed remark to children watching the show: “Listen to your Uncle Miltie and go to bed.”
Despite his popularity, NBC made a tragic and extremely costly mistake early during the show’s run. Berle asked the network to film the live show (which would have allowed many of his episodes to be saved in a high video quality and therefore available for full syndication), but NBC declined. This resulted in most of his show’s episodes being lost or saved only on poorer-quality kinescopes.
By 1953 his ratings started to decline and his sponsor, “Texaco” pulled out. Buick quickly became the program’s sponsor before they too dropped out. The show’s ratings continued to slide for two years, leading to the its cancellation.
According to the Encyclopedia of Television, “Berle’s persona had shifted from the impetuous and aggressive style of the Texaco Star Theater days to a more cultivated, but less distinctive personality, leaving many fans somehow unsatisfied.”
Berle followed that program with four failed attempts at his own television shows with none lasting more than a year, much to the dismay of NBC, who was obligated to keep paying him until 1980. In 1966, he opted out of the contract to try his own variety show again on ABC, but that too didn’t last a year. The most sustained success he had as a regular TV host for the rest of his career was as the emcee of bowling shows in which he would throw in jokes in between interviews with the sports’ competitors.
However, he still remained extremely popular in movies, television guest spots and performing in person in Las Vegas, Hollywood and around the world for the next five decades.
He starred in five made-for-television movies and 14 television specials and was featured in additional 14 movies between 1960 and 1995.
Berle was named to the Guinness Book of World Records for the greatest number of charity performances made by a show-business performer. Unlike the high-profile shows done by Bob Hope to entertain the troops, Berle did more shows, over a period of 50 years, on a lower-profile basis. Berle received an award for entertaining at stateside military bases in World War I as a child performer, in addition to traveling to foreign bases during World War II and the Vietnam War. The first charity telethon (for the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation) was hosted by Berle. A permanent fixture at charity benefits in the Hollywood area, he was instrumental in raising millions for charitable causes.
In April 2001, Berle was diagnosed with colon cancer but was advised by his doctors not to undergo surgery as they estimated the growth was not serious nor would negatively affect his health for another 10-12 years.
Eleven months later, Berle died from that same cancer. He was 93.

Be on the lookout for “Uncle MIltie’s” unusual brand of comedy on the surviving episodes of his own television show that airs Sunday afternoons at 2pm. You can also spot his many guest appearances on other programs you can see on RCN-TV.
To view the complete rundown of classic programming on RCN TV, check out the weekly listings here on our website.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.

Here are three local sports observations before we take a look at this week’s “SportsTalk” high school football poll for teams in the RCN viewing area.

#1
2021 continues to be a banner year for Allentown Central Catholic athletics!
The Vikings have already captured two state titles this year. This fall, they’ve won four district titles and have three teams still alive in the state playoffs.
Central Catholic will also be on the short list of “teams to beat” this winter in boys’ basketball and the girls’ team will likely be in the state playoffs as well. With several spring sports teams returning a bunch of solid players, there’s no reason why their string of gold medals won’t continue into 2022.

#2
You couldn’t have asked for a much better night of high school football last Friday.
As you saw on RCN TV, Emmaus came from behind with 21 unanswered points in pulling the upset over the number one seed, Parkland, to advance to the 6A title game.
In the 4A championship, Central Catholic came from behind with two straight scores to beat Northwestern.
In the 5A title game, East Stroudsburg South scored two very late touchdowns to force overtime and win in their championship contest over Whitehall.
Let’s hope the 6A championship game this Friday will be just as exciting!

#3
When looking at the Northampton football 2021 season, a lot depends on whether you typically think the glass is half full or half empty.
The K-Kids, playing in the EPC North division this fall, had a record-breaking season in terms of wins and earned their first-ever district playoff victory. The playoff win, along with every other victory the team had this year, was against teams that averaged less than three wins on the season.
The community enjoyed the successes that came with an 11-0 season. However, as is often the case when playing a weak schedule, the lack of quality opponents seemed to hurt them in preparing for the postseason and for the stronger opponents from the Lehigh Valley.
Northampton suffered its first loss of the year last weekend against Freedom and their potential playoff run came to a grinding halt. At no point was the team ever ranked in the top five among any local media outlets, nor received any regional accolades whatsoever, while other teams with as many as three losses were ranked in the state polls.
Yes, this year’s team will go down in the record books as one of Northampton football’s best squads ever.
But the question remains – did the team have an overly successful season or something less?
With their administration choosing to stay in the North division for the foreseeable future, a season like this – for better or for worse – will probably continue for the next few years.

**********
That brings us to this week’s input from the RCN SportsTalk pollsters — a random collection of local coaches, athletic directors and media members. We never announce nor release the names of our non-media voters to get their honest opinions on the local football landscape while avoiding any thoughts of retribution or potential “bulletin board” material. Our “media voters” usually reveal themselves when we have the pleasure of having them on our weekly SportsTalk program, seen on Thursday nights on RCN TV and available through RCN on Demand.
This year, instead of having a big school and small school poll as in seasons past, we are going to break the two polls down into EPC and Colonial League schools, within the RCN broadcast area. This season will be unique in which Colonial teams will be cross-scheduling and playing teams from the Schuylkill League, so our poll will be an interesting barometer for teams in the Lehigh Valley since many local teams will not be playing the majority of teams within their own leagues!
So below we have high school polls for both leagues in the RCN viewing area, along with the listing of all of the teams that are included in our respective categories.
Feel free to email me at Chris.Michael@rcn.net for your thoughts on this week’s poll and we might read and respond to your emails on this week’s SportsTalk show.

EPC-LV TOP 5
1) Freedom
2) Emmaus
3) Parkland
4) Nazareth
5) Central Catholic

Eligible Teams (in no particular order): Allentown Central Catholic, Bethlehem Catholic, Easton, Freedom, Liberty, Dieruff, Allen, Parkland, Whitehall, Emmaus, Nazareth, and Northampton

COLONIAL TOP 5
1) Northwestern
2) Northern Lehigh
3) Notre Dame-GP
4) Palmerton
5) Southern Lehigh

Eligible Teams (in no particular order): Bangor, Pen Argyl, Notre Dame – Green Pond, Wilson, Catasauqua, Salisbury, Saucon Valley, Northwestern, Northern Lehigh, Southern Lehigh and Palisades

Be sure to view the “upcoming events” here on the website and check it frequently for our playoff broadcast schedule information for each week.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of RCN or any other agency, organization, employer or company.