LEHIGH VALLEY FLASHBACK
A look back at Lehigh Valley sports stories over the years from March 12.
2010: Nazareth (20-7) earns its first-ever PIAA girls basketball tournament victory by beating Frankford 45-28 in a first-round Class 4A game at Parkland.
2010: Tim Moncman, who led Liberty to three PIAA Class 4A football championship games and the 2008 state title, resigns after 10 years to spend more time with his family. Moncman posted an 88-36 record with the Hurricanes, including 62-9 over a four-year stretch from 2004-2908, and a 100-45 record overall including two seasons as head coach at Southern Lehigh.
2010: Lehigh rides an 18-point, 10-rebound effort from tournament MVP Zach Carrington to a 74-53 win over Lafayette in the first all-Lehigh Valley Patriot League men’s basketball championship final. The victory, which set a school record for wins (22-10) for the ‘Mountain Hawks, gives them their fourth NCAA Tournament berth, and Lehigh later finds out it will play Kansas, the tournament’s top overall seed, in the opening round. Lafayette, picked for last in the preseason, finishes 19-13.
2005: Whitehall (28-4) trims an early 13-point deficit to two with 1:27 left but can’t complete the comeback in a 63-47 loss to Chester in the PIAA Class 4A boys quarterfinals. However, Jody Searfoss hits two clutch 3-pointers in the third quarter that propel Marian Catholic (29-3) to a 57-49 victory over Juniata Valley and into the Class A girls semifinals.
2005: Bryan Reiss becomes Emmaus’ first-ever PIAA wrestling champion when he beats Erie Cathedral Prep’s Stefin Tighe 5-1 for the 275-pound Class 3A title. Also, Northampton’s Joey Eckloff wins his third championship with a 10-3 victory over Donnie Jones of Greensburg Salem at 152 pounds.
2000: Northampton, behind eight state placewinners including state champion Ryan McCallum (130), roll up a tournament-record 137.5 points and sends head coach Don Rohn into retirement with his fifth PIAA Class 3A wrestling team title. Rohn also wins his fourth Coach of the Year award.