Allen hoping to duplicate hoops success
During last winter’s boys basketball season, the Allen Canaries elevated themselves from what had been a mediocre season with a late run and surged to the District 11 6A championship and a state playoff win.
Can the Allen football program follow in the footsteps of the hoops team and make their own surprising move upward?
These Canaries face a steeper climb coming off a 2-8 season. Allen hasn’t won more than two games in a season since 2005 and hasn’t had a winning record since 2002.
But there’s a lot of optimism in Allentown’s west end.
“I’m excited to see what we got,” head coach George Clay said. “The kids we have always work hard. But this year, we have the work ethic and talent together. So, we’ll see. I think we can have some success and get more people out to watch us play.”
Nyjier Reed, an all-EPC North linebacker and Kwalieb Bullock, a quality safety, will key a defense that made strides last season.
Running back Ezekial Rabenold and quarterback Jonathan Marks, who started last year as a sophomore, are two to watch on offense.
Milestone for Mike
Mike Litzenberger, Allen’s new defensive coordinator, is beginning his 40th season of coaching local football.
The 1978 Dieruff graduate coached at his alma mater as well as Freedom, Southern Lehigh and Muhlenberg College, and he was the head coach for several years at Catasauqua.
“For the most part, the kids I’ve coached over the years have been great no matter where I’ve been,” Litzenberger said. “Sure, you get a couple of tough ones here and there, but the kids are generally here for a reason. Who else would want to be out here when it’s hot and they’re banging around and working hard? It takes a lot of dedication to play this sport and most of the kids who do it are great.”
Litzenberger said he espe
cially enjoys seeing former players he coached years ago come back and tell him how much he meant to them when they were kids.
“They make you feel old, but it’s always great to see them, and some of them even got into coaching,” Litzenberger said. “I love coaching. I don’t know anything else.”
Actually, Litzenberger also is a prominent baseball umpire who has worked several games in the current Blue Mountain League Championship Series.
Like all coaches entering a new season, he is cautiously optimistic.
“We’re going to try to have some fun out there this year,” he said.
“We have the work ethic and talent together . ... I think we can have some success.” — Allen coach George Clay