Top Lehigh Valley players rise, shine on opening night
Brendan Boyle and Nate Ellis have been two of the most dominant players in local basketball for three seasons.
They were The Morning Call’s co-rookies of the year in 2019, went over the 1,000point mark this past year, and led their teams to appearances in District 11 championship games with Ellis’ Allen High team winning the 6A title and Boyle’s Notre Dame Crusaders battling Executive Education Academy Charter School tough in the 3A championship game.
Both will be among the area’s premier players in the 2021-22 season and both got their summer season off to sizzling starts Tuesday night as the Cedar Beach Boys Basketball Summer League got underway.
Boyle, a first-team all-state selection in Class 3A, scored 27 points in his team’s win over Saucon Valley and Ellis scored 21 as the Canaries rolled past defending District 11 5A champ Bangor.
John Hrebik, assistant league director, said the crowd was bigger than usual as fans couldn’t wait to see the return of the league after no games were played in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Here’s a look at all of Tuesday’s scores, courtesy of Hrebik:
Small Division Schools:
Palmerton 32, Salisbury 24 ... Brayden Hosier 10 points.
Southern Lehigh 62, Warren Hills 46 ... Noah Denton 16 points.
Notre Dame Green-Pond 59, Saucon Valley 35 ... Brendan Boyle 27 points.
Roberto Clemente 40, Lehighton 36 ... Christian Ceballos 16 points.
Large Division Schools:
Whitehall 40, Quakertown 39 ... Luke Keppel 18 points.
Parkland 56, Freedom 38 ... Matt Rantz and Will Meeker 12 points each.
Nazareth 48, Pleasant Valley 34 ... Ryan Kresge 13.
Allen 49, Bangor 31 ... Nate Ellis 21 points.
Northampton 53, Emmaus 52 ... Isaac Harris 21 points.
Reading 85, Easton 32 ... Reuben Rodriguez 25 points.
Liberty 52, Pocono Mt. East 41 ... Joe Barnes 19 points.
Becahi 59, Dieruff 52 ... Ryan Glassmacher 18 points.
Note: Dieruff was supposed to have a bye, but replaced Wilson Westlawn on the schedule. Wilson was involved in the District 3 baseball playoffs on Tuesday
night and couldn’t make its scheduled game and Dieruff was substituted in Wilson’s place.
Thursday’s schedule
6 p.m. games: Salisbury vs Roberto Clemente (Court 1); Southern Lehigh vs Notre Dame-Green Pond (Court 2); Freedom vs Easton (Court 3); Central Catholic vs Emmaus (Court 4).
7 p.m. games: Warren Hills vs Upper Perk (Court 1); Quakertown vs Pleasant Valley (Court 2); Bangor vs. Wilson Westlawn (Court 3); Allen vs Parkland (Court 4).
8 p.m. games: Lehighton vs. Palmerton (Court 1); Nazareth vs Whitehall (Court 2); Dieruff vs Northampton (Court 3); Becahi vs Liberty (Court 4).
Byes: Reading, PM East, Saucon Valley.