Astound TV Network Sports: Whitehall vs. Wilkes-Barre (8/25) 

Programming Note:
We have two competitive games on ATVN this week: Allentown Central Catholic will be facing Liberty on Thursday night and Parkland vs. Freedom will be our Friday night live game. Be sure to tune in to both games on the Astound TV and also on the Astound TV Network’s YouTube page! 

It’s time for our first in-season rankings of the top teams in the District XI region. 

Our pollsters this fall will be giving their selections for who they believe are the top 10 performing football teams that you’ll see on the Astound TV Network this fall. 

Each voter will select the top 10 teams – with each team getting 10 points for the top team, 9 for the second best team, 8 for third and so forth.  The voting committee itself consists of media members, football coaches and athletic directors in this region. 

One caveat – in order to balance the bigger and smaller schools in the region, each pollster MUST include at least three teams that are NOT a 6A-sized school. 

It’s a different way to gauge the top teams in Eastern Pennsylvania this fall, and we invite you to check back each week throughout this football season to see which teams make our poll…and who’s listed where, as decided by our diverse group of voters. 

One other unique aspect to our poll…the coaches and athletic directors’ names are never revealed so they can vote with their minds…and also avoid any potential “bulletin board” material, so each one can make selections without repercussions. 

Throughout the years that we have done our poll, the coaches and athletic directors have always maintained very objective opinions.  If you look back through our archives, you’ll notice that our pollsters have been amazingly accurate and unbiased in their selections, and our polls’ top teams very often finish similarly in the same order as the “power points” system that District XI uses when compiling its standings and playoff positioning’s. 

As far as which media members have a say?  Don’t be surprised if they identify themselves on our Thursday SportsTalk show, which, this fall, will be streamed live on YouTube on Thursdays at 7pm, in addition to being broadcast each week on ATVN. 

So without any further delay, here’s the grand unveiling of this week’s new “Astound 10” poll….(the number in parenthesis is the average points received for each team, with ‘10’ being the maximum.) 

1. Parkland (9.8) 
2. Nazareth (7.3) 
3. Easton (7.2) 
4. Emmaus (6.1) 
5. Southern Lehigh (4.9) 
6. Northwestern (4.7) 
7. Whitehall (3.9) 
8. Freedom (3.8) 
9. East Stroudsburg South (3.3) 
10. Notre Dame-Green Pond (1.7) 

Other teams receiving more than one mention: Liberty, Northampton  

Bookmark and return to our page each week and check back after this weekend’s game to see if your favorite teams moved up or down in the minds of our pollsters! 

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

VIDEO: ATVN Sports Talk. High School Football Preview

Here’s 3 tidbits about the Zephyrs after their week one win as seen on Astound TV Network…

1. Extremely Well-Prepped:

The Zephyrs avoided the ‘typical’ week one weaknesses most teams have: very few penalties, mixed different looks without procedure penalties, good help coverage (and reads) on defense–which resulted in 3 key interceptions…heck, they were even prepared physically with having only a handful of cramps on the sidelines…and virtually none that stopped play.  Their kids obviously bought into the great prop jobs done by the coaching staff and that work ethic could really pay dividends as they go through the heart of the EPC schedule

2. Well-balanced Attached:

While Wilkes-Barre tried to focus on the Dogmantis brothers, there were plenty of others who stepped up in guiding the Zephys to a steady diet of big run and pass plays.  When the Wolfpack finally was forced to adjust to spread their defensive efforts around, both Tanner and Talon were allowed to shine with each making some big plays.

ATVN Shorts: The Dogmanits Brothers connect for the first Whitehall TD of the 2025 Season!

ATVN Shorts: Bryce Medina With A Slick Grab

3. Bechai (inadvertently) Helped Out:
The Hawks have had quite a few underclassmen decide to leave the school from last year’s Opening Day roster, and two of the biggest names decided to transfer to Whitehall.  Both Bryce Medina (a team high 6 catches for 81 years) and Jeziah Gregory (24 rushes, 175 yards and 3 TDs) were major players in the team’s week one victory

ATVN Shorts: Jeziah Gregory Secures The Hat Trick In The 4th Quarter

ATVN Shorts: Andy Marino Talks About The Zephyrs’ Season Opening Victory

Where do the Zephyrs now rank among the top teams in the region?

Be sure to check back to The SportsTalk Shop later this week for more highlights of local high school football as well as the “Astound 10” HS football poll!

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

VIDEO: ATVN Sports Talk – Central Catholic Football 

 Last fall, we tried a brand-new way to feature local teams in our coverage area: the “Astounding 10’’ high school football weekly poll! 

With so many media outlets, bloggers and pretty much anyone now with a laptop in Eastern Pennsylvania ranking teams in the standard manner, we tried something new – and were thrilled to hear our audience appreciated our efforts. 

 Hearing our viewers/readers’ positive feedback to this new idea, we are once again bringing back our unique (and comprehensive) ranking of the top teams in the ATVN viewing area. 

Our pollsters this fall will be giving their selections for who they believe are the top 10 performing football teams that you’ll see on the Astound TV Network this fall. 

 Each voter will select the top 10 teams – with each team getting 10 points for the top team, 9 for the second best team, 8 for third and so forth. 

One caveat – in order to balance the bigger and smaller schools in the region, each pollster MUST include at least three teams that are NOT a 6A-sized school. 

It’s a different way to gauge the top teams in Eastern Pennsylvania this fall, and we invite you to check back each week throughout this football season to see which teams make our poll…and who’s listed where, as decided by our diverse group of voters. 

One other unique aspect to our poll…the coaches and athletic directors’ names are never revealed so they can vote with their minds…and also avoid any potential “bulletin board” material, so each one can make selections without repercussions. 

Throughout the years that we have done our poll, the coaches and athletic directors have always maintained very objective opinions.  If you look back through our archives, you’ll notice that our pollsters have been amazingly accurate and unbiased in their selections, and our polls’ top teams very often finish similarly in the same order as the “power points” system that District XI uses when compiling its standings and playoff positioning’s. 

As far as which media members have a say?  Don’t be surprised if they identify themselves on our Thursday “SportsTalk” show, which, this fall, will be streamed live on YouTube on Thursday at 7pm, in addition to being broadcast each week on ATVN. 

So without any further delay, here’s the grand unveiling of this year’s new “Astound 10” for our preseason poll….(the number in parenthesis is the average points received for each team, with ‘10’ being the maximum.) 

1. Parkland (9.8) 
2. Emmaus (8.5) 
3. Nazareth (6.2) 
4. Freedom (6.1) 
5. Easton (5.8) 
6. Northwestern (5.2) 
7. Southern Lehigh (5.1) 
8. Liberty (2.2) 
9. Whitehall (1.8) 
10. East Stroudsburg South (1.7) 

Other teams receiving more than one mention: Notre Dame-Green Pond, Northampton  

 Bookmark and return to our page each week and check back after this weekend’s game to see if your favorite teams moved up or down in the minds of our pollsters! 

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

The countdown is underway to another exciting season of high school football in the Eastern Pennsylvania region — our first broadcast will be  Friday, August 22nd at 7pm on the Astound TV Network, featuring Wilkes-Barre vs. Whitehall.

So many media outlets are focusing only on the marquee players coming into this fall’s football season.  However, there are a number of players flying under some people’s radars that look to be major contributors to their team and stand out athletes in district 11 that are probably not getting as much pre-season attention as they deserve.

Here is part one of our list of the underrated players who could have outstanding seasons to keep an eye on for 2025 campaign:

Emmaus’s Robert Edwards.  The Green Hornets two-way all-star was double teamed for nearly every game in 2024 (and played through a bad case of the flu in his final playoff game last year).  Despite the heavy concentration and manpower against him versus all opponents last fall, he amassed some amazing numbers: 92 total tackles (68 solo), 23 TFL, 6 sacks, a forced fumble and interception returned for a touchdown.  Emmaus is rightly getting a lot of attention on their talented offensive returning core, but don’t overlook the blocking of Edwards (who recently committed to Richmond for next season) up front and the contributions he’ll make on “D.”

Liberty’s Gabe Green.  The Hurricanes had a breakthrough season in 2024 under the direction of Head Coach Shaun Daignault, complete with players who have bought into his system and have worked very hard to turn the program around.  Among that group include Gabe Green, who shared time in a crowded but talented running back corp.  Green is looking to build on his junior season (nearly 1,300 all-purpose yards, 15 TDs) and become a leader to prove Liberty’s resurgence is for real.

Pen Argyl’s Mason Soos & Caiden Faust.  The Green Knights were another team that pushed themselves to a new level a year ago–advancing in the district playoffs before losing to a very talented team from Williams Valley.  Soos took over the quarterback position for the first team last year (and combined for over 800 yards passing AND 800 yards rushing) and orchestrated an amazing comeback in district over Northern Lehigh was the architect of a talented offense that averaged 200 yards rushing per game.  Soos hardly came off the field as he contributed at defensive back and averaged over 36 yards per punt.  Faust was even more of a force on both sides of the ball: carrying the ball over 200 times for over 1,100 yards, showing good hands as a receiver AND ranking among the top three in key defensive categories. Look for both of these seniors to take an even more prominent role “up on the hill” this fall.

Parkland’s TJ Lawrence.  Lawrence was on this list last year when I called him the best two-way player in the area, and he did nothing in 2024 to reduce that claim.  Helping his team to a 6A championship, Lawrence rushed for over 1,200 yards, had over 300 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns on offense.  On defense he once again led the team in tackles, was among the team leaders in tackles for a loss and made some clutch plays on both sides of the ball in the post-season.  There’s a lot of talent once again on Parkland’s roster, but TJ will once again be a key as they look to defend their titles in 2025.

Whitehall’s Henry Schultz.  While his offensive stats from his freshman season last year didn’t break any records, the inside word is that he could have a breakout season this fall in whatever role he earns, thanks to great athletic ability and a strong work ethic.  He came on strong defensively last year, finishing with over 40 tackles despite not getting a lot of time early on.  Furthermore, he’s meshed well with upperclassmen in three different varsity sports as a ninth grader and progressed as each season went on.  Continuing that progression could make him a standout player on a team that’s looking to recapture a district title.

Southern Lehigh’s Colton Sams and Sean Steckert.  The rising junior quarterback had a breakout season in 2024, passing for a yard shy of 3,000, 34 touchdowns and threw just 7 interceptions.  Steckert compiled 278 rushes for 2,048, 34-TD, had 19 catches for 234, 4-TD and defensively had6-INT (one for a TD).

Despite guiding the team to a 4A championship, Sams and Steckert’s efforts were overshadowed by Colonial League rival Northwestern, who won a PIAA 3A state title.  Despite losing some big names to graduation, the Spartans are looking for a repeat performance and these two Spartans will be key in continuing the solid offensive performance that combined for nearly 400 total yards through last season.

Check back to The SportsTalk Shop for more names of special players to watch for this year, along with video highlights of different teams throughout the fall and more notes and honors for teams in the Astound TV Network viewing area.

If you want to “nominate” a player for “part two” of our “players to watch” list, email them to chris.michael@astound.com

Plus, bookmark and come back to “The Shop” over the next couple days as we unveil our annual “Astounding 10 Football Teams” preseason poll — we have developed quite a reputation as having the most comprehensive (and accurate) local high school football poll in the area.  See which schools make our list for the upcoming season!

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

The Lehigh Valley high school summer basketball season is winding down.

Parkland, the defending District XI champions this winter, also won the local summer league regular season basketball title last week.  Ironically, the Trojans boys Head Basketball Coach, Eddie Ohlsen, and a team composed of many former Parkland players, also won the adult summer league championship last weekend, played at the Catasauqua playgrounds.

Meanwhile, Southern Lehigh, with a first-year head coach, was the only Lehigh Valley team to make it through the “Small School” summer league regular season without a loss.

Most local schools are now starting to make the transition from summer sports to preparing for the fall sports seasons (“heat acclimation week” starts at the beginning of August.)

Today here at The SportsTalk Shop, we bring you our final look at pictures from local basketball games involving the student-athletes in the Astound TV Network viewing area…

I will be heading out on vacation but when I return in a few weeks, the ATVN Sports crew and I will be busy bringing you the deciding games in the Blue Mountain League Baseball championship series, as well as getting you ready for a brand new season of high school sports broadcasts on Astound TV Network.

In addition to kicking off the season with the Opening Night of HS football on Friday, August 22nd, we’ll also have our annual football preview show on the Thursday, August 21st edition (live at 7pm) of ATVN SportsTalk, which will also be broadcast on our YouTube channel:  YouTube.com/@AstoundTVNetwork

And, we at Astound have some other exciting news for this new scholastic season involving students-athletes in our community.  Keep checking back to our website and The SportsTalk Shop for details and our broadcast plans for the first few weeks of the football season (along with our annual football “polls” as well, ranking the top teams in the ATVN viewing area!)

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

The local summer basketball season continues and our ATVN cameras have been out and about covering the local action on the hardwood – or concrete – depending on the locations!

Here’s a look at some still pictures of recent summer basketball action in the Astound TV Network viewing area…

Coming up on this Thursday’s ATVN SportsTalk, we have an exclusive interview with the new District XI Chairman, Steve Panczer.  We’ll discuss his background from his playing days at Bangor high school to becoming the school’s athletic director, along with discussing issues facing the area as well as his plans for the area’s local sports teams.  The show airs live at 7pm on ATVN.

If you have a question or comment for Steve or issues concerning District XI sports, feel free to email us at chris.michael@astound.com and we might read/respond to your questions on our live program.

You can watch the show for free from anywhere by going to youtube.com/@AstoundTVnetwork 

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

Before we look at more pictures from around the area at local basketball league and tournament action, a quick recap of last week’s “Bash at the Beach” (aka, held indoors at nice, climate-controlled gymnasiums…thank you, Whitehall-Coplay School District!)

The winners for the second straight year were the Parkland Trojans.  In addition to winning the district title and going further than any other boys team this past winter, they have a ton of people back for this year and show no signs of slowing down.

Ironically both Parkland and fellow defending district champion Central Catholic both lost the day before and found themselves in the ‘losers bracket’ for Sunday’s events.

Emmaus, under the direction of a brand new head coach, made a great showing, advancing into the winners bracket Saturday night by beating both the Trojans and the Vikings.  The Hornets then lost to Wilson WL, who lost to Parkland in Sunday night’s finale.

In the small school classification, both Salisbury and Southern Lehi had great weekends, with the Falcons beating the Spartans in the final game in overtime. Veteran Steven Lozada had the game-winning bucket.  Both teams have a ton of talent returning from last year and, as you saw on ATVN last winter, that game was also a close affair that went right down to the wire.

Now, a look at some still pictures of summer basketball action…

Check back for more pictures and updates on local summer basketball action here at The SportsTalk Shop! 

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

The local summer basketball season is heating up (enough to drive a number of games indoors where there’s air conditioning) but our ATVN cameras have been out and about covering the local action on the hardwood – or concrete, depending on the locations!

Here’s a look at some still pictures of recent summer basketball action in the Astound TV Network viewing area…

Coming up on ATVN Sports, we have the following Blue Mountain League baseball games scheduled for Tuesday nights, starting at 9:30pm….

July 15th – BML Baseball: Dodgers at Orioles
July 22nd – BML Baseball: Bulls at Falcons

All four of these teams remain in the playoff chance, with the Bulls looking to retain their title from last season.

The regular season is scheduled to end on July 22nd.  We’ll have playoff coverage coming up on ATVN Sports.  Check back to our website as we will post the dates, teams and times once we get to that point and that information becomes available to us.

Also, be on the lookout for our weekly Grandview Speedway racing coverage event Tuesday night starting at 7pm on the Astound TV Network as well!

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

First of all, we here at Astound hope everyone had a wonderful Independence Day weekend and have had a great start to the summer season!

While high school sports take some time off for the summer months, the Astound TV Network Sports department continues to stay busy, bringing you some of the best local sports action from around our region.

Here’s a look at some of our recent sports action (when Mother Nature has allowed our scheduled events to take place!), including Grandview Speedway racing, Blue Mountain League baseball and the annual McDonald’s charity All-Star football game highlights…all broadcast on ATVN….

Astound TV Network Sports: Blue Mountain League; Northern Yankees vs. Hellertown Royals (6/25)

ATVN Shorts: Xzavier Pusateri Puts On A SHOW!!

ATVN Shorts: Duane Howard Wins Grandview’s Modified Feature (6/28)

Astound TV Network Sports: 2025 McDonald’s Allstar Football Classic (6/25)

In addition to more Grandview and Blue Mountain League baseball action coming up this month on the Astound TV Network, on this Thursday’s “ATVN SportsTalk” show, we’ll have BML Baseball President Bob Varju and members of his staff on our program to talk about this summer’s baseball season.  We’ll tout the top teams and players in the area and look ahead to the end of the regular season as well as the playoffs, which ATVN will be broadcasting for the second straight year this August.  Keep checking back to our “Broadcast Schedule” pages for information on both our regular season and post-season playoff coverage!

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Astound 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 ATVN with insights and commentaries on classic television shows and legendary cinematic performances.

Many people know Jim Backus as Thurston Howell III on the TV sit-com Gilligan’s Island, but it was actually a “millionaire-like” voice for another character that gave him his “big break” in show business.

Alan Young (who would later play “Wilbur” for television’s Mr. Ed), retold the story a few years ago on SirusXM’s “Radio Classics” of how he was developing his own hit radio show bearing his name in the early 1940s.

While Backus had some small, yet versatile roles on various programs in the early days of radio, Young realized that his own softer, humbled and more-reserved on-air radio voice needed a foil for his new show.  Young said he would need someone that would stick out with an over-the-top delivery and convey an air of snootiness, proudness and arrogance–to be a sharp contrast to Young’s much quieter on-air persona for his new show to work.

Enter Thurston Howell III … well, actually his name on The Alan Young Show was Hubert Updike III.

And the rest was history.

From that hit show, Backus began getting more prominent appearances and became a featured guest-star on some of the other top radio programs of the era.

And then, television and major motion pictures.

First, he took on the male lead role in I Married Joan, followed a few years later by his own variety program, The Jim Backus Show, which aired on ABC in 1957 and 1958.

His silver screen appearances included Deadline – U.S.A. with Humphrey Bogart, Pat and Mike with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, Rebel Without a Cause (as James Dean’s on-screen father,) The Pied Piper of Hamelin, John Goldfarb, Please Come Home  and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Backus’s versatile voice acting skills also made him an obvious choice to take over the role of a brand new cartoon character, as he brought Mr. Mcgoo to life — for over 40 years — to children of all ages.

In 1963, Jim took on the role of Mr. Howell on the Gilligan’s Island television series and in three subsequent made-for-TV movies made in the late 1970s and 1980s.

He even recreated his “millionaire” persona when he reunited with his “Gilligan” co-star Natillie Shafer (aka Mrs. Howell) for a series of popular commercials for Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn in the 1980s.

Backus’s last acting appearance was in the final “Gilligan” movie, The Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island. By this time Backus was suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, and his role was reduced to having a brief comedic line at the very end of the film.

Legend has it that once the director yelled “cut,” Backus turned to his long-time co-star, Dawn Wells (“Mary Ann”) and asked about his short cameo appearance.  “Am I still funny?” he asked, to which Wells gave the beloved star a hug, then went off by herself in tears, upset at seeing him in such a frail state after years of working with him.

While Jim Backus is not a familiar name to today’s media audience, it’s hard to find any medium he did not make an impact in, from 1944 until his death in 1989, whether it be in radio, cartoons, voice-overs, television or film.

You can see some of Jim’s work in I Married Joan, Rescue of Gilligan’s Island and more movies and television guest-starring appearances this summer on the Astound Television Network.

To view the complete rundown of classic programming on ATVN, 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 Astound or any other agency, organization, employer or company.