When Northampton’s boys basketball team went on a stunning late-season run that culminated in the program’s first league championship in 52 years last February, coach Matt Scholl became superstitious and had the coaching staff dress up for every game. Scholl wore orange ties.
But this year, Scholl went back to a much more casual look and wore a black Northampton sweatshirt for Thursday night’s league final at Allentown’s PPL Center.
Why the change?
“We lost a game to Blue Mountain earlier this season, and I went into the locker room and told them that we’re not going to do gimmicks this year … we’re going to figure this out ourselves,” Scholl said. “We did it last year, but it would have been more of a cliché this year. I said we’re not doing it this year. I am not a big fan of wearing ties, anyway. My assistant, Phil Hall, likes it, but this is better.”
No fancy attire, orange ties or anything else out of the ordinary was required for the Konkrete Kids to repeat as Eastern Pennsylvania Conference champions.
Instead it took a lot of poise, hard work, tenacity, grit, and maybe even a little luck as Northampton held on for a 52-49 win that gave the program its first back-to-back league championships since winning Lehigh Valley League crowns in 1972-73.
Last year, the gold was earned with an overtime win over Pocono Mountain West.
This time it came down to a frantic final minute, and victory wasn’t secured until Blake Nassry’s running 3-pointer bounced off the side of the basket as the final horn sounded.
“If you’re going to beat a great team like Parkland, you’re going to work hard,” Scholl said. “The key for us was starting fast, and then we just hung on. It wasn’t perfect, but again, it’s Parkland. Our record against them is not that good lately.”
Actually, it was the 100th meeting between the programs, and Parkland has a 74-26 record in the series and had won 14 of the previous 15 contests, including a 42-37 win in December.
But Northampton (21-4) is now 4-0 at the PPL Center, site of the league semis and finals, over the past two years.
Northampton’s Brady Simock looks to score against Parkland on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, during the EPC boys basketball championship game at the PPL Center in Allentown. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
The second-seeded Kids bolted to a 16-7 lead at the outset and stretched it to 31-17 late in the second quarter. Then it was a matter of holding off a Trojan team that had won 10 in a row.
“I’m just so proud of our guys … what a group of seniors,” Scholl said. “They’re 4-0 here over the last two years. They can walk in this building anytime, and no one can take it away from them. Back-to-back championships after not winning one for 52 years. We’ll take it.”
Northampton literally took the ball from Parkland by attacking the glass. The K-Kids outrebounded the Trojans 27-11, and seven were at the offensive end.
Fittingly, Noah Walakovits got the go-ahead basket off his own miss. He followed his shot and grabbed a deflection that went off the hand of Jude Ruisch, who tumbled to the ground.
It came with 24 seconds left and his team trailing 50-49 after a Nassry drive gave Parkland (19-6) the lead with 53 seconds to go.
“I wasn’t planning on missing the first shot, but I had to follow it up and get the bucket,” Walakovits said after getting his 22nd and 23rd — and most important — points of the night. “I tried to make a floater, but it didn’t go in. I got the rebound and just laid it up.”
After a series of timeouts, Parkland had its own chance at a game-winning field goal. Off an inbounds pass from Nassim Adams, Ruisch cut to the basket and had a layup that somehow skimmed off the rim. Walakovits grabbed the rebound, and eventually Jake Raysely went to the line with 4.1 seconds left.
The 77.3% foul shooter during the EPC regular season made both foul shots to make it a three-point game.
“I got better with my foul shooting since last year,” said Raysely, a sophomore who had 10 points, six in the fourth quarter, and also collected six rebounds.
But there was one more defensive stop to get.
Northampton’s Noah Walakovits looks to score against Parkland’s Javian Porter on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, during the EPC boys basketball championship game at the PPL Center in Allentown. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
The Trojans, looking for their 10th league title and first since Nick Coval graduated two years ago, got the ball up the floor in a hurry, and Nassry got a good look from the right side of the key.
However, it didn’t fall.
A joyous celebration ensued for the K-Kids with family, friends, and fans joining in at the PPL Center, which sustained a water pipe break that caused flooding in portions of the building. In fact, all fans had to sit on the Hamilton Street side of the arena.
For Northampton, it was a flood of emotions that will likely last until it begins play in the District 11 6A tournament. No one felt better than Walakovits, who Scholl revealed after the game had been battling pneumonia and was less than 100% for weeks.
He not only was voted the game’s MVP, but also scored his 1,000th career point as a Northampton player in the second half. Earlier this season, he celebrated the 1,000-point milestone, but that included a few hundred points he scored at Bandywine Heights as a freshman before transferring to Northampton.
“It doesn’t get much better than that,” Scholl said of Walakovits’ night. “And that kid, he deserves it. He has been sick for so long, and everyone was asking what was wrong because he wasn’t scoring as many points,” Scholl said. “Well, the kid had pneumonia, and he still showed up every day at practice and doesn’t complain. He’s pasty and can’t move half the time. You could tell he’s not 100%, and we said if we get a Noah that’s close to 100%, he’s going to make a huge difference. Well, tonight that was Noah at close to 100%.”
.As champs, the K-Kids will be the top seed in the bracket and play on Feb. 21 against the winner of a pigtail-round game between Pocono Mountain East and Stroudsburg. Parkland will be the No. 4 seed and play No. 5 Allen, also on Feb. 21.
The other 6A pairings will have No. 2 Pocono Mountain West playing No. 7 Whitehall and No. 3 Nazareth facing No. 6 Liberty.
Northampton’s Brady Simock drives down the court against Parkland on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, during the EPC boys basketball championship game at the PPL Center in Allentown. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
All sites and times for the first week of games are expected to be released by the district on Sunday afternoon.
Northampton desperately wants to end a district title drought that stretches back to 1972, and make amends for a 66-33 loss to Parkland in last year’s championship game, but will take some time to savor league glory.
“We’re going to celebrate this,” Scholl said. “We’re off [Friday]. They have the day off, and I told them to do nothing stupid, but have some fun and enjoy it with their families, and then we’ll start shifting the focus to districts. If we win and they win, we’ll see Parkland again in the semifinals. But we have to win the first game because that’s the most important game of the year. Win that one, and you’ll get at least three more, and I’d like to keep going with this group of seniors for as long as we can.”
Northampton reacts after winning against Parkland on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, during the EPC boys basketball championship game at the PPL Center in Allentown. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call)
More to come.
