High school football has long been a great tradition in the Lehigh Valley.

For community pride and spirit, there’s nothing better than going out to the game in your town on a Friday, or increasingly, a Thursday night, and watching the bands perform, the cheerleaders cheer, and of course, the players and coaches showcase all of their hard work.

Of course, there are three teams on the field for every game. The home team, the visiting team, and the team of officials.

The players and coaches receive all of the attention, but the games couldn’t go on without that third team.

And within that team of officials, there are unsung heroes. Kevin Hoffman was one of them.

Hoffman got into football officiating in the late 1980s, starting at the midget level at the encouragement of his friend and Northampton neighbor, Chuck Frantz.

This fall would have been Hoffman’s 38th season on the gridiron to go along with 40 years as a wrestling official and 24 seasons on softball diamonds as an umpire.

Sadly, Hoffman died earlier this week after a brief battle with stomach cancer. He was 64.

“This is so sad because Kevin was such a good man who just wanted to be involved with sports and did whatever was asked of him,” Frantz said. “He worked hard and was so dedicated. And he was in good health, too. He never smoked. Wasn’t much of a drinker. You’d always see him walking around the borough. It’s such a loss.”

In a Morning Call story in July, longtime football official and softball umpire and assignor Jim Corpora said: “As an assignor, I appreciated Kevin because he was a guy who would go anywhere at any time for any level of game,” Corpora said. “Not everybody is like that. I remember one time when I called him up and asked him to go to East Stroudsburg North for a middle school game, and he’d work the game by himself. He said, ‘No problem, Jim.’ And he did it because he loved umpiring and officiating. It was always a big part of his life.”

“I first met Kevin when we were both catchers in the East Penn Fastpitch Softball League, and he played for the Hungarian ‘Hunky’ Hall, and I played for A&H Sporting Goods,” said longtime official Mike Koch. “We had some very competitive games, but we always treated each other with the utmost respect.

“Fast forward to after our playing days were done, and we officiated football together for 30 years,” Koch added. “As a referee, I knew that when Kevin was on the same crew as an umpire, he would control the game. He handled the middle of the field with professionalism and a common-sense approach.”

Hoffman had vowed in July to keep battling and said: “For me, it’s one day at a time, and I am trying to get back on my feet. I don’t know if I will ever get [back] into refereeing. But I will always follow local sports. It’s like Lou Gehrig once said, ‘I’ve been dealt a bad break, but I have an awful lot to live for.’ That sums up how I feel.”

Hoffman’s calling hours will be held Sept. 3 from 10 to 11 a.m. at St. John’s UCC at 1415 Rising Sun Road, Laurys Station. A memorial service will follow at 11.

Week 2 EPC predictions

Thursday night games

All games are 7 p.m. starts unless otherwise noted

Allentown Central Catholic (1-0) at Liberty (0-1)

The storyline: The Vikings got the Jake Reichard Era off to a good start with a hard-fought win at Trinity, but everyone will get a better gauge on ACCHS after this one. Liberty came into the season with lots of big-name skill position talent and high expectations, but those expectations weren’t met in a home loss to Pennridge.

Players to watch: Patrick Cahill threw a pair of TD passes to spark the Vikings offense, and Di’Quawn Leak was a force on defense with nine tackles, including three for losses. Antonio Fontanez, who played at ACCHS two seasons ago, goes against his former team after throwing for 251 yards and two TDs against Pennridge.

Keith Groller’s pick: Liberty 31-21

Dieruff (0-1) at Pleasant Valley (0-1)

The storyline: Two teams trying to end lengthy losing streaks. Dieruff has lost seven in a row since starting 4-0 last season. Pleasant Valley has lost 12 straight after going 0-11 last year. Both teams showed some offensive spunk in their Week 1 losses with the Huskies scoring 27 points in their loss to Pocono Mountain East and the Bears tallying 20 against Gov. Mifflin.

Players to watch: Dieruff’s Derwyn Deris caught three passes for 90 yards and Eli Dalrymple added four catches for 27 yards and 54 yards rushing against East. PV’s Chris Ward ran for 112 yards on six carries and scored twice in the loss to Gov. Mifflin.

Keith Groller’s pick: Dieruff 26-21

Lenape, N.J. (0-0) at Poc. Mt. West (1-0), 6 p.m.

The storyline: This was a late fill-in on the schedule for the Panthers, who beat Belmont Charter from Philadelphia 9-0 in Week 2 last season. West didn’t get its second win last season until Week 9 on Oct. 18, so a victory here would put Jim McCarroll’s team way ahead of schedule. Lenape, from Medford, New Jersey, is coming off a 1-9 season.

Players to watch: Christian Stiehler ran for 140 yards and two TDs on 21 carries on offense and was a force on defense with seven tackles. Brady Behr was also a two-way standout with two catches for 76 yards on offense and also had a pick-six on defense along with eight tackles.

Keith Groller’s pick: Poc. Mt. West 34-13

Friday’s games

Emmaus (0-1) at Bethlehem Catholic (1-0)

The storyline: One of several all-EPC matchups that won’t count in the league standings, the Green Hornets desperately want to rebound after a disappointing 30-0 loss to Neshaminy in their opener. Becahi, meanwhile, is coming off a solid win over East Pennsboro but knows the caliber of opponent from Week 1 to Week 2 went up several notches.

Players to watch: Although the Emmaus offense struggled most of the night against Neshaminy, Jay Santos managed 93 yards rushing on 13 carries. One of his runs covered 30 yards. Carter Vassa was targeted 10 times in Becahi’s win over East Pennsboro and made 10 catches for 99 yards.

Keith Groller’s pick: Emmaus 23-21

Whitehall (1-0) at Nazareth (1-0)

The storyline: The only all-EPC matchup this weekend pairing 1-0 teams. Both teams were impressive in Week 1 wins over District 2 foes and would like to keep it going here.

Players to watch: Whitehall got a big debut from former Becahi standout Jeziah Gregory. Gregory rushed for 165 yards on 24 carries and scored three TDs in the win over Wilkes-Barre Area. Bryce Medina, another former Becahi player, had six catches for 81 yards. Peyton Falzone threw for 257 yards against Hazleton, but most impressive is that he spread his 13 completions among seven different receivers, and his three TD tosses were to different teammates.

Keith Groller’s pick: Nazareth 28-21

East Stroudsburg South (0-1) at Northampton (1-0)

The storyline: These two developed a rivalry as members of the EPC North and wanted to continue it even though they are now in separate divisions. Northampton won last year’s game, 24-21, scoring the last 18 points. Aaron Gutkowski kicked three field goals, including the game-winner.

Players to watch: Northampton trailed Pennsbury 14-6 at halftime, but shut out the Falcons in the second half thanks to a stout defensive effort led by Rocco Amato, who had seven tackles, including two for losses. Keegan Hackett also had an interception. Gianni Gonnella ran for 117 yards in the Cavaliers’ loss to Abington Heights.

Keith Groller’s pick: Northampton 30-20

Allen (1-0) at Martin Luther King (1-0)

The storyline: The Canaries are eager to hit the field and show what they can do after receiving a forfeit win over Dobbins Tech last week. Allen doesn’t have a lot of depth, especially on the lines, but a new offensive approach is designed for quarterback David Thor to get the ball out in a hurry to speedy players on the perimeter. MLK opened its season with a 13-6 victory over South Philadelphia.

Players to watch: Allen’s TeShon Gaynair had one of the highest sack totals in the league last year and caught a TD pass in a win over Dieruff. MLK’s Zion Valente-Lowe weighs 255 pounds, and Zahir Austin goes 320 for the Panthers, who have the advantage of size and having played a game last week.

Keith Groller’s pick: Martin Luther King 20-18

Freedom (0-1) at Parkland (1-0)

The storyline: The Patriots want to prove they’re not as bad as the 47-7 mercy-rule loss to Downingtown West might lead you to believe, and the Trojans are eager for their home opener and a chance to show improvement after a less-than-spectacular offensive showing at George Washington.

Players to watch: Freedom got 78 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries from Lashawn Johnson against West. Sophomore Ky Moore made six tackles for the Patriots, while four Parkland players — Dom Martrich, Jaren Sanchez, Julian Diaz and Matthew Dorsey — had seven stops apiece for the Trojans, who allowed just 70 total yards against GW.

Keith Groller’s pick: Parkland 26-17

Easton (1-0) at Spring-Ford (0-1)

The storyline: The Red Rovers jump-started their successful 2024 season with a 49-7 rout of Spring-Ford and should be confident, but the Rams would like some revenge. But being able to get some might prove too difficult. The Red Rovers were solid in most areas against Central Bucks West, while Spring-Ford was limited to 71 yards rushing in a 31-7 loss to Souderton.

Players to watch: Easton senior quarterback Cole Ordway had a night to remember in the opener, running for a league-high 170 yards and three scores and also threw for 116 and another TD. Andrew Biddle had six catches for 63 yards. Spring-Ford got 68 yards rushing and a TD from Brayden Hinkle.

Keith Groller’s pick: Easton 34-14

Pocono Mountain East (1-0) at Honesdale (1-0)

The storyline: The Cardinals unfurled an offensive display at J. Birney Crum Stadium in a surprise 42-27 win over Dieruff. Dustin Thomas’ team was second only to Nazareth in points scored. They would like to build on that performance against a Honesdale team coming off a 19-9 win over East Stroudsburg North. It marked the coaching debut of George Howanitz at Honesdale, who had a successful previous stint at Valley View.

Players to watch: East’s Ceejay Serfass threw for a league-high 284 yards and four TDs. Justin Williams caught passes for 137 yards and Connor Triano had three receptions for 53 yards and two scores. Honesdale, which beat East 43-20 last year, got 107 yards rushing and three TDs from Kobe White in its win over North.

Keith Groller’s pick: Honesdale 42-21

Wallenpaupack (0-1) at East Stroudsburg North (0-1)

The storyline: Two teams trying to get in the win column. Wallenpaupack won this matchup 36-14 last year.

Players to watch: Kendrick Sympson caught four passes for 54 yards in North’s loss. Ryan Vargo scored the Buckhorns’ lone touchdown in a loss to Stroudsburg and also had seven tackles as did Jake Rafferty and Logan Caruso.

Keith Groller’s pick: Wallenpaupack 20-14

Stroudsburg (1-0) at Wilkes-Barre Area (0-1)

The storyline: The Mounties are seeking their second straight 2-0 start, while Wilkes-Barre looks to bounce back after losing at Whitehall.

Players to watch: Stroudsburg got a big 146-yard rushing effort that included three touchdowns from Jaylin Rieara and Keyen Johnson added 51 yards on the ground. Wilkes-Barre got 202 yards passing from Jake Howe, but he was intercepted four times.

Keith Groller’s pick: Stroudsburg 35-14

Note: Keith Groller’s picks were 9-7 in Week 1.

https://www.mcall.com/2025/08/27/lehigh-valley-high-school-football/