From hoops to hot dogs: year's best

Normally, the ''Kegger Awards'' appear after the high school boys basketball season is done.

Happily, that's not the case this year. After a pair of stirring PIAA wins, Liberty and the local hoops season presses on with a 1 p.m. Saturday game at Villanova against Hempfield.

And, congrats also to the Central Catholic girls who have made it to the middle weekend of the state tournament for the second straight year. The Vikettes also have a Saturday afternoon game, playing Villa Maria Academy at 2:30 at Reading.

We have intense rivalries in this area, and, when healthy, those rivalries enhance the atmosphere and the quality of play.

But you'd hope that any animosity between schools can be put aside and everybody can get behind the two local teams that are left in this basketball season.

I know, it's not gonna happen, but I thought I'd put out that noble thought anyway.

It's like one Liberty fan said to me the other night, ''Groller, you probably still believe in Santa Claus and the Easter bunny.''

Maybe I do.

I also believe in honoring some of the people who make the high school basketball scene special for me, and not just in the winter, either. I have come to enjoy my back-to-back weekends in July at Cedar Beach with the Stellar and SportsFest tournaments.

Anyway, let's get started with the 16th annual -- or something close to that -- Kegger Awards. And before I do, I'll explain one more time that ''the Kegger'' has nothing to do with drinking, but rather is my nickname since my initials spell out KEG.

Here we go:

Best players, coaches -- Listen to the ''Calling All Sports'' radio show on Saturday morning (9-noon on AM 1470) for this year's Stellar Construction/Frantz Trophies all-area team.

Best game -- I'll take Liberty's win over Penncrest in the first round of the state tournament for nerve-wracking tension.

Best ceremony -- The one to honor legendary coach Barry Boyer at Nazareth.

Best ceremonial speech -- Former Whitehall star Pete Lisicky showing fluidity in three different languages to salute his grandmothers during his Hall of Fame acceptance speech.

Best refreshment stand -- Enjoy the conversation with Bob Small, along with the hot dogs and pizza, at Northampton.

Best nonlocal refreshment stand -- Shikellamy High in Sunbury. If I had more time, I'd have eaten about four orders of pierogies. I know with each bite, I was probably taking days off my life. Still worth it.

Best scorer's table environment -- The trio of Mike Yadush (announcer), Rich Gierula (scorekeeper) and Rick Garger (timer) at Whitehall. They are the Manny, Moe and Jack -- or is it, Moe, Larry and Curly? -- of local high schools hoops and keep me laughing along with the game.

Best LVC scorekeeper -- Liberty's Greg DeStasio, who somehow keeps all of the stats and announces, too.

Second best LVC scorekeeper -- Freedom's Karl Gilbert who somehow keeps all of the stats and doesn't miss a beat in talking to himself.

Third best LVC scorekeeper -- Allen's Glenn Grigg, who always waxes poetic about Bangor during breaks in the action.

Best MVC scorekeeper -- Pocono Mountain West's Bill Pensyl, who also always waxes poetic about Bangor. Hope you're feeling better soon, Bill.

Best Colonial scorekeeper -- Southern Lehigh's Stan Swartz. Always makes sure I have everything I need.

Best all-time scorekeeper -- Dieruff's Roy Arlotto. Hey, had to work the Huskies in here somewhere.

Best all-weather scorekeeper -- Central's Bob Trinkle. Couldn't get through the Stellar tourney without him.

Best new scorekeeper -- Northampton's Bill Fritz. Like him better here than in his previous role as a Parkland parent.

Best timer -- Central's Dennis Eddinger. Always asks if I need a ride from Rockne back to the office so I don't have to risk my life by walking.

Best announcer -- Catty's Tim Chorones, who stays sharp for the IronPigs with Rough Riders hoops.

Best fan -- Who else? Nazareth's Andy Weaver, the esteemed president and sole member of the Keith Groller Fan Club.

Best anthem singer -- Whitehall junior Kim Bydlon, a future finalist on ''American Idol'' I am predicting.

Best ADs -- Too many to pick from, but those I saw the most and did the most for me included Catty's Tom Moll, Allen's Scott Cooperman, Easton's Jim Pokrivsak, Freedom's Fred Harris, Parkland's Mike Dobil (offically retired, but still hustling) and Northampton's Mike Schneider, for remembering who's my favorite baseball team.

Best setup man -- Liberty's Matt Senneca, who put a press table for me on the sidelines the minute he saw me enter the gym.

Best official -- Frank D'Angelo. Liberty may not agree, however.

Best ex-official -- Terry Stoudt. Just ask him.

Best cheerleading squad -- Emmaus, which won a national championship.

Best dance team -- Too busy at halftime to see most of them perform (believe that and I have a beaten-up Honda Civic for you that still runs like a charm), but I heard Parkland was pretty good again.

Best quote by a coach -- Palisades' Mike Viglianti didn't talk about his pants this year, but did say, ''We really need some wins this year. Â… for the kids and for my sanity.'' His Pirates collected five.

Best quote by a player -- Talking about his two late free throws that sealed a win over Chester, Parkland's Nick Miller offered honesty in saying, ''We shot horrible at the line all game. Â… we could have the won the game easier. Those two were bound to fall after all the misses we had.''

Best student section -- Whitehall. Loved the military-style ''Winning team! Losing team!'' chant that comes complete with pointing fingers.

Best correspondent -- Toomey Anderson. If it happened, he knows about it.


''Where did they go?'' award -- To all of the people who used to attend games. Crowds are down; a shame for the kids.

''Where did this skill go?'' award -- To the art of foul shooting. Liberty's Darrun Hilliard is one of the few who make them in the clutch. Many teams struggle to stay above 50 percent at the line.

''The night time stood still'' award -- For the Central Catholic-Easton game. The clock didn't move for a few seconds and CCHS was able to get a win on a basket that really came after time should have expired.

''What were they thinking'' award -- The Via All-Star basketball banquet, a gala affair celebrating the season's best, is scheduled for Wednesday night. Problem is, the Liberty boys and Central girls could have PIAA semifinal games that night.

Worst situation -- No one should feel good about the player-forced exit of Kyle Kern at Central Catholic.

Worst situation, part II -- The absurd charges of racism levied at former Whitehall and Central coach Ron Hassler by a few disgruntled parents at North Penn.

Worst performance -- Likely by me as I reprise my role as a Washington General in the Via ''celebrity'' event against Special Olympians on March 28.

Toughest cut -- Not having a District 11 tournament program. Missed the rosters, and all of those championship lists.

Toughest loss -- The local sports scene will dearly miss Patti Heffner. We'll never forget her and what she meant to basketball.

Most heart-warming moment -- Patti's daughter, Amy, filling in for her mother when Dieruff's state title teams from the 1970s were honored at a preseason banquet.

Best man -- Whitehall's Yadush. But for future reference, Mike, just mustard and no ketchup on those hot dogs you serve to me at courtside.

Best woman -- District 11 committee member Elaine Arnts, who cooked about five different, delicious dishes for the hospitality room at Easton on the district's ''Championship Saturday.''

Best moment -- Hopefully, it's yet to come for Liberty a week from Saturday at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.

Best bets for next year -- Saucon Valley in the Colonial, Allen in the LVC, Pocono Mountain West in the MVC and lots of complaints about me and all of the coaches on the Groller's Corner blog.

FROM KEITH GROLLER