Lehigh's local flavor continues to grow with the addition of Pen Argyl's Gym

FROM KEITH GROLLER

Lehigh football's recruiting class continues to take shape and while the complete list won't be announced until late this week or early next week, it's exciting to know that several local kids are headed to South Mountain.

It's exciting because more local kids means more local interest in Mountain Hawks football.

Last week it was announced that Central Catholic's Noah Robb and Parkland's Matt Laub were headed to the two-time Patriot League champs and we've now learned that Pen Argyl quarterback Conor Gum is also going to wear the Brown and White.

And that means Conor's father, the late Jimmy Gum, has to be ecstatic.

Jimmy played at Lehigh and had a stellar career, but died in May of 2006 after a battle with ALS. Jimmy Gum was just 43.

Every year at the Brown and White Game to close spring practice at Lehigh, a scholarship is given in Jimmy's name and the entire Gum family is there for the presentation.They have always been proud to be associated with Lehigh University.

My guess is that there's no place Conor would rather go than Lehigh and there's no recruit that coach Andy Coen would be more proud to have in his program than Conor Gum.

As for Gum's senior year at Pen Argyl, he passed for 1,131 yards and 14 touchdowns.

In his first year as a starter at QB, he helped guide the Green Knights into the 2A state quarterfinals.

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/