Impressed with scholar-athlete Aaron Cook, but sad news at the end of the banquet

FROM KEITH GROLLER

I haven't covered a ton of them, but when I do I am always impressed with the young men who win the football scholar-athlete award at the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Lehigh Valley Chapter dinner.

And tonight was no exception as Palmerton's Aaron Cook became the third Blue Bomber to win the award, saluting him for excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

Cook joins Jesse Rehus in 1995 and Matt Falcone in 2009 as past Blue Bombers who won the award.

Very impressive young man, who said some very nice things about Falcone and how Falcone inspired him.

The banquet, as always, was well done. Kutztown University coach Ray Monica was impressive as the keynote speaker, amusing from the outset with his Louisiana accent. Some nice things were said about one of last year's co-winners, Nazareth's Chuck Dibilio, and the principals from both Nazareth and Bangor (it's a tradition that the principals from the previous year's winner get to speak and last year Dibilio and Bangor's Scott LaValva were co-winners) were very good.

But it ended on sad note as in his benediction Father James Prior mentioned the passing of Dr. Terry Bartolet, who was one of the great athletes in Easton history.

Bartolet was the quarterback of the Red Rovers' unbeaten team in 1958 and a talented baseball and basketball player.

He went on to Harvard and Temple Medical School and returned to the Lehigh Valley as one of Easton's most prominent citizens, becoming an orthopedic specialist. He also became the school's athletic physician and remained a fixture in the community.

Bartolet, reportedly died of a heart attack. He was 71.

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