The Lehigh Valley Interscholastic Athletic Conference , known informally as the Lehigh Valley Conference or LVC , was an athletic conference consisting of 12 of the largest high schools from Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania . It was part of District XI of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA). In 2014, its teams were mostly assimilated into the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference , an even larger 18-team league of the largest high schools in the Lehigh Valley and Pocono Mountains regions of eastern and northeastern Pennsylvania.
32-684: Founded on November 14, 2001, the newly formed Lehigh Valley Conference (LVC) rejoined most of the 12 schools that formerly competed in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference at various times from 1976 to 1997, before five schools left in 1997 to join the Mountain Valley Conference (MVC). The LVC got off the ground after Parkland athletic director and head football coach Richard T. Sniscak was appointed principal of Parkland High School in May 2001 before earning
64-570: A fixture in national rankings, and collegiate wrestling scouts from around the nation recruit heavily among Lehigh Valley Conference wrestling teams. Division I collegiate wrestling is filled with wrestlers from the Lehigh Valley Conference, and the U.S. Olympic wrestling team also has often included wrestlers from the conference. Many Lehigh Valley Conference alumni have gone on to compete in college wrestling . One alumnus, Bobby Weaver from Easton High School, went on to win
96-496: A principal certification or a master's degree. In October 2001, Sniscak was approached by Parkland School Board member and Emmaus High School principal Dr. Herman Corradetti with the idea of reuniting the area schools that had competed in the East Penn Conference with a new conference, and played an intricate role in its formation. Phillipsburg High School had previously left the East Penn Conference in 1994 to join
128-712: A sixth location opened in South Mall in Salisbury Township . The company currently operates five locations in the Lehigh Valley , including three in Allentown, and one each in Emmaus and Fogelsville . In December 2023, the company announced the closure of its Trexlertown store on Facebook. Yocco's is currently run by Gary Iacocca, the third generation owner. The company's corporate headquarters
160-507: A weekly "Plays of the Week" segment, sponsored by Yocco's Hot Dogs , which featured the best football, basketball, wrestling and other Lehigh Valley Conference sports highlights of the week. Lehigh Valley Conference football teams routinely ranked highly in the state and nationally in USA Today 's annual ranking of the nation's top high school sports teams. In 2008, Liberty High School won
192-619: Is an athletic conference consisting of 18 large high schools from Lehigh , Monroe , Northampton , and Pike counties in the Lehigh Valley and Pocono Mountain regions of eastern and northeastern Pennsylvania . The conference is a part of District XI of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA). The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference holds many Pennsylvania and national records and milestones in high school athletic competition. Many EPC athletes have gone on to compete in
224-757: Is home to two of Pennsylvania's largest high school football stadiums, the 15,000 capacity J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown , the state's largest high school stadium, and the 14,000 capacity Frank Banko Field at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium in Bethlehem . On October 2, 2013, the Lehigh Valley Conference , consisting of 12 schools from the Lehigh Valley, voted to invite six Mountain Valley Conference schools to
256-416: Is used. Conference champions District and state championships Individual state champions: In girls cross country, no divisional conference alignment is used. Conference champions District and state championships Individual state champions: In field hockey , no divisional conference alignment is used. Conference champions District and state championships Football uses
288-465: The Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania . Yocco's was founded in 1922 by Theodore Iacocca, uncle of Lee Iacocca . Its corporate headquarters is located on East Minor Street in Emmaus . Yocco's was originally established in 1922 at its former location at 625 Liberty Street in the center city section of Allentown . Its original name was the Liberty Grill. From the 1970s through
320-680: The Olympics and in professional sports, including Major League Baseball , the National Basketball Association , and the National Football League . The conference's high school wrestling programs have been labeled "among the nation’s best in the sport for nearly three decades" and WIN magazine has ranked the EPC and Lehigh Valley best in the nation for wrestling. The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference
352-722: The Skyland Conference in New Jersey to be eligible for NJISAA football playoffs; Northampton Area High School joined the MVC for the 1994–95 school year. Eleven of these schools reunited to form the LVC, along with Nazareth Area High School , which had previously competed in the Colonial League before moving to the MVC in 1994. One additional former East Pennsylvania Conference school, Bethlehem Catholic High School ,
SECTION 10
#1732790546412384-528: The 2014 through 2017 seasons, Northampton was in the South division. From the 2014 through 2015 seasons, Bethlehem Catholic was in the North division. For 2016–17, Allentown Central Catholic was in the North division. Division champions District and state championships Golf does not use any divisional conference alignment. Conference champions District and state championships Boys lacrosse uses
416-701: The AAAA-level Pennsylvania state football championship, was ranked second in the Eastern United States and 20th among all high schools nationally. In 2002, Parkland High School won the AAAA-level Pennsylvania state football championship, was ranked fifth in the East and 11th among all high schools nationally. In 2007, Parkland High School also appeared in the AAAA-level Pennsylvania state football championship finals (losing to Pittsburgh Central Catholic). In 2008, Liberty High School won
448-632: The AAAA-level state football championship to Bethel Park. Liberty also appeared in the AAAA state final in 2005 and 2006, but lost. In 2010, Allentown Central Catholic High School won the AAA-level Pennsylvania state football championship, and was ranked fifth in the Eastern United States . They were also ranked in the top 50 nationally, according to maxpreps.com. High schools currently in the LVC were dominant in local football prior to
480-757: The Lehigh Valley's most popular athletic events, often selling out large indoor high school arenas with thousands of spectators. LVC schools have won numerous PIAA state individual wrestling championships and six team championships, including three straight 2A team titles for Bethlehem Catholic from 2010 to 2011 through 2012–13. A sign of its national stature, at one time in the early 2000s, the National High School Coaches Association had Easton Area High School, Nazareth Area High School, and Northampton High School all ranked in their "National Top 25" rankings simultaneously. Individual wrestlers from Lehigh Valley Conference schools are often
512-653: The NFL, and one of them, Chuck Bednarik from Bethlehem High School (now Liberty High School), was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame , the top honor afforded an NFL player, following his 1961 retirement from the Philadelphia Eagles . Bednarik's tackle of New York Giants running back Frank Gifford on November 20, 1960, known as The Hit , has been regularly ranked as one of the hardest hits and best plays in NFL history. The Lehigh Valley Conference
544-587: The Schuylkill League. The 12 high school teams in the Lehigh Valley Conference (and their locations) were: Former member of the East Penn Conference (predecessor to the Lehigh Valley Conference): Dieruff High School and William Allen High School competed in all sports except football where, beginning in 2012, in the smaller Mountain Valley Conference . In 2013, the Lehigh Valley Conference invited
576-844: The collegiate level. Emmaus High School has won the Pennsylvania state championship in girls field hockey 10 times and won the District XI title in 22 consecutive seasons, as of 2010. The Lehigh Valley Conference is also recognized nationally for its hugely successful wrestling programs, which are widely considered among the most competitive and elite in the nation. Easton Area High School , Nazareth Area High School , Northampton Area High School , and other Lehigh Valley Conference high schools are usually national powerhouses and each competes at prestigious national tournaments. Lehigh Valley Conference wrestling matches, especially those between rival Lehigh Valley Conference high schools, are among
608-664: The conference's formation. Bethlehem Catholic High School won state championships in 1988 (at the AA level) and 1990 (at the AAA level). Allentown Central Catholic High School won the AAA-class state title in 1993, 1998, and 2010. For 1993 they were ranked 10th among all high schools nationally. The conference also has been particularly successful in generating extremely successful collegiate and NFL football talent. To date, 18 alumni of Lehigh Valley Conference schools have gone on to play in
640-509: The conference, expanding it to a super conference of 18 large Pennsylvania high schools. The EPC was officially announced on June 4, 2014, and the conference's play began in the 2014–15 school year. The conference is widely considered one of the premier high school athletic divisions in the nation. The 18 high school teams in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (with location in parentheses) are: Baseball uses
672-536: The divisional conference alignment. Pleasant Valley and Bethlehem Catholic do not participate in girls swimming and diving. East Stroudsburg North, East Stroudsburg South, Pocono Mountain East, Pocono Mountain West, and Stroudsburg do not participate in girls diving. Conference champions District and state championships Yocco%27s Hot Dogs Yocco's Hot Dogs is a regionally famous hot dog and cheesesteak establishment with five restaurants, each located in
SECTION 20
#1732790546412704-600: The end of the 20th century, Yocco's opened five additional restaurants in Allentown and its suburbs. The first was at 2128 Hamilton Street in Allentown, followed by locations in Emmaus , Fogelsville , Trexlertown , and Hanover Township . Yocco's has made several appearances in Zippy , a nationally syndicated comic strip featuring the character Zippy the Pinhead . In 2016, the Liberty Street location closed, and
736-404: The following adjusted divisional conference alignment, which changes slightly every two years: North: Dieruff, East Stroudsburg North, East Stroudsburg South, Northampton, Pleasant Valley, Pocono Mountain East, Pocono Mountain West, Stroudsburg, and William Allen South: Allentown Central Catholic, Bethlehem Catholic, Easton, Emmaus, Freedom, Liberty, Nazareth, Parkland, and Whitehall From
768-455: The following adjusted divisional conference alignment: East: Bethlehem Catholic, Liberty, Nazareth, Northampton, and Pleasant Valley West: Allentown Central Catholic, Easton, Emmaus, Freedom, and Parkland Dieruff, East Stroudsburg North, East Stroudsburg South, Pocono Mountain East, Pocono Mountain West, Stroudsburg, Whitehall, and William Allen do not participate in boys lacrosse. District and state championships Girls lacrosse uses
800-472: The following adjusted divisional conference alignment: Mountain: Nazareth, Northampton, and Pleasant Valley Steel: Easton, Freedom, Liberty Skyline: Allentown Central Catholic, Emmaus, and Parkland Bethlehem Catholic, Dieruff, East Stroudsburg North, East Stroudsburg South, Pocono Mountain East, Pocono Mountain West, Stroudsburg, Whitehall, and William Allen do not participate in girls lacrosse. District and state championships Boys soccer uses
832-625: The gold medal in wrestling at the 1984 Summer Olympics . Lehigh Valley Conference high school wrestling was televised locally on Service Electric , WLVT-TV and other radio and television stations. Current and former professional and Olympic athletes who played high school athletics at the schools currently comprising the Lehigh Valley Conference include: Lehigh Valley Conference athletes who have gone on to athletic coaching and team management careers include: Eastern Pennsylvania Conference The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference , known informally as EPC , EPC18 , and East Penn Conference ,
864-742: The primary divisional conference alignment. Conference Champions District and state championships Girls soccer uses the primary divisional alignment. Conference champions District and state championships Softball uses the primary divisional alignment. District and state championships Boys swimming and diving does not use the divisional conference alignment. Pleasant Valley and Bethlehem Catholic do not participate in boys swimming and diving. In addition, East Stroudsburg North, East Stroudsburg South, Pocono Mountain East, Pocono Mountain West, and Stroudsburg do not participate in boys diving. Conference champions District and state championships Girls swimming and diving does not use
896-409: The primary divisional conference alignment. District and state championships Boys basketball uses the primary divisional conference alignment. Conference Champions District and state championships Girls basketball uses the primary divisional conference alignment. Conference champions District and state championships In boys cross country , no divisional conference alignment
928-454: The record for the most conference championships in all sports. Lehigh Valley Conference football , boys and girls basketball games and wrestling matches were broadcast during the respective seasons on Service Electric 's Channel 2 in the Lehigh Valley and other broadcast markets. RCN 4, another local television station, also broadcast the Lehigh Valley Conference's football, basketball and wrestling events. Service Electric also broadcast
960-440: The six Monroe County members of the Mountain Valley Conference to join the LVC. The schools accepted the invitation and formed an 18-school conference, called the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference , that began play in the 2014–15 school year. Among Lehigh Valley Conference schools, Emmaus High School holds the record for most Pennsylvania state championships in all sports since the league's creation. Parkland High School holds
992-1343: Was admitted to the new conference in February 2002. Conference play began with the 2002–03 school year. In 2012, Allentown 's two large public high schools, Allen High School and Dieruff High School , decided to join the MVC as associate members for football only. Then, on October 2, 2013, the LVC voted to invite six Monroe County high schools: Stroudsburg High School in Stroudsburg , East Stroudsburg High School North in Dingmans Ferry , East Stroudsburg High School South in East Stroudsburg , Pocono Mountain East High School in Swiftwater , Pocono Mountain West High School in Pocono Summit , and Pleasant Valley Area High School in Brodheadsville . The remaining MVC school, Lehighton Area High School , had already announced in 2012 they would join
Lehigh Valley Conference - Misplaced Pages Continue
1024-497: Was recognized nationally as one of the premier leagues in the nation for girls field hockey . In 2010, the national sports web site, topofthecircle.com, ranked the Lehigh Valley Conference's Emmaus High School as the best girls field hockey team in the nation for the third time in the program's history. Since its inception, close to 200 members of the Emmaus High School girls field hockey team have gone on to compete on
#411588