(1937-present)
Before Jordan, Abdul-Jabbar, Baylor, Bird, and the three-point shot, there were Davey, Jackson, Harding, and Sandcock. No, they weren't anything like "Magic" (Johnson), or "Phi Slamma Jamma" (Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon), they were Pen Argyl's own version of basketball stars. Way back in 1937, the first ever intra-school games were held between the freshmen and sophomores and the juniors and seniors. The sophomores and the seniors, winners of the first games, then met in the "championship game" to determine which class had the rights to brag. In a thrilling match-up, the sophomores wound up defeating the seniors, 20-18.
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This newspaper article gives the results of a junior-senior basketball game.
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These early intra-school games helped to introduce a "traveling" team, or actual high school basketball team that was in a league with teams from other schools. So in 1938, the Board of Education decided to enter the Lehigh-Northampton County Basketball League. During that 1938 season, the Pen Argyl basketball team scheduled 16 games, winning only two (both versus Bangor Hi-Y).
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1938 Boys Basketball Team
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Seniors: Archie Dungey (Captain), Wilmer Bonney, Ralph Couch, William Keeler, Clifton Harding (Manager) -
Juniors: Richard Fedon, Donald Sandercock, William Davey, Robert Jackson, Clair Harding, Charles May, Irwin Cowling
The 1939 season produced a total of four wins, doubling the win total of the previous season. Things were looking upward heading into the 1940 season. Little did anyone know that this season was going to be the best ever at Pen Argyl up to that point. The team finished its league schedule with a .500 winning percentage, good for third in the league, and an overall record of 9-4.
After finishing 1940 on a positive note, the 1941 and 1942 seasons proved to be disappointing ones. Due to a lack of transportation for the 1943 basketball season, Pen Argyl did not engage in competition. In 1944, due to government restriction and the lack of transportation, the Pen Argyl High School basketball team, under the direction of S. Nicholas Fister, dropped out of the Lehigh - Northampton County Basketball League. For the next 15 years, the Green Knights struggled to find the winning column and a coach to take them to the "promised land".
However, teamwork and the will to win were the motivation of the 1958 basketball team. The team played 20 games and won 15, two of which were big wins over arch rival Bangor. 1959 also proved to be a good year. They won 13 out of 21 games and set the record for the most points scored in a single season.
Coaches Francis Vari and Harry Bray took over the coaching in 1960. They brought the team to a 10-10 season. That year they broke two records set in previous years. Art Hutchinson broke the record for the most points scored in a season. He rolled up 404 points to break the one-season record and set a new career record. The following season, Coach Vari led his team to a 19-3 record. They set a new record by scoring the most points in a single game (94) against Bangor. In 1963, Coaches Vari and Bray coached the team to an 11-9 record. Dave Turtzo, a junior, scored 36 points against Wilson, setting a single game scoring record at Pen Argyl. (He later set it again scoring 55 points against Palisades).
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The 1966 season was a disappointment, although the Green Knights broke the record for points scored in one game by scoring 100 points against Pius X. 1968 was a great year for Bob Parsons as he led the Knights to an 8-14 record and broke 1,000 with 1,283 points. In 1970, the Knights, led by senior Bob Bath, and junior Dwight Repsher, had their first winning season since 1964. Repsher finished second on the team with 348 pts.
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That year the Knights were 12-10, giving up only 60.1 points per game, while scoring 68.8. From 1971 to 1977, there weren't a bunch of highlights for the Knights. Perhaps the biggest highlight of that time period was Joe Palmisano's 462 point season in 1976, placing him second in Colonial League scoring. In 1978, second year coach, Harner, advanced the team to District Xl competition for the first time ever. They finished with a 2-1 playoff record. Don Dentith, who scored 472 points was named to the first team Colonial League All-Stars. 1979 was the first year for Coach Dwight Repsher, former player for the Knights. That year Don Dentith scored his 1,429th point.
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During the early 1980's, Pen Argyl's boys' basketball team lost their competitive edge, as the wins decreased and the losses piled up. Then in 1984 under coach Repsher, the team finished 19-8 for the season and 21-10 after districts. It was Coach Repsher's best season as a Pen Argyl coach.
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1984 Basketball Team and Coach Dwight Repsher
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First Row : Matt Miller, Boyd Dentith, Tim Roper -
Second Row : Coach Dwight Repsher, Rick Folk, Peter Ruggiero, Jim Rodney, Willie Wenninger, Troy Leidy -
The 1985 team also produced a winning record, finishing 18-9. In 1986, Pete Ruggerio scored point number 1,167 and the team finished with a record of 13-9. Coach Jim Roth and the '87 team had a successful year finishing 12-13. With only two returning starters, Coach Randy Mason and the '88 team finished 13-10. It was an improvement from the previous season, but it was also the start of a Pen Argyl basketball decline. In 1989 the Knights lost nine of their last 12 to finish up with eight wins and 16 losses. In 1990, Coach Mason had workhorse, Tim Hahn, a 1,000 point scorer, but the team came up short with a record of 8-16. Mason also coached in '91 with the team finishing1-23. In 1992, coach Dave Moyer stepped in and took over the program taking the team from a one-game winning season to a 9-15 season. The team consisted of seven seniors who found the will to win.
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The 1992 Pen Argyl Green Knights
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First Row : Howie Clinese, Josh Huber, Kevin Mount, Mike Squarcia, O'Neil Matlock, Jason Achenbach, Mike DePalma -
Second Row : Coach Dave Moyer, Bill Reduzzi, Mike Morris, Kyle Cramer, Jason Mutchler, Jarrad Sullivan, Jeff Clauson, Mike Lorenzo, Matt Pezzuto, Mike Miller, and Coach Bill Schankel
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1993 Boys Basketball Team
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First Row : Mike DePalma, O'Neil Matlock, Brian Turtzo. -
Second Row : Dan Dauley, Josh Huber, Todd Holland, Mike Miller, Jason Achenbach, Matt Pezzuto, Coach Moyer -
Third Row : Howie Clinese, Kyle Cramer, Mike Dauley, Joe Turner, Mike Lorenzo
In 1993, Coach Moyer took the team to districts with a 12-12 record and in 1994, the Knights and Coach Moyer enjoyed their best season ever. They advanced to district playoffs and lost in the finals at the buzzer. Mike Lorenzo scored 1,115 points that season, making him the seventh Green Knight boys' basketball player to score over 1,000 points. The next two coaches, Jack Jacksits, 1995-1997, and Steve Ayers, 1997 - 1999 have had difficulty winning many ball games. However the future looks bright. With three underclassmen starting on the varsity squad in the present season and an undefeated freshman team waiting to join the ranks, the timing is right for the Green Knights to contend for the Colonial League Championship in the near future.
In the year 2001, the Boy's Basketball team had a record of 14 wins and 11 losses. In the year 2002, the Boy's Basketball team had a record of 10 wins and 14 losses.
In 2002 the varsity basketball team finished out the season with a 6 -10 league record and a 10 -14 overall record. During the last game of the season, Ed Reid scored his 1,000 points in the last few seconds of the third quarter. Ed ended up the season with a total of 1,008 points. The boy's team played well throughout the season. Underclassmen Steve Renaldo, Mike Bortz, Zach Chromiak, and Ben Jones should help the team next year with seniors Jason Rompola, Ed Reid, Jeff Gum, Justin Duncan, and Joel Wildasin graduating.
The JV boys' varsity basketball team finished the season with an overall record of 13 -9 for the 2002 season. While fighting for their record the boys blew by Bangor twice giving them the confidence which would last until the end of the season. The starting five for the team were sophomores Steve Renaldo and Tanner Duncan, junior Chip Morgan, and the amazing freshman Mike Bortz and Steve Waring.
The 2002 Freshman boys' basketball team, under the instruction of Coach Hendershot, completed the season with a record of 6 -14 for the year. The team's two top scorers, Josh Melham and Brad Feller, contributed greatly to the team on the court throughout the season. With the help of many other players on the team, the boys were left with a respectable record.
The 2003 Varisty Boys' Basketball team had another outstanding year. They finished out the year 12-12, after wrapping up after their first round in Districts. The boy's team did very well throughout the year. The team seniors who greatly helped this team through the past couple of years are Zach Cromiak, Ben Jones, Trevor Levitz, and Chip Morgan. The coach is Joseph Arndts, who has been the coash for the past two years.
The 2003 Junior Varsity Boys' Basketball team also had a great year. They finished up the season with a record of 15-8. The team's coach was Rollie Pastore.
In 2004, the boys' had a record of 17-8 and became District XI champions under the wings of Coach Arndt.
The 2005 basketball season, led by new coach George Hicks, ended with a record of 21-5.
Michael Bortz becoming a 1,000 point scorer.
2006 - Boys Varsity 9w/15l Junior Varsity 8w/15l
2007 - Varsity 4w/20l Junior Varsity 6w/17l