Parkland Press

In the rubber match of this season’s series between the Emmaus and Parkland girls volleyball teams, neither team gave in, and several sets were decided by just a few points. One set even went well past the 25-point mark that usually ends a game.

The Parkland girls volleyball team has taken on an unfamiliar role, but they have flourished. Being labeled as more of an underdog this postseason, the Trojans have risen to the top, just like they’ve done for most of this decade.

Parkland was the sixth seed in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Tournament and took down three teams seeded higher to win the championship. Now in the District 11 Class 4A Tournament, the Trojans are the fifth seed and have beaten two teams positioned better than them with a shot at a third for the title.

The Parkland football team is playing its best football of the 2019 season to date. Following a 24-3 victory over rival Emmaus last weekend in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference regular season finale, the Trojans (8-2 overall, 6-2 EPC South Division) are riding a six-game win streak heading into postseason play.

Parkland opens the District 11 Class 6A tournament as the three seed and will host Stroudsburg, the sixth seed, this Friday night at Parkland School District Stadium.

The Emmaus football team did not have a lot of answers for the Parkland defense in its most recent rivalry game. The Trojans (8-2 overall) used their stout front seven to stifle the Green Hornets (5-5) offensive attack in winning the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference South Division regular season finale 24-3 last Friday night at Parkland School District Stadium.

It is the sixth straight victory for Parkland, which, as in plenty of years past, is playing its best football at the end of the season.

Since even before the 2019 regular season started, the Parkland football team was playing shorthanded because of injuries to some key players. Well that all changed last week.

The Trojans were finally back to full strength after eight weeks and they used their depth and talent to take down Easton 27-9 last Friday night in an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference South Division game at Cottingham Stadium.

The win was the fifth straight for Parkland (7-2 overall, 5-2 EPC South).

The Parkland girls volleyball team had an unexpected path in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference tournament. As an underdog in every match, the Trojans were in a position they normally don’t see themselves in.

The Parkland football team is not only playing its best football of the 2019 regular season, but it has all of the ingredients it anticipated for success this year back and healthy.

After several key players missed some time throughout the first eight weeks, the Trojans (7-2 overall, 5-2 EPC South) had everyone back last weekend and they overmatched Easton 27-9 for their fifth straight victory. Parkland will now host rival Emmaus (5-4, 3-4) in an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference South Division showdown on senior night Friday night at Parkland School District Stadium.

The Parkland football team played its most complete game of the 2019 regular season in defeating Stroudsburg 49-0 last Friday night at Parkland School District Stadium in an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference crossover game between teams from the North and South divisions.

The Trojans (6-2 overall, 6-2 EPC) rolled to their fourth straight win and recorded their first shutout of the season and tied their highest point total of 2019. They also put up 49 in the season-opener at Northampton.

The Parkland and Easton girls soccer teams did not met during the 2019 regular season. With the Trojans in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Skyline Division and the Rovers in the Steel Division, there was no opportunity for a crossover matchup this year.

The two teams didn’t disappoint in a postseason game as junior forward Alex Marsteller scored a first-half goal and the Parkland defense held firm and the Trojans held on for a 1-0 win over Easton in the EPC semifinals Tuesday night at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium.

As the time expired on the scoreboard at Whitehall High School Tuesday evening, the Parkland field hockey team rushed the field and celebrated.

No, the Trojans didn’t win any hardware, yet. But the program achieved a first for all of the team’s players and it’s head coach.

Senior Madison Molchany scored two goals and sophomore goalie Tess Garchinsky and her defense stepped up when they needed to most in the second half as Parkland defeated Easton 2-1 in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference semifinals.