2nd Annual Picnic Featured teams and leagues M & K Sales Allentown Fastpitch Softball, Cement Belt Slow Pitch League, Lehigh Valley Men’s Fastpitch League and Karl Lauchnor and Frank Nace, Whitehall Flag Football League, Northern Lehigh Girls Softball State Championship team, Coplay Connie Mack Baseball State Champions, Coplay Legion Baseball State Champs, Ken Cressman, Allen and U of Tennesse Volunteer athlete, also voted in for his umpiring skills by Lehigh Valley Girls Softball League, Mike Lush, Wm Allen Canaries, ESU Warriors USFL League Champions Phila. Stars & Baltimore Stars, Minnesota Viking; Larry Christoff, Northampton High, Rutgers U. and Baltimore Colts.

Robert “Gunner” Gontkosky Whitehall High and Phillies organization winner of Richard Bowman Baseball Award.
2013 Dale Horn Volunteer Award WinnerGlenn Noack, Whitehall High School Basketball State Champion player and Bloomsburg U for his dedication to Liberty Basketball Feeder Programs.

Cost is $20 includes free beverages from noon to six, rain or shine under the picnic pavillion. 4 hot foods from 1 to 5 pm. Kids under 12 free. Please make checks payable to L.V. Sports Hall of Fame, 311 Mulberry St. Catasauqua, PA 18032.

Kohler, a Lehigh Valley native, has had an illustrious football coaching career that has spanned nearly 40 years; coaching multiple teams annually. His journey began when he was hired by his high school alma mater (William Allen High School) in 1973. There he served three seasons as an assistant before joining Kutztown University’s program for a year. From 1977-81, Kohler was instated as a coach at Muhlenberg College for the first time, and after a seven-year stint with Moravian, returned in 1990 to pad his legacy with the organization he is still a part of to this day.

Throughout his tenure at Muhlenberg, which has spanned over a quarter-century, Kohler has been a part of a coaching staff that has earned several accolades for attaining 11 Conference titles or co-championships, 9 NCAA Division III playoff bids, and 3 ECAC Bowl appearances; plus producing numerous All-Americans. In addition to his high school and collegiate success, Kohler has 4 years of experience coaching indoor/arena football as well. He has been involved with the Lehigh Valley Outlawz (2006) and New Jersey Revolution (2008), along with the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks of the Indoor Football League (IFL) for the past 2 seasons before joining the Storm in 2013.

On his prestigious accomplishment, Storm owner Steve Lombardo had nothing but praise of Kohler. “This is a great honor for a great man,” Lombardo stated. “The Storm is fortunate to have Coach Kohler as part of our organization.” Furthermore, Kohler served in the Air Force for 4 years, where he played football for a couple seasons, and later became a standout at Kutztown University. As a versatile athlete, Kohler was selected as the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Player of the Week 7 times, as well as a first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) member twice. He has also worked with Muhlenberg’s women’s basketball team (2 years), been a teacher and principal with the Allentown School District at the elementary level (9 and 22 years respectively), is currently an educational consultant at Turning Stone Choice, and assists with FASST camps alongside Storm trainer Jason Brader.

The Storm also wants to congratulate assistant coach Joe Wooten on being named the Defensive Backs coach for Liberty High School. Wooten, a Liberty graduate (1995), excelled while playing minor league (8 years) and arena (3 years) football locally prior to entering the coaching ranks. He played 5 seasons for the Lehigh Valley Steelers, where he was an All-Star 5 times, and with the Lehigh Valley Outlawz of the Professional Indoor Football League (IPFL) before serving a couple years as the defensive backs coach at Pius X High School. Wooten also has been a FASST certified trainer for 2 years.

For further information, contact Rick Schmidt at 267-221-1400.

Allentown, PA – The Lehigh Valley Storm of the Gridiron Developmental Football League (GDFL) is pleased to announce that Bob Kohler has agreed to be the team’s new head coach for the 2013 season. He will become the second head coach in team history, succeeding Fred Rice. Last year, the Storm accumulated a (7-3) record and second consecutive playoff appearance.

Kohler, a Lehigh Valley native, has had an illustrious football coaching career that has spanned nearly 40 years. He has worked with teams at various levels of football over that time, ranging from indoor/arena (4 years), to college (37 years), and even high school (3 years) as well; usually coaching multiple teams per year. Kohler joins the Storm after assisting with the Lehigh Valley Steelhawks, of the Indoor Football League (IFL), for the past two years. His first involvement with indoor football came in 2006 when he was a coach for the Lehigh Valley Outlawz. He was also a consultant with the New Jersey Revolution in 2008.

Upon graduating from Allen High School, Kohler served in the Air Force for four years, playing football there for two seasons. Later, he became a standout player on the gridiron at Kutztown University. As a versatile athlete, Kohler was selected as the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Player of the Week seven times, as well as a first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) member twice.

It is evident that Kohler has stayed loyal to his alma maters. Part of his tenure in collegiate athletics has been with Kutztown, but he has also worked for other local colleges in Muhlenberg and Moravian (5 and 7 years respectively). Furthermore, from 1973-2003, he was part of the Allen School District staff, serving as elementary teacher (9 years) and in the administration department as principal (22 years). During this time, Kohler also spent three years as an assistant coach with Allen High School.

Kohler still resides in the Lehigh Valley today with his family. He has two children, a son and daughter, plus three grandchildren. “I’m excited about the opportunity,” Kohler stated on his new role. “I have had the pleasure of seeing this team last season and know that they are a talented group of players. My goal is to generate an increased sense of enthusiasm in the Lehigh Valley and help these players excel at the next level.”

Storm owner Steve Lombardo had nothing but praise of Kohler. “Today is a great day for the Storm organization on and off the field,” Lombardo stated. “We have just gotten stronger as a football team.” The 2013 Lehigh Valley Storm season is scheduled to kick-off the weekend of May 4th.

For further information, contact Rick Schmidt at 267-221-1400.

Last season, as members of the Big North East Football Federation (BNEFF), the Storm experienced the post-season for the first time and defeated the Southern Virginia Trojans, 20-14 in overtime, before bowing out to the eventual Major League Football (MLF) champion and current GDFL rival Central Penn Piranha, 29-7.

In looking to spring a huge upset and resurrect some of the same magic that led them to the BNEFF semi-finals a year ago, the start of the contest could not have been any more promising for the Storm. Appearing to avenge on a 56-0 blowout loss to Chambersburg in their only prior meeting, Ukeen Riddick ran back the opening kickoff 97 yards for his first return touchdown of the season, and a quick 7-0 Storm lead. Both offenses struggled early, but it was the Storm’s defense that really frustrated the Cardinals, holding them scoreless for much of the opening period. It wasn’t until a punt was blocked (James Rockymore) and recovered in the end zone (David White) in the late stages of the first quarter that the Cardinals finally got on the board and tied the game at 7-7. The touchdown seemed to spark the home team, as Chambersburg would continue to make life difficult for the Storm offense and eventually score the first offensive points of the game on a 16-yard run by D’Andre Webb to begin the second quarter (14-7). With momentum shifting in the Cardinals favor, the Storm instantly answered on an incredible second kick-off return touchdown (95 yards) by Ukeen Riddick, to knot the game at 14-14. However, as history would have it, this would be the last points the Storm would score in the 2012 season.

Not to be shown up on their own turf, the Cardinals took command of the game from midway through the second quarter, and proved they are still a championship caliber team. A safety and fumble return by Atcheson Conway, along with a passing touchdown from Bill Ashburn to Ottis Lewis, completed the scoring for Chambersburg prior to halftime. At the break, they held a comfortable 30-14 edge. Things continued to unravel for the visiting Storm in the second half, as their primarily stingy defense was suddenly unable to stop the Cardinals’ resurgent offense. In the third stanza, a second rushing touchdown by D’Andre Webb and a deep receiving strike from Ashburn to Gary Stackfield posted another 13 points in Chambersburg’s favor, as now the once tight contest was becoming out-of-reach (43-14). With the game in the balance, the Cardinals tacked on a couple more scores in the final quarter en route to the lopsided 57-14 rout.

Despite the early departure from the post-season, it was a positive year for the Storm. A year that posted a (7-3) record, presented countless highlights on both sides of the ball. During the season, the Storm’s defense emerged as one of the best in league by recording 38 turnovers (24 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries) and producing 11 touchdowns, roughly one-third of the team’s total scoring. They also recorded two shutouts as well. On the offensive side, although they were never able to form a consistency due to personnel changes, a balanced, steady offense was becoming more visible with the progression of a versatile running attack. Successful deep passing plays were also beginning to develop as part of the weekly game plan.

Several players also had career breakout seasons. Defensive Back/Wideout Quintin Lopez finished off his first regular season with the Strom by recording 8 total touchdowns (5 offense, 3 defense) and 10 interceptions. Running back Stacy Burnett, also a first-year member, ran for four scores in his last four games (6 TD total), and veteran linebacker Orrin Marshman registered a combined 50 tackles and his first interception touchdown. Jamie Sellers and Rodney Gilmore split time at the quarterback position and accumulated 1,292 yards and 9 touchdowns. Other standouts included defensive linemen Garrett Hood and Chris Medina (59 tackles and 6.5 sacks combined), defensive backs Jarin Elder, Stephen Lewis, and Ukeen Riddick (10 INT, 3 TD combined), and kicker Dennis Hardick (4 FG, 36 points).

However, as Storm first year head coach Joe Ruffino stated, with the talented group of emerging athletes on this team and so many aspirations of bringing a championship to the Lehigh Valley, it is hard not to view this season as a “disappointment.” Unfortunately, the Storm was short-handed and without several key players against the Cardinals which really affected their chances of attempting a deep playoff run. It should be noted though, that the GDFL is a much stronger league than the BNEFF, as it is comprised of all the top minor league football teams in the country, and the Storm still compiled a winning record. With the team relatively young, the Storm is poised to make a run in 2013.

“I’m very happy with our performance in the GDFL this year,” said Storm owner Steve Lombardo. “We played some of the best teams in the whole country and made great strides in our organization on and off the field.” Lombardo continued, “Our fan base continues to grow bigger and bigger every year, and I’m excited about playing these high caliber teams of the GDFL again next year; and bringing home a real championship to the (Lehigh) Valley.”

From the Lehigh Valley Storm organization, we would like to thank all of our incredible fans and sponsors who have supported us throughout the season. Special thanks to Comfort Suites of Dorneyville, Fred Saracino of State Farm Insurance, and OAA Orthopedic Specialists for their charitable contributions. With your help, we are anticipating another great season for 2013.

For further information, contact Rick Schmidt at 267-221-1400.

During the regular season, the Storm, who is currently ranked 30th with a (7-3) record, showcased a highly talented, stellar defense that emerged as one of the league’s best by season’s end. They compiled a total of 24 interceptions and 11 touchdowns, as well as provided nearly half of the point production for the team. The Storm also featured an offense that evolved throughout the season. With a refined scheme and a balanced running attack, the Storm tallied ten touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball in their final two completed games.

The Cardinals (8-1) are currently ranked 14th in the GDFL and second behind the Central Penn Piranha in the Keystone Division. Their only loss came early in the season to the Piranha.

This will be the first time the Storm will face the Cardinals in the playoffs. They met once prior during the Storm’s inaugural season back in 2010, which resulted in a lopsided 56-0 defeat. Last year, the Storm produced a 1-1 record in the Major League Football (MLF) playoffs by defeating the Southern Virginia Trojans for their first post-season victory before bowing out to the eventual champion Central Penn Piranha.

Joe Ruffino will also be making his post-season debut as head coach of the Storm and has plenty of confidence in his team. “I am looking forward to having the opportunity to take this group of men deep into the playoffs,” he said. “We have had a great defense all season, but recently we have been coming together on both sides of the ball and working as a whole.” Ruffino continued, “I know they (Chambersburg Cardinals) have a good team, but I feel we are capable of winning if we have full effort from all of our guys to put our game plan into effect.”

The game between the Storm and the Cardinals will be held on Saturday, August 25th, at Trojan Stadium in Chambersburg, PA. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

For further information, contact Rick Schmidt at 267-221-1400.

For the first time in nearly a month, the Storm did not have a stoppage of any type during the game. Last week, inclement weather forced an abrupt end to the contest between the Storm and Central Penn Piranha, as the game was suspended until both teams could reschedule. In total, three out of the four games played by the Storm in July encountered lengthy delays.

Taking full advantage of favorable conditions, the Storm set the tone of the game on their first play from scrimmage. After receiving the opening kickoff, Rodney Gilmore connected on a deep 60-yard touchdown pass to Quintin Lopez for a quick 6-0 Storm lead. Although that would be the only scoring of the opening quarter, it was evident that the Storm had physically and mentally outplayed the Lynx in all facets of the game. In the second quarter, they would start to be rewarded for their efforts. A rushing touchdown from 2 yards out by D.J. Brumfield would increase the Storm lead to 13-0. Gilmore would then launch two more scores through the air, a 19-yarder to Jarin Elder and a second to Lopez from 27 yards out, to give the Storm a comfortable 27-0 cushion. A late Lynx touchdown, however, broke the shutout before halftime (27-7). As had been the reoccurring theme throughout the entire game, the Storm would continue their dominance in the second half by creating turnovers and managing the clock. After a Lynx miscue set up terrific field position for the Storm, Stacy Burnett breezed through the defense for a 17-yard rushing touchdown to widen the already substantial lead to 34-7. The Storm defense would ultimately tally, as a 30-yard fumble recovery lead to the eventual 41-13 blow-out victory.

Although they have been terrific all season, this may rank as one of the best games of the year for the Storm defense. They accumulated an astonishing nine turnovers (6 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries), as well as added five sacks and one touchdown, against a competitive Lynx squad who posted 40 points last week against the D.C. Explosion. Every time the Lynx seemed to be putting a drive together, the Storm defense would create a turnover that would shift momentum. In addition, since the Storm offense is continuing to improve, they are now a double threat on both sides of the ball. The running game has been sufficient in recent weeks, and quarterback Rodney Gilmore has shown the speed and versatility, as well as accuracy on deep passes, to put fear into opponents’defenses.

As has been the case all season, the Storm has strived to provide a suitable offense to complement their already stellar defense. Now that they are well on their way to achieving this, it is easy to see the pride head coach Joe Ruffino has in his players. “Another great win for my team,” Ruffino said. “The defense was great and the offense was clicking.” He continued, “We are getting better each week.”

The Storm has an open date this Saturday, but will return home the following week, August 18th, to J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown. At this point it is undetermined whether they will host this same South Jersey Lynx team or finish the suspended game versus the Central Penn Piranha from June 28th. Either way, kickoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

After lightning was spotted overhead, the game was halted at the 1:51 mark of the first quarter with the Central Penn Piranha leading 16-0.
The Piranha got off to a fast start with an 84-yard opening kickoff return by Darren Echols to go up 7-0. Their next possession would result in another touchdown by Echols, this time on the receiving end of a 35-yard pass from Mark Jarmon (14-0). A safety by Darryl Wilkins would cap off the early scoring for the Piranha, as they held a 16-0 lead in the closing minutes of the first quarter.

Upon waiting out a lengthy delay of about an hour, it was determined that the game would be suspended until a later time. Due to a conflict in team schedules, no date has been determined at this point for the game to be completed.

The Storm will travel next Saturday, August 4th, to Stockton Station Park in Camden, NJ to play the South Jersey Lynx. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

For further information, contact Rick Schmidt at 267-221-1400.

Although the score may indicate that this was an effortless trip for the Storm, now (5-2), the reality was far from perception. An already late start time of 8 p.m. was delayed even further after a massive tree fell on the only road that served as an outlet to the field prior to beginning of the game. This meant anyone, including several players from both teams, who had not arrived by that point could not enter the field until the tree was removed.

The game finally got underway after about an hour, but the major concerns then were how the players would react following the travel and long delay time, as well as if the steady driving mist that had been descending would have any impact. However, it was clear early on that these elements would have no effect on the Storm’s overall performance.

After stopping the Enforcers on the first three plays of the contest, a surge by the defensive front of the Storm (led by Garrett Hood) created havoc in the DMV backfield and negated a punting attempt. The turnover-on-downs gave the Storm only 11-yards to work with, and they used just two plays to score a 7-yard touchdown on a run by Stacy Burnett for a quick 7-0 lead. Similar to their first drive, the Enforcers stalled deep in their territory and ultimately gave the Storm unbelievable field position. After a shanked DMV punt from inside the end zone, the Storm began their second drive from the opponent’s 9-yard line. Another rushing touchdown ensued, this time by Rodney Gilmore, and put the Storm up by two scores (13-0). Gilmore would add another rushing touchdown before the end of the period, and the Storm took a commanding lead (20-0) into the second quarter. Before halftime, the Storm defense, as they have done all season, would score two interception returns for touchdowns (30-yarder by Orrin Marshman and 83-yarder by Stephen Lewis) in lieu to a comfortable 34-0 cushion. The Storm would continue to dominate on both sides of the ball in the second half, and for the second straight week, the running attack proved to be very effective. A second rushing score by Stacy Burnett from 1-yard out was the only scoring of the third quarter (41-0), and Rodney Gilmore notched another to complete the “hat trick” with his third rushing touchdown in the fourth (47-0). The Storm set a new season high with five rushing touchdowns in this game, as well as recorded their second shutout of the season, both of which came on the road (14-0 against Lancaster Lighting on June 30th).

Once again, the Storm defense was phenomenal. They dictated the tempo early and often, and took the pressure off of their offense by managing field position. In addition (which seems commonplace now), the team racked up four interceptions and scored two defensive touchdowns in the process. However, the offense was equally as impressive. For the first time all season, the Storm did not post a negative rushing play and scored all of their offensive touchdowns on the ground. Quarterback Rodney Gilmore, in his first game of the season at the helm, added a new dimension to the offensive scheme with his speed and agility. This resulted in opening up more lanes for the running backs and spreading the wide receivers enough to connect on deep passes.

Obviously pleased by the outcome, Storm head coach Joe Ruffino commended his team on their complete effort. “I am so proud of the way our men battled on both sides of the ball today,” he said. “They were relentless. I feel we are finally coming together collectively as a team.” Ruffino continued, “It was great the way Rodney (Quarterback Rodney Gilmore) performed and managed the offense without having many snaps beforehand. Besides being an asset to the ground game, he was able to connect on a couple “go” patterns which really helped us. He will only continue to succeed.” He added, “Today we won the way we are supposed to win, and I know if we play the same next week, we can beat the Piranha (Central Penn Piranha).”

The Storm will return home next Saturday, July 28th, to J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown to host the rival Central Penn Piranha. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Coming off of a disappointing loss last week to the D.C. Explosion, the Storm knew that they had to sure up certain areas of their game plan in order to remain contenders for the playoffs. The one aspect that had been lacking for much of the season was the running game. That was not the case against the Outlaws.

After stopping the Outlaws on their opening possession, the Storm utilized much of the clock in the first quarter by using a ground attack that was previously non-existent. This effective scheme eventually led to a 17-yard scoring pass in the late stages of the period from Jamie Sellers to Quintin Lopez, giving the Storm a 6-0 edge after a blocked extra point. The Outlaws did not back down easily and nearly scored a touchdown of their own the following drive to potentially take the lead. With the Outlaws driving inside the red zone, the game shifted in a matter of seconds on one play. Chris Medina caused a fumble that was picked up by Rodney Gilmore and taken back 96 yards for a touchdown, which gave the Storm a 13-0 lead and foreshadowed the outcome of the contest. After a Dennis Hardick 27-yard field goal, Medina’s heroics were not complete as he caused yet another fumble before the end of the half that led to a 6-yard score by Jarin Elder (23-0). In the second half, the Storm continued to move the ball effectively on the ground, and scored on a 3-yard run by Stacy Burnett to increase the rout to 30-0. The Storm led as many as 37, after an interception return for touchdown by Quintin Lopez, but the Outlaws scored twice after to deny the shutout and attempt a comeback. The Storm would have none of it, as Ukeen Riddick’s 62-yard interception return sealed the 43-14 dominating win.

The four-touchdown outburst by the Storm defense is indicative of the production shown from this team all year. Of the 17 total touchdowns that the Storm has scored this season, 8 have come from the defensive side of the ball. In fact, the Storm defense has only given up 9 touchdowns to the opposition, and it should be noted that the two scores for the Outlaws came during “garbage time” with a handful of substitutes. It is without question that the Storm defense raises the bar during competition. As for the offense, it was vital to rejuvenate the team’s running game. The Storm may now have the pieces in place to provide a balanced offensive attack.

On the big win, Strom head coach Joe Ruffino stated, “I am very proud of all the players. It was a great way for them to bounce back and get a win for us this week. The men came prepared to play and showed the swagger we can have as a team.” He added, “Our defense was outstanding last night, absolutely outstanding, and our ground game was excellent on offense as well.” Ruffino continued, “It was the best overall performance this year for us as a team.”

The Storm will travel to Capital Heights, Maryland next Saturday night, July 21st, to take on the DMV Enforcers. They will return home on July 28th to J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown, to host the rival Central Penn Piranha. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.