It’s been 40 years since the last time and the only time that an Emmaus boys basketball team has won a District XI championship.
That 1986 team, led by head coach Bill Snyder, will be honored at halftime of Friday’s home game vs Pocono Mountain East.
In the long and storied history of boys basketball, incredibly, only one team has been able to capture district gold.
And that moment came back on March 9, 1986, at Lehigh’s Stabler Arena before some 4,000 fans as the Hornets defeated Dieruff 54-44.
Led by 6-7 center Matt Roberts who scored a game-high 21 points, Emmaus rallied from a 12-point deficit to capture the school’s first-ever district crown.
The Hornets title run began with an 85-27 win over Pocono Mountain followed by a 61-53 victory over Allen. Geoff O’Brien scored a game-high 22 points in the win leading a balanced attack that saw Roberts add 15 points, Duke Scott nine and Matt Sabol eight.
After winning the championship, Emmaus qualified for the PIAA State Tournament, knocking off perennial state power Chester 69-48 at Liberty High School before seeing its season ended in a 55-52 loss to Ridley at The Geigle Complex in Reading. The Hornets finished the year with a 22-7 overall record.
Members of the team include: Matt Roberts, Matt Sabol, Duke Scott, Dan Lizun, Geoff O’Brien, Mike Hickey, Scott Siegfried, Howie Renner, Jay Campbell, Chris Martini, Mike Kollar, Barry Roche, Dane Miller, Colin Snyder. Coaches: Billy Snyder and John Dreisbach.
Photos/articles courtesy of Sarah Danish
