Pottsville boys' swim coach Ned Hampford, left, poses with members of his 2017 state team at Bucknell University (Photo by Leroy Boyer).

A Schuylkill League swimming legend is coming out of retirement.

Edward “Ned” Hampford was hired by the Pottsville Area School District as the Crimson Tide’s boys’ swimming coach during Wednesday’s Board of Directors meeting.

Hampford was hired as the boys’ coach to replace Sandy Englert, who coached both the boys’ and girls’ teams the past two seasons. Krista Bevan was approved as the head girls’ swimming coach, with Denise Klinger, Timmy Dando and Josh Zelinsky named assistant coaches.

Hampford, 72, is one of the patriarchs of high school swimming in Schuylkill County. He was the head boys’ swimming coach at Pottsville Area High School for 43 seasons, from the 1978-79 campaign until he “stepped aside” in 2021.

Hampford’s teams won 23 Schuylkill League championships, including the first 18 titles after the Schuylkill League was formed in 1989-90, and won 108 straight league dual meets from 1990-2007. His 2017-18 squad captured the District 11 Class AA team title.

Hampford’s swimmers have won 338 Schuylkill League gold medals, captured 33 District 11 gold medals and garnered 16 PIAA state medals. One of those state medals was gold, when Chris Grabowski placed first in the 500-yard freestyle in 1999.

Hampford notched his 400th career win Dec. 8, 2015, and unofficially has 467 dual-meet victories. Pottsville’s boys’ swimming program hasn’t had a losing season since 1981.

The Pottsville Area School District renamed the D.H.H. Lengel Middle School pool in his honor – the Ned Hampford Natatorium – more than 12 years ago, Feb. 9, 2013.

A 1970 Pottsville High grad, Hampford was a three-sport standout in football, track and field and wrestling while in high school, excelling as a linebacker and offensive guard in football. He went on to play football at East Stroudsburg University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education in 1973.

After college, he returned to Pottsville to teach physical education, and coached football and track and field. He became the Crimson Tide’s boys’ swim coach for the 1978-79 season and devoted his life to it ever since.

Even after he “stepped aside,” in 2021, Hampford has remained active in the sport. He volunteered as an assistant coach the past couple of seasons under Englert and assisted Klinger with the divers. When it comes to knowledge about swimming in Schuylkill County, there’s no one better than Hampford.

His goal will be to restore the Pottsville program to its past glory, with a first step being to improve the Tide’s numbers. The first official PIAA practice date for swimming is Nov. 14.

“Founder’s Cup” honors soccer greats

The Schuylkill League boys’ soccer coaches have developed a way to honor each year’s champion and the five founding fathers of the league, all at the same time.

Spearheaded by Williams Valley coach Seth Shuey, the Schuylkill League will present the inaugural Founder’s Cup to the winner of tonight’s championship game between Blue Mountain and Pine Grove. Game time is 7 p.m. at Schuylkill Haven’s Rotary Field.

The Founder’s Cup (see accompanying photos), which was built by ET Trophy Shop in Pottsville, resembles the NHL’s Stanley Cup. It will be a traveling trophy, kept by that season’s champion for one year. It honors the legacy of the league with a plate for each champion dating back to the league’s first varsity campaign in 1991.

The idea for the Founder’s Cup came from the Schuylkill League boys’ soccer coaches following the sudden passing of two of their most respected colleagues: Pine Grove coach Mark Wyllie in 2020 and Schuylkill Haven coach Vanco Georgevic in 2021. Shuey said the coaches wanted a way to honor the league’s past while also celebrating its future.

The Founder’s Cup is named in honor of the five original coaches who helped establish the Schuylkill League in 1990:

• Bruce Billingham, Pottsville

• Robert Burcik, Blue Mountain

• Vanco Georgevic, Schuylkill Haven

• Mark Mahal, Minersville

• Mark Wyllie, Pine Grove

The Founder’s Cup bears the name and a photo of each coach in recognition of their role as founders of Schuylkill League soccer. Following tonight’s medal presentation, Burcik, Billingham and Mahal will present the Founder’s Cup to the winning team.

The inaugural presentation of the Founder’s Cup comes on a night where Burcik’s and Wyllie’s former teams square off for the crown. Several of Wyllie’s former players are assistant coaches for the Cardinals, while Burcik’s grandson Evan plays for Blue Mountain. In addition to that, Burcik’s son Scott is the head coach of the Schuylkill Haven girls’ team, which faces Blue Mountain in the girls’ championship game at 5 p.m.

Personally, I love this idea. I’ve often touted the efforts of the Schuylkill League’s five founding fathers and the impact they’ve had on the sport in Schuylkill County. This is a perfect way to keep their memory alive. Well done, soccer coaches.

Pine Grove football co-op approved

The PIAA approved Wednesday a cooperative agreement between Pine Grove and Tulpehocken for both junior high and JV/varsity football, beginning in the 2026-27 school year. The cooperative sponsorship will not affect the classification of the teams involved.

Tulpehocken is located in New Schaefferstown, Berks County, and encompasses Bernville and four surrounding townships in the northwest corner of the county. A section of the Tulpehocken district borders Pine Grove and youth players from the Tulpehocken school district already compete in the Pine Grove youth program. The Trojans compete in the Berks League for all of their sports and are a member of District 3.

Tulpehocken, which has a male enrollment for the current cycle of 262, doesn’t have a football team and is a soccer powerhouse. The school currently is part of a co-op with Conrad Weiser and has four varsity players and four middle school players participating with Scouts. Conrad Weiser is dissolving that co-op after this season.

Pine Grove has a male enrollment number of 238 for the current cycle, but that number will be going down for the next cycle, athletic director Scott Dimon said. The Cardinals will be moving up to Division I of the Schuylkill League in football next season and Dimon hopes the new venture provides some extra depth to the football program.