The Northampton boys 2023-2024 basketball season got off to a delayed start when their scheduled opener against Northwestern Lehigh was postponed due to the Tigers’ playing for the PIAA 3A football title.

So it came to pass that their EPC contest versus Emmaus last Wednesday would serve as the first official game of this year’s campaign.

The Hornets jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first 3 minutes and never looked back, building a 34-13 halftime lead and coasting to a 58-35 win.

Kids’ head coach Matt Scholl put the game in perspective, “It’s over. There’s no sense dwelling on it. They came out here and beat us down. They’re big. They’re strong. They’re fast. They’re confident. We didn’t play with any confidence today. I wanted to get a game under our belts, but losing that Northwestern game, kudos to them for making the state championship game, but it’s a different speed. Emmaus is a tough opponent to come out the first game you play.”

Not only is Emmaus talented, but as a tall, physical team, they presented a bad matchup for the K-Kids. Northampton’s strength is in their 3 senior guards, JJ Kolumber, Brody Graff, and Tristen Pinnock. The Kids’ forwards barely break the six-foot barrier and were not equipped to bang inside with the Hornets’ bigs.

Strategically, they had to shoot well from the outside and it seemed like some first game jitters contributed to a 4 for 25 night from three-point range.

Graff and Sophomore Noah Walakovits led Northampton with 9 points apiece. Pinnock and Trent Moyer scored 6 each. Kolumber notched 5.

While the loss to Emmaus was discouraging, the K-Kids were able to rebound and go on a three-game winning streak. Victories on Friday and Saturday against Easton and Bangor respectively, rinsed the bad taste out of their mouths and beating Central 47-40 at Rockne Hall on Tuesday serves notice that this squad can hang with a team that made a deep run in the state playoffs last year.