On the previous Sunday night, fireworks lit up the sky in west Allentown at the annual 4th of July extravaganza at J. Birney Crum Stadium.

On this Sunday night, however, the Allen boys basketball team made its own explosive noise just down the street from the stadium.

The Canaries won their first Stellar Construction "Catch A Rising Star" Showcase title, edging a remarkable Pocono Mountain West team 55-52 in the title game before a large and enthusiastic crowd at Cedar Beach.

Tournament MVP Jalen Cannon scored 15 points and Branden Harrington added 11, including the go-ahead jumper with about 30 seconds remaining as Allen created more anticipation for the coming winter season with the championship in the 64-team, double-elimination event that stretches over four nights.

Allen had won a Progressive Realty tournament title in 1990 and lost four other times in Progressive championship games, but this was their Stellar finals appearance.

"We're a little like the host team because we're only located a half-mile up the street and these guys play on these courts all of the time," said coach Doug Snyder. "It's like their second home. But in 15 years, we've never done this, so this is special. And this is a special group of kids. They have character, grit, and they like each other.

"We had energy coming from everybody, not just the guys on the court."

Allen needed that extra lift to turn back a stubborn Pocono Mountain West team that was playing its seventh game of the day in the finals.

The Panthers began the day at about 6 a.m. with the drive to Allentown and tipped off at 8 a.m. against Central Catholic.

They beat the Vikings, Bensalem, Manheim Township, Trinity, Faith Christian of Florida and Easton just to reach the championship game.

And they did all of this without four of their starters.

It was no wonder that coach Brad Pensyl was awarded the J. Milo Sewards Memorial coaching award.

But Pensyl credited his kids for persevering through a long, hot day.

"It was a great effort and I'm very proud of the kids," Pensyl said. "It's a long day for the kids and I was a little concerned about their health playing all day like that, but they hung in there.

"I never thought we'd be here all day. I thought we'd last for one or two and then get out of here, but they kept playing hard. A lot of kids moved up on my depth chart today. It was a great experience for the kids who were here."

Pensyl said he was concerned about the championship game.

"I was worried that we might get pounded and lose by 30 or something, but we gave them a great game," Pensyl said. "We had our chances and what I really like about our kids is that they're not jerks. They are good kids who represent the school well. They're gentlemen."

Snyder feels the same way about the Canaries.

"Our kids had our team camp this past week and that meant they were working with 59 Allentown kids — rising fourth graders to ninth graders — all day from Monday through Friday and they did a great job with that and then came out here to play basketball," Snyder said.