sentences:  To date, 18 alumni of Lehigh Valley Conference schools have gone on to play in the NFL, and one of them, Chuck Bednarik from Bethlehem (now Liberty) High School, was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the top honor afforded an NFL player, following his 1961 retirement from the Philadelphia Eagles.In 2012, Allentown public schools Allen and Dieruff left the Lehigh Valley Conference to join the Mountain Valley Conference because they struggled against LVC powerhouse football programs.The Lehigh Valley Conference was recognized nationally as one of the premier leagues in the nation for girls field hockey.