By Steve Svetovich
It was a long road back, but well worth it.
Dunmore senior standout center Ciera Toomey can say that for the rest of her life.
Daughter of Patrick and Carrie Toomey, Ciera came back from a right knee ACL and meniscus tear suffered last season to lead the Dunmore Lady Bucks into the state playoffs culminating with the team’s first PIAA Class 3A title win, 42-30, over River Valley, Thursday, March 23, at the Giant Center in Hershey.
The 6-4 stalwart led the Lady Bucks with 14 points, five steals and career high 21 rebounds in the state title win.
It was even more gratifying not only to come back after months of rehabilitation from the right knee ACL and meniscus tear, but to be a part of the Lady Bucks first ever state title with her mom, Carrie Bowen Toomey, as her coach.
This was her mom’s first year as the Lady Bucks basketball coach after serving as an assistant for several years under Ben O’Brien who left to lead the University of Scranton Lady Royals. Her mom was an All-State basketball player for Dunmore and former Player of the Year. Ciera’s mom was also a basketball standout at Franklin and Marshall College. Ciera’s older sister Victoria was an all-state basketball player at Dunmore.
“Winning the state title felt so much better because I did it with my mom,” Ciera said. “Winning the title felt so good. My mom instilled a lot of confidence in us. Now she can breath a sigh of relief. We finally won it all.
“Winning the state title was surreal. I was in disbelief when the final buzzer sounded.
“It’s about time we did this. We made history. We were all really excited. Everyone had a part of it. It was just so exciting. We worked so hard for this and it was all worth it.”
Teammates Sophia Talutto and Tristan Canavan added 10 points each in the state title win.
Ciera scored 13 points in Dunmore’s 43-37 win over Lancaster Catholic in the PIAA Clas 3A semifinal win, Monday, March 20, at Martz Hall, Pottsville.
A dominant shot blocker, Ciera scored 16 points in Dunmore’s 58-19 PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal route over Lake Lehman. She scored 14 points in the second round state playoff win, 52-34, over Imhotop Charter School. Dunmore’s first round state playoff win came over Bloomsburg, 64-33.
Ciera helped lead the Lady Bucks to a fifth district title in the past six years, 50-30, over Holy Redeemer, Saturday, March 4, at Mohegan Sun Arena, Wilkes Barre. Ciera scored 11 points and had 10 rebounds in the district title win. Sophia Talutto led Dunmore with 21 points. Tristan Canavan had 10 rebounds and Jackie Brown scored seven clutch points off the bench.
“We had so many contributions from a lot of different players this year,” Ciera said. “Sophia Talutto is one of my best friends. She really stepped up her game and became a leader on this team. I was so happy for her success.
“Cadie Lewis played great defense and usually guarded the opposition’s best offensive threat. She played great defense. She doesn’t get enough credit for what she does. She made some big shots too.
“Tristan Canavan was very good for us all year. She played tough on both ends of the court. She hustled and gave us strong defense and scoring.
“Amanda Dempsey played a key role as a freshman both off the bench and starting. Jackie Brown became a key contributor as a freshman.
“All of my teammates really stepped it up a notch when I was out. They all had a big part in this.”
The hard-working, talented senior is also a key member of the golf team at Dunmore. She is a member of TACT, SADD, the Service Club and Art Club at Dunmore.
Well-spoken and articulate, Ciera has an impressive 3.86 grade point average at Dunmore. She was named Times-Tribune athlete of the week after the state title win.
Ciera is a member of ESPN HoopGurlz 2023 Class, ranked No. 4 nationally (No. 1 ranked Post). She was PIAA first-team basketball All-State in her sophomore and junior years and third-team All-State as a freshman.
She was named All-Regional for basketball in her sophomore and junior years.,
She was named to the Lackawanna All-League basketball teams in her first three seasons. She was the Lynett Tournament MVP in 2021.
She was on the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Award Watch List for the past three years. She was Hoop Group Summer AAU MVP in 2021 and won a League Team Title.
The strong-minded scholar/athlete said it was not easy coming back from her injury, but she persisted to get ready for the playoffs. “It took a lot of time to get back, but I slowly worked my way back on the court and gained more and more confidence. I felt better and better with each game. We didn’t want to be a runner-up this year. We wanted to win it all. I wanted to get back on the court to be a part of this team winning a state title.”
Ciera said her favorite academic subject is psychology. She will study environmental science at the University of North Carolina where she will play basketball on a scholarship.
“I am really looking forward to it,” she said. “It’s going to be a different experience. But I am ready to shift my focus on it. I am already in touch with all of my coaches and future teammates there. I can’t wait to play basketball there.”
Ciera said she will never forget her years at Dunmore and the state championship she will always cherish. “The state championship was so exciting. There is no better way to go out. This town is so special. Dunmore will always have a special place in my heart. I will be going on to the next chapter, but there is no better way to finish high school. Dunmore has been a tremendous, special experience for me.”