By Steve Svetovich
It was a Cinderella basketball season for the Holy Cross Lady Crusaders, and senior Abby Thompson savored every moment.
“I knew this would be it for me playing basketball,” she said. “I’m not going to play in college because I want to concentrate on my studies.
“So as the season wore on and we started winning, I just wanted to play harder and take it all in.”
The Lady Crusaders finished the regular season with a 7-15 record and an underdog entering the district playoffs under veteran coach Barry Fitzgerald who announced he would be retiring at the conclusion of the year.
That’s when Abby got together with two other senior teammates, Alison Ross and Jenna Luciani, and the trio decided they would step up their game and savor every single moment as their high school basketball careers came to a close. And the rest of the team bought in.
Playing as the underdog, the Lady Crusaders reeled off three straight wins in the district playoffs to capture the District 2, Class 2A championship over defending champion Montrose, 22-20, Sunday, February 25, at Mohegan Sun Arena.
Holy Cross beat Blue Ridge, 35-24, and upset top-seeded Lackawanna Trail, 42-36, in overtime to get to the district final. The district title win was the fourth in the last six seasons and fifth overall for the Lsdy Crusaders under coach Fitzgerald.
And the winning didn’t stop there. The Lady Crusaders beat Wyalusing Valley, 58-50, in the first round of the state playoffs Friday, March 8. Abby scored 13 points in the win.
The Cinderella story finally ended in the next round of the state playoffs as Holy Cross lost to Minersville, 61-35, Tuesday, March 12. Abby scored 19 points in the loss, her final game.
Daughter of Judy Verrastro, Abby averaged 10.3 points per game this season and was named as a first team Lackawanna League Division III all-star. She was also named to the all-defensive team.
She talked about how her team went from having a losing record to a district title and another win in the state playoffs.
“The seniors on the team talked and we wanted to keep our season going and keep playing. We knew these would be our final games. We also wanted to win for Coach Fitzgerald, who was retiring. We had to step it up and play every game like it was our last. And then the entire team stepped it up.
“We knew this was the end for some of us. It would be the last time some of us played together, she saysl. “Alison, Jenna, and myself talked. We decided to play every game like it was our last. The entire team was re-energized. I tried to take in every moment of my final games.
“I was very upset when we lost the last game against Minersville. They are a very good team, talented, and well-coached. I came to the realization in the third quarter of the Minersville game that it was my last basketball game. I knew this was it and I wanted to just keep playing my best. I won’t be playing in college, so that was it for me.”
Abby is also a member of the cross country and track and field teams at Holy Cross. She is a member of the National Honor Society. With an impressive 3.8 academic average, her favorite subject is English.
The talented scholar-athlete will attend Penn State University in the fall. Abby said she is not sure what her major will be, but would like to pursue a career in health care.
Well-spoken and intelligent, Abby, 18, said her mom has taught her a lot in life.
“My mom teaches me to always be strong. She tells me to face challenges in life with confidence. She tells me to always be strong and confident. She is always there by my side.”
The senior point guard also credits Coach Fitzgerald for teaching her a lot.
“He taught me to be a better player and person. Whenever things got tough, he always talked me through it.”
Abby said she has enjoyed her four years at Holy Cross as she now gets closer to graduation.
“Holy Cross is amazing. I’ve loved every minute of it, ever since I shadowed as an eighth grader. Everyone was so welcoming right from the beginning.
“Everyone wanted to help out. It’s like a close community. It’s just a great place to be. It became even better for me this year with my brother D.J. here as a freshman. I really love it here.”
Abby said she likes listening to music in her spare time and would like to see rapper Travis Scott in concert. “I hear his concerts are a lot of fun, like a big event.”
Insightful and realistic, Abby talked about her future goals. “I want to graduate college and work in the medical field,” she said. “I want to focus on my studies and be successful in life. I want to get a good job and eventually settle down and have a family.”