April 2020 | The Dunmorean

Doin Dunmore DePietro's football

By Steve Svetovich

When the going gets rough, the tough get going. Take the Dunmore football program, for instance.

Tom DePietro, with the Coronavirus emerging in Lackawanna County and with a shutdown in place, knew he could not let customers walk into his Dunmore pharmacy.

But there was still a job to do. He still needed to get his customers needed supplies and medicines during a national pandemic.

So he called Dunmore Bucks football coach Kevin McHale to see if any of his players could help.

Well, within 20 minutes, numerous current and former players texted him.

“I could not believe the immediate response,” the owner of DePietro’s Pharmacy said.

“I made a decision to not allow customers to enter the store for their and my co-workers safety. In a panic, I realized I would need help assisting customers curbside. My first thought was to text coach Kevin McHale.

“Within minutes I had over 20 kids reaching out and offering support.

“It is truly humbling to see these kids provide care and compassion during a pandemic. They easily could have elected not to get involved.

“I’m so proud of the kids, their parents, coaches, teachers and Dunmore. Over and over the Dunmore community finds a way to shine. We will all get this together in true Dunmore fashion. The Dunmore community always comes together.”

depietro's DePietro said the group of current and former Dunmore football players wear protective gear, masks and gloves. “We have a safety huddle before every shift,” he said.

The current and former Dunmore football players who volunteer at DePietro’s Pharmacy include Billy DonVito, Pat DonVito, Keiran Reyes, Zach Cruser, Jerry Sanchez, George Mesko, Kamryn Reyes, Mike Giannetta, Ross Cordaro and Sean Pietruszkiewicz.

Billy DonVito played four years of football at Dunmore, graduating in 2019. He was a freshman end at Springfield College this past year. He was one of the first to volunteer his time.

“When someone who gives so much and reaches out for help,” he said, “it is our job and duty to get there. We rounded up the guys and are going to help till the Pandemic is over. We have three guys always there 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and three there 2 to 6 p.m.

“We wait outside in full gear. We wait for a customer to pull up and we run the order inside the store in a basket. We wear gloves, masks and take all precautions. We have no close interaction with the customers and wipe everything down constantly.

“When we heard there was a chance to help, the word spread quickly and a bunch of us volunteered.”

Coach McHale was not surprised by the turnout. “Community service has always been a big part of our football program,” he said. “Our kids do a great job with it.

“Tom DePietro and DePietro’s Pharmacy are some of our biggest supporters. When Tom was in need of assistance, some of our players were quick to lend a hand.”

The football players go through a daily pre-shift meeting of guidelines they must follow. The guidelines begin with washing and wearing gloves. The young men must stay six feet away from customers and stand to their side. Every so often, they must return to wash their hands again and change gloves.

The business continues to serve hundreds of customers a day during the state-wide shutdown.

DePietro, a 2002 Dunmore graduate, credited coach McHale and former Dunmore coach Jack Henzes for molding the football players into fine young men.

Not even a national pandemic can pull this community apart.

“These kids’ parents, teachers and coaches raised them right. It’s a credit to these kids, their parents and the whole community.”

By Steve Svetovich

Dreams come true. This is the case for former Dunmore basketball standout Kayleigh Semion.

Daughter of Sherry Nicolais and step daughter of Mark Nicolais, Kayleigh passed up opportunities to play Division I and II college basketball because she wanted to attend Penn State. It was her dream school.

Not only did she achieve that, but she dreamed even bigger. As a junior, she tried out for the varsity girls’ basketball team and made it. And after three years on the team, she was named Penn State’s recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, a prestigious honor for team play.

Kayleigh, 23, has proven the value of hard work and dedication throughout her years at Penn State. And no one works harder. During her high school years, she was often seen practicing her shot over and over and over at the Greater Scranton YMCA.

She began her college career as a club basketball player and team manager before earning a roster spot during the 2017-18 season.

A consummate teammate, she made a huge impact on and off the court for the Lady Lions. Kayleigh was a crucial spark off the bench and always gave her all, the only way she knows.

A genuine scholar-athlete, she is a two-time Academia All-Big Ten selection and will receive her master’s degree this May in Business Management and Organizational Leadership.

Kayleigh was Times-Tribune player of the year in 2015, her senior year with the Dunmore Lady Bucks basketball team.

“I am very honored to receive the Sportsmanship Award,” she said. “It is really humbling. I look at it as a team award. It is awesome, a great ending to my basketball career.”

Named second team All-State after her senior year at Dunmore, the point guard said she wants to secure a management position in the sports industry upon graduation.

Kayleigh was a key member of Penn State’s club basketball team that placed third in the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association Championship Tournament in her sophomore year.

Her team beat Virginia Tech, Ohio University and the University of Connecticut before losing to Air Force at Ohio State. Kayleigh scored 13 points off the bench in the loss.

The former Dunmore standout served as team manager for the Penn State varsity girls’ team for two years.

But in November of her junior year she was invited to tryout for the Penn State varsity team. She worked extremely hard during the two-week tryout and made the team.

For Kayleigh, it was another hard earned dream come true story.

“It was one of the best feelings in my life ever,” she said. “When I was told I made it, it was just awesome. My hard work paid off. I put so much into it.

“I had an extra year of eligibility while going for my master’s degree, so I played three years of Division I basketball at Penn State. My playing time increased during my final two years. I was getting good minutes.

“Putting that Penn State jersey on was so meaningful to me. Playing in those Big 10 tournaments and facilities was unreal. Playing Division I college basketball at Penn State was so special to me.

“I can now say I played Division I college basketball at Penn State.”

Kayleigh played two years under Coquese Washington and one year under Carolyn Kieger at Penn State.

Kayleigh, All Regional as a high school senior, said she learned a lot from Dunmore basketball coach Ben O’Brien. “He taught me about a strong work ethic. He taught me a lot at Dunmore.”

Her mom, a prominent twirling instructor in Dunmore, and two sisters, Brittany and Meredith, are her role models and mentors. “I learned so much from them my entire life. They gave me my mind set and work ethic and I follow in their footsteps.”

An Ed Sheerin fan, Kayleigh had a 3.8 GPA with a B.S. in Kinesiology before starting graduate studies at Penn State.

She scored over 1,200 career points at Dunmore.