Dunmore football team loses a part of its heart beat

By Steve Svetovich

He had a smile that lit up a room, love of life and genuine zest for football.

His passing last month left his family, friends, teammates, coaches, teachers and the entire Dunmore community heartbroken.

John Patrick “Sonny” Crotti was only 16 when he lost his brief but hard fought battle against brain cancer this past February 15.

The spirited Dunmore sophomore was a quarterback on the Dunmore Bucks football team.

Sonny always enjoyed being around friends and family and couldn’t spend enough time around the Dunmore football program.

Son of Erin Grogan and Joseph Crotti, both of Dunmore, Sonny was a member of SS. Anthony and Rocco Church. His dad was a standout quarterback at Bishop O’Hara and coached on the high school level. Sonny and his dad spent endless hours together and he absorbed all of his teachings.

Sonny was born to play quarterback.

Sonny was a kind, humble teenager with a passion for all sports.

He played flag and varsity football, basketball and golf.

Generous and considerate, he was a natural leader who bonded with teammates and never missed a practice.

Always laughing and joking, Sonny was a natural charmer and enjoyed life to the fullest. He loved being a part of the Dunmore Bucks football program and playing the quarterback position where he was a genuine up and comer.

“He was a very good student and well,liked by teachers and classmates,” said Dunmore principal Tim Hopkins. “He never wanted his disease to affect his school work. Sonny was very well liked by the entire student body. He was an inspiration to his fellow classmates.

“He was at evey Dunmore football game this past season to support his teammates. Despite his illness, he wanted to be there to show his support for them. He never wanted his illness to keep him away from the team. He will be missed by the entire student body. About 70 of our students came to grief counseling at the school after he passed away. Sonny had many friends here at Dunmore. He was just a great kid.”

Dunmore football coach Kevin McHale spoke of Sonny’s impact on the team.

“Sonny was the ultimate teammate,” he said. “He was truly a team first player. He was very selfless and totally committed to making himself and our program better.

“Sonny was a first class gentleman, always polite, respectable and coachable.

“Sonny was a varsity player as a freshman, where he shined as a quarterback. During the 2023 season, Sonny was very inspirational to our team as he underwent intense treatments.

“We are confident that Sonny will continue to watch over our community. His friends and teammates will continue to carry on his legacy.”

Dunmore senior stalwart back Danny Pigga said Sonny had a passion to excel at the quarterback position.

“He was a great kid and never had an issue with anyone. He always got along with everyone. Every day before practice, he would throw to me. I will tell you right now that his arm was not ordinary. He would be the starting quarterback next season if he did not pass away.

“He was always in the weight room. Despite being one of the younger guys, he always impressed with his arm. Before every game he would throw to me in the corner of the end zone for about 10 minutes to warm up. Everyone loved Sonny’s passing.

“We wanted to make this a memorable season due to the passing of Jack Henzes and for Sonny due to his illness. We had a different type of work ethic this year. We wanted to do this for Sonny. I saw it with everyone on the team. We wanted to put the fear into the other teams because Sonny pushed us the hardest,

“Every Sunday he would be with Ryan Runco throwing in Mid Valley. He would come to practices and games all the time. It was great seeing him. He wanted to be a part of something,. Even though he didn’t have a lot of time left, he chose to be around us.”

Dunmore back Jake Hickey said Sonny was a true Dunmore Buck.

“He meant everything to what it meant to be a Dunmore Buck. He was a great kid, funny, with a sense of humor. He was one of the most dedicated kids on the team. He would go to workouts with the varsity guys when he was only in eighth grade. He was better than a lot of the quarterbacks there.

“Every game we played this year was for him.”

Dunmore star senior linebacker Nick Donvito spoke of Sonny’s spirit.

“Sonny was the type of kid that everybody wanted to be around. He just had a way of making everyone smile no matter what they were doing. He always knew how to brighten everyone’s day just by being himself.

“Sonny was always trying to perfect his craft of becoming the best quarterback and leader he could be to help his team. He would always hold himself accountable for mistakes made on the field.

“I am blessed to call Sonny a teammate and friend. His name will live forever in the Dunmore football program.”

An engaged student at Dunmore High School, Sonny also excelled in the classroom.

A Green Bay Packers fan, he excelled in the Dunmore Oilers football program and moved quickly to the varsity as a freshman. His work ethic was unmatched.

Sonny became ill before the start of football camp this past summer. He eventually could not attend school after starting cancer treatments, but his resilience and determination had him cheering from the sidelines at Dunmore’s PIAA semifinal football game against Southern Columbia this past fall.

This past January 27, Ryan Runco, who develops quarterbacks through his Runco Elite Quarterback Academy in Jessup, held a youth football camp to raise funds for Sonny and his family at the Riverfront Sports Complex, Scranton. It was called “Camp for a Cause.”

Less than three weeks later, Sonny passed away.

Once a Buck, Always a Buck. His memory will be eternal.