Athlete of the Month: Brayden Canavan

Posted on January 1, 2025 by The Dunmorean

Canavan ls big reason for Dunmore turnaround basketball season

By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore High School junior forward Brayden Canavan has picked up his game and it’s showing with the Bucks off to a fast start this season. And it’s a huge turnaround from last season. The Bucks won their first five games under coach Mark Finan.

Son of Wayne and Faith Canavan, the 6-2 junior power forward scored 16, 13, 12, 12, and 16 points in the first five games. He has been a model of consistency,

“We have a team that’s going to make a really good run this season and next year, too,” he said. “We have the right players on this team to make it work. We are going to be very strong for a couple years with this group. We think we can win a district title and go far into the state playoffs.”

The Bucks were 8-14 last season, but are already getting close to exceeding last season’s wins total.

Brayden’s sister, Tristan Canavan, was a standout all-state softball player and key member of the Lady Bucks basketball state championship team at Dunmore. She is currently a freshman at Cecil College in Maryland.

Brayden’s parents play a big role in his life, “They say to respect the people above me. Work hard in school. Always work very hard on and off the court.”

The scholar-athlete has a 3.5 academic average at Dunmore. He was a cornerback on the freshman football team. He is a member of TACT as well as the Earth and French Clubs.

Multi-versed, Brayden said his best academic subject is math. He is undecided on a future college, but would like to study engineering and play basketball in college.

He talked about what it takes to excel at the power forward position in high school basketball. “You need to play physical, box out, and crash the boards,” he said. “You need to play big in the point and be able to distribute the ball.”

The tough-minded forward said he has learned a lot from Coach Finan. “He teaches us to always be on time and respect others. Be kind to others. Always work hard in life.”

Brayden talked about his future goals.

“Well, first I want to help Dunmore win a district title or two. Then I want to play basketball at a Division I or II college and eventually become an engineer.”

He talked about the vast improvement of this year’s team. “We have a lot of character,” he said. “We have great team chemistry on and off the court. It shows with our performance,”

Brayden enjoys listening to music in his spare time and would like to see Creed in concert. He plans on seeing them at Montage Mountain this summer. “I can’t wait.”

A three-year member of Dunmore’s basketball team, Brayden was a member of the All-Lynett Tournament basketball team last season. He was also the recipient of the Joseph McDonald Award as the Dunmore basketball team MVP.

“Dunmore has been a very good school for me,” he said. “The sports here are very well organized. I like it here a lot.”

Athlete of the Month: Mia Galella

Posted on July 6, 2022 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Holy Cross first baseman-outfielder Mia Galella just finished a stalwart freshman year, but is already honing her softball skills in a travel league throughout the country.

Daughter of Tom and Michelle Galella, Mia, 15, plays travel softball for the Virginia Glory National Mertz Bronowicz league.

She was playing in a tournament in Colorado when contacted for this interview.

Mia will also travel to Georgia, California, and Virginia to play in softball tournaments this summer.

“It’s nice,” she said. “You get to meet a lot of people, travel, and see a lot of things while playing softball. My parents drive me around and get to see me play.”

Mia noted that the Colorado high altitude makes breathing initially more difficult, but the softball travels a bit further when she connects.

Mia has been playing in travel softball leagues since she was eight.

Mia batted .544, with nine homers, a .606 on base percentage, seven stolen bases, 24 runs, 31 hits, 38 RBIs, five doubles and a 1.105 slugging percentage. She did not make an error in the field.

The talented scholar-athlete has a 4.0 academic average. Her best academic subject is math. Mia is a member of the TRU Club and will be a sophomore student council representative next school year at Holy Cross.

She is thinking about studying early childhood education and wants to play Division I softball in college.

“I am thinking about becoming a teacher.”

With an impressive nine homers as a freshman, she talked about her power. “I was born naturally strong, so that helps,” she said. “I do a lot of training work. I try to build up my lower legs to generate more power.”

Mia talked about what it takes to be a good first baseman. “You need to be able to stop the ball from getting away from you. And you need to be able to tell your teammates where they need to be after a hit ball.”

Mia has learned a lot from her parents. “They teach me to be humble and not take anything for granted. They tell me to keep working hard, because someone can be right there to take your spot.”

Holy Cross veteran softball coach Joe Ross is also a strong mentor and influence. “He tells us not to let the moment get to you. Stay in the moment. Live in the moment.”

Named to the first-team all-district team, Mia said she likes listening to music and would like to see pop artist Dua Lipa in concert.

She talked about her future goals. “I want to continue my years here at Holy Cross, play Division I softball in college and then pursue my dream job. Right now I just love playing softball.”

Athlete of the Month: Lilly Reilly

Posted on November 3, 2021 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Lilly Reilly is a classic example of a student-athlete who uses perseverance to excel in the classroom and on the field.

Daughter of Brian and Alyson Reilly, Dunmore, Lilly has a perfect 4.0 academic grade point average at Scranton Prep.

She is the captain of the Scranton Prep soccer team and has been the team’s leading scorer for the past two seasons.

A four-year member of the soccer team, Lilly,18, is also a four-year member of the Prep Lacrosse team. Lilly is also a member of the Spanish Club, the Climate Change Awareness Club, and the Model U.N. Club at Prep.

A striker on the soccer team, she has seven goals and six assists this season. As a junior, she had 10 goals and eight assists in leading Prep to a 9-3 record before losing to Dallas in the district quarterfinals. Prep is 7-6 this season entering soccer playoff action.

Articulate and well-spoken, Lilly talked about what it takes to be a good striker in high school soccer. “You need to be a very good overall player,” she said. “You can’t just be focused on scoring. You need to make passes and defend.”

The Dunmore resident was a soccer all-star as a sophomore and was nominated to play in a soccer all-star game for seniors this season.

Her soccer coach at Scranton Prep is Douglas Kneiser.

The talented senior, whose best academic subject is science, said she has learned a lot from her soccer coach.

“He taught us that hard work beats talent,” she said. “The other team might be more skilled, but the hardest working team will come out on top. And we have seen this actually happen a number of times this year.”

Lilly’s dad is a Dunmore graduate. Her mom graduated from Scranton Central. She has learned plenty from her parents. “My dad and mom are both hard workers,” she said. “They both grew up with single parents. They both started from the bottom and worked their way up.”

Humble and polite, Lilly said she is not sure where she will attend college. She has applied to about 15 colleges so far. “I’m not sure where I want to go yet,” she said, “but I want to go to college in the South. I want to study pre-dentistry and eventually become an orthodontist.

“I am thinking about playing club sports in college.”

The scholar-athlete said she enjoys listening to music. She and her mom saw Taylor Swift in concert. “She was great and I would love to see her in concert again,” she said.

Lilly talked about what it takes to excel in both academics and sports at Scranton Prep. “You need to put in the work and study very hard,” she said. “And don’t slack. Never slack. Someone told me that. And it is the truth. That is the key to being successful.”

Lilly is a hard worker, but is also enjoying the ride. She has thrived at Scranton Prep. “It’s been a great experience,” she said. “COVID took our sophomore and junior years in the classroom away, but we are glad to be back in person. Prep handled the pandemic very well.

“There is a lot of school spirit now that we are back. We all appreciate being back in the classroom.”