Tag Archives: Athlete of the Month

Athlete of the Month: Abby Sempa

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athlete-of-the-month-abby-sempaBy Steve Svetovich

Abby Sempa is only a sophomore on the Holy Cross Lady Crusaders basketball team, but she fit in right away with her teammates.

And that is because she cares more about being a teammate than anything else.

Daughter of Fran and Mary Sempa, the sophomore starting shooting guard averages 8.3 points per game and adds an additional offensive threat to the team and the league’s leading scorer, teammate senior Abby Anderson. She was 50-61 from the free-throw line (82%) and made 27 three-point goals and a total of 58 field goals.

Abby, a two-year member of the Lady Crusaders, helped her team to a 15-5 record despite a 45-44 loss to Mid Valley in the first round of district playoffs.

The sophomore stalwart scored 10 points in the tough loss.

Abby, 16, is also a member of the cross country team at Holy Cross. She was a second-team all-star as a freshman cross country runner.

sempaA scholar-athlete, Abby has an impressive 3.8 academic average. Her best subject is math. She will be joining the environmental club this month.

Abby talked about what it takes to be a successful shooting guard. “You need a lot of focus and situational awareness. And be ready for the ball all the time.”

She talked about the success of the team during the regular season. “It’s all about teamwork and being close to each other as a team,” she said. “No one is selfish. We work as a team. We work hard. We cheer each other on. We are always there for each other on and off the court.”

Abby said she learned a lot from Holy Cross girls’ basketball coach Barry Fitzgerald. “He taught me how to play better defense and how to play in tough situations.”

And she has learned plenty from her parents. “My parents taught me how to be a better person, how to be respectful and about sportsmanship.”

Abby has a couple older sisters to look up to. Mary Grace played basketball and is a 2011 Holy Cross graduate. Eileen played basketball and is a 2007 Bishop Hannan graduate.

Abby talked about her future goals. “I want to try to excel on the basketball court and play for my teammates. I want to keep up on my grades and academic subjects. I want to go to a good college.”

The talented guard said she likes listening to music in her spare time and would like to see Maroon 5 in concert.

Abby has totally enjoyed her experience at Holy Cross thus far. “It has been a very good experience,” she said. “I like it here a lot, but sports has played a big part of it. I really enjoy keeping up on my grades too. The entire Catholic experience has been a major part of it for me.”

Athlete of the Month: Abby Anderson

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athlete-of-the-month-abby-andersonBy Steve Svetovich

Holy Cross High School star guard-forward Abby Anderson has been leading the league in scoring all season, but she expects an even stronger finish for her and the Lady Crusaders.

Daughter of John and Jamie Anderson, the senior stalwart is averaging more than 20 points per game and has scored over 1,300 points in her four-year varsity basketball career at Holy Cross.

The Lady Crusaders are 11-2 at press time.

“I think we can mesh together as a team even better going forward,” she said. “We can play as a team better.”

Abby has made big shots all season for the Lady Crusaders.

She has learned a lot from Holy Cross veteran basketball coach Barry Fitzgerald. “He teaches me to be a leader, especially in a close situation,” Abby said.

She has also learned a lot from her parents.

“My parents taught me discipline. And that applies to everything.”

Abby talked about what it takes to be successful in high school basketball. “Time management is very important,” she said. “Of course, you need to be very disciplined. You need the right balance across the board.”

The scholar-athlete has an impressive 3.65 academic average. Her best subject is Math. Abby is a member of the Student Council, National Honor Society and is the starting center fielder on the softball team.

She was All State as a freshman and All League as a junior for softball.

She was All Regional and All League as a junior for basketball.

For her strong academic and athletic efforts, Abby received a scholarship to Saint Francis College in Brooklyn, NY where she will play basketball next year.

She will major in Math.

“I may want to become a Math teacher,” she said. “I want to do well in my field and hopefully get a good position. As for basketball. I hope to help my team make it into a few NCAA tournaments. I am looking forward to playing basketball in college.”

Abby said she likes listening to music and would like to see Taylor Swift in concert.

She has enjoyed her four years at Holy Cross immensely. “It is fantastic. I love it.”

Abby looks forward to finishing her high school basketball career on a very high note.

And it’s a sure bet the name Abby Anderson will be heard often as she chases her star in the college ranks.

Athlete of the Month: John Mandarano

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athlete-of-the-month-mandarano-2By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore Bucks senior guard John Mandarano comes from a family full of athletes, so being a leader seems to come rather natural.

And that’s what he has been in the early going for his coach Tony Lacertoso.

Son of John and Rita Mandarano, Dunmore, the quick senior guard scored 12 points in the team’s opening game, a tough 44-40 loss to North Pocono.

However, he led the Bucks with 11 points in Dunmore’s second game, a 35-34 win over West Scranton.

Daniel Walsh added eight points for the Bucks in the win.

A three-year member of Dunmore’s varsity basketball team, Mandarano will be playing his fourth year of baseball this season. A pitcher-outfielder, he batted .310 last season while showing great promise on the mound. He is also a three-year member of Dunmore’s cross country team.

John’s older brother P.J., a 2015 Dunmore graduate, excelled in baseball and basketball at the school.

His younger brother Joe plays baseball, basketball and runs cross country as a freshman at Dunmore.

His sister Bella, a sophomore at Dunmore, plays softball and basketball at the school.

His sister Mia, a junior at Dunmore, plays basketball and softball at the school.

John averaged over 12 points per game as a junior last season for the Bucks.

A 90 student academically, he is a member of the Spanish Club and is usually on the honor roll.

The scholar-athlete said he is not sure yet where he will attend college, but may study business management and wants to continue playing baseball or basketball.


He talked about what it takes to be a good guard in high school basketball. “You need to work hard. You need to find the open man or take the open shot for an easy basket.”

mandarano-1He said coach Lacertoso has taught him a lot.

“He taught me to never give up whether winning or losing. He tells me to always stay positive and give a strong effort.”

His parents give him similar advice. “They tell me I can do anything I want in life. They tell me to just work hard at it and never give up. Never give up your dreams. With hard work, you can fulfill your dreams.”

He talked about his future goals and the immediate goals of the team.

“I want to go to a good college and play baseball or basketball. I want to see where that takes me. I want to do well in school and get a good job.

“As far as the team, I want to help us finish with a good record, win the division and win the district title. Then we can try to go further.”

A country music and Luke Bryan fan, the senior stalwart talked about the Dunmore team concept. “We try to work together as a team. We take one game at a time. We play as a team and do what we can on the court to be successful. It is a team game for all of us.”

And with a family member playing sports in every single grade at Dunmore High School this year, John has certainly enjoyed his experiences. “I have really enjoyed my family, friends and work in the classroom at Dunmore. The experiences in the classroom and with sports have been great. I have made a lot of friends. It is a great place to be for me.”