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Dishin’ the Dirt: April 2025

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Congratulations to Dunmore Lady Bucks senior point guard Sophia Talutto selected NEPA Hoops small school girls Player of Year…Committed to play at University of Scranton next year under former Lady Bucks coach Ben O’Brien, Sophia led Dunmore to 24-3 record, division title, District 2 Class 3A championship and PIAA Elite 8 appearance…Sophia scored 1,523 career points, including 494 this season averaging 19.0 points per game and shooting 84.6 percent from foul line and adding 4.0 rebounds per contest…Sophia also named Lackawanna League girls first-team All-Star, first-team girls All-Defensive team and Player of Year…

Congratulations to senior guard Michael Hughes of Holy Cross named NEPA Hoops small school boys Player of Year…Michael led Crusaders to Lynett title, division 2 title, district runner-up and three straight appearances in PIAA state semifinals…He finished career with 1,210 points, including 459 this season averaging 15.3 points per game…Congratulations to Dunmore’s Jackie Brown named Lackawanna League first-team All-Defensive team and honorable mention for all-star team…Dunmore’s Amanda Dempsey named second-team all-star..

.Dunmore native Vic Fangio, defensive coordinator of Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, appeared in Scranton’s annual Saint Patrick’s Day parade last month…Fangio was in Dunmore visiting his mom and friends, including former Dunmore Mayor Patrick “Nibs” Loughney….Dunmore’s Claire Duncan and fiancé Joe Budnovich among lucky ones who met Fangio at parade…Congratulations to Michael Hughes and Matt Lyons of Holy Cross named first-team boys Lackawanna League coaches all-stars…Congratulations to Lyons and C.J. Thompson of Holy Cross named first-team All-Defense…Sophomore Thompson also named Times-Tribune Defensive Player of Year…

Dunmore’s Claire Duncan, at right, is shown with Vic Fangio, at left, and her fiancé Joe Budnovich at Scranton’s Saint Patrick’s Parade in March. Fangio, who is defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, was in the parade as a special guest.

Congratulations to former Dunmore Bucks basketball standout Ciera Toomey and her University of North Caolina women’s basketball team who advanced to Sweet 16 in NCAA Tournament by defeating West Virginia, 58-47…Dunmore’s William Trip O’Malley announced Borough-wide cleanup for Saturday, April 26, from 9 to 11 a.m., with rain date Sunday, April 27…Congratulations to Dunmore senior football standout Izaiah Parker who will continue academic and football careers at Albright College…

Congratulations to Dunmore senior football star Jack McNeff who will continue academic and football careers at University of Rochester…Emily McGowan was three-for-four with three RBIs and two runs in Dunmore Lady Bucks softball win over Montrose, 10-8…Dunmore’s Rachel Walsh picked up second win of season, added three hits, two runs and RBI…Dunmore’s Kylie Farr went three-for-three with double and three RBIs…Paige Ancherani went two-for-three with double, RBI and earned her second save…

Dunmore Bucks baseball coach Sid Hallinan, Jr. has team off to quick start with four straight convincing wins…Jamie McMynne pitched four strong innings of one-run ball striking out four and walking none while hitting three-run homer in fourth straight win, 16-1 over Montrose…Matt Iezzi went three-for-four with homer in Bucks first win…Former Dunmore fullback/linebacker and track and field athlete Josh Malone became new indoor 60 Meter Hurdles record holder for King’s College…Congratulations to Mollie Urban and Ava Schmidt of Holy Cross named second team Lackawanna League coaches all-stars…

Congratulations to former Holy Cross basketball and softball standout Kaci Kranson, now key member of Landmark champion University of Scranton Lady Royals, who earned CSC Academic All-District Honors and was named Second Team All-American, Region 5 Player of Year and Landmark Conference Player of Year while leading team to Elite Eight of NCAA playoffs…Do you remember Terry Schoen?…Congratulations to Marywood University baseball product Dylan Svetovich named assistant Dunmore Junior High baseball coach under Frank Spager…It was 10 years ago when Bishop O’Hara graduate and then University of Scranton sophomore Taryn Mellody was named NCAA Division III first-team All-American by Kodak and Women’s College Basketball Association…

Condolences to family of colorful former boxing heavyweight champion George Foreman who died last month at 76…Foreman boxed to near age 50 and was mastermind of the Foreman Grill…He became oldest heavyweight champion at 45 in upset over Michael Moorer, reclaiming title he previously held over a decade prior…He was 76-5, with 68 knockouts…

New York Yankees and entire baseball world mourning tragic passing of Miller Gardner at 14, son of former Yankees baseball star Brett Gardner who was vacationing with family in Costa Rica last month…Miller apparently died in his sleep from an apparent allergic reaction while being treated for food poisoning after the family dined in a Costa Rica restaurant…Penn State women’s basketball guard Moriah Murray, former Dunmore Lady Bucks standout, entered transfer portal…She stepped up as a team leader in her junior season averaging 10.4 points per game and sinking 71 three-pointers at close to a 38 percentage…

Condolences to family of beloved Judith Marichak Kich, an avid walker daily in Dunmore and Green Ridge and proud grandmother, who died unexpectedly at 69 last month…One of six, her one brother is John Marichak, superintendent of Dunmore School District…Condolences to family of Atty. Mike Miller, an avid antique automobile writer, who died last month at 61…Condolences to family of former beloved Green Ridge resident Mary Theresa Booth, former dietician at Scranton’s Mercy Hospital and world traveler who visited 50 U.S. states, who died last month at 89…Condolences to family of well known local sax player Jack Garvey who died last month at 72…He performed past five years at Dunmore Bucktown Fest…Do you remember Kurt Skaluba?…Whatever became of Dan Schatzeder?…

Dishin’ the Dirt: January 2025

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By Steve Svetovich

Congratulations and best of luck to Marguerite Garbolino Bradley who is retiring this June after 34 years as Dunmore Elementary School librarian…Dunmore basketball coach Mark Finan has his Bucks off to fast start in turnaround season…Dunmore junior power forward Brayden Canavan scored between 12 and 16 points in Bucks first five games, all wins…His sister Tristan Canavan, former all-state softball player and member of Dunmore Lady Bucks state champion basketball team, is now freshman at Cecil College in Maryland…Holy Cross sophomore forward-center Adam Badyrka averaging 17 points and eight rebounds per game in early going for Crusaders…Fan favorite Nasty Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin gone from New York Yankees to Milwaukee Brewers in trade for all-star relief closer Devin Williams…Nate Schimelfenig scored 33 points in West Scranton’s 59-58 win over Nanticoke Area…NFL Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss, second all-time with 156 touchdown catches and record 23 TD receptions with New England Patriots in 2007, battling cancer found outside of bile duct between pancreas and liver…Mollie Urban led Lady Crusaders with eight points in Holy Cross girls’ basketball loss to,Holy Redeemer, 55-26…Dunmore School District students of the month this past November for grades seven through 12 include Michael Gentile, Beau Golden, Elena Piepoli, Sascha Novak, Miles Stephenson and Aidan Walsh…It was 20 years ago when Dunmore graduate Brett Trichilo was named to Associated Press Little All-American Team for second straight year…Playing football for Wilkes University, he was named to third team in annual list of top Division II, Division III and NAIA football players in nation after rushing for 1,685 yards and 21 touchdowns…Do you remember Dunmore VFW winning 1992 Little League City-County championship?…Dunmore VFW 1992 team members included John Joseph, P.J. Sacco, Chris Gilhooley, Jim O’Malley, A.J. Thompson, Frank Olechna, Justin Amendolaro, Thomas Murphy, Richard Dempsey, Joe Bonewicz, Jeff Bonewicz, Tim Connors, Kevin Moylan and Thomas Kelly…Dunmore VFW coaches in 1992 were Joe Sacco and Donald Moore, Jr….Holy Cross boys’ basketball, No. 1 team in Times-Tribune Top 10 Poll, earned 84-81 road win over Abraham Lincoln High from Brooklyn, New York on opening weekend…Matt Lyons led Crusaders with 19 points…Michael Hughes scored 18 points and Adam Badyrka added 17 for Holy Cross…Mario Matrone scored 12 and C.J. Thompson added 11 in balanced scoring for Holy Cross…Michael Hughes scored 18 points to lead Holy Cross to non league win over Holy Ghost Prep, 67-55…Matt Lyons added 16 points while sophomore Adam Badyrka finished with 15 for Holy Cross…Jimmy Clark scored 28 points and Nate Aviles added 22 to lead Dunmore over Montrose, 73-45, in non league basketball contest…Bill Belichick taking his Super Bowl rings and going back to school at age 72 to coach University of North Carolina football team on five-year, $50-million contract…Belichick, despite his accolades, was 29-39 in final four years at New England without Tom Brady as his quarterback…Beyon McLean scored 15 points and Aiden Smola added 14 as No. 5 Valley View handed top-ranked Holy Cross its first loss of basketball season, 52-49…Adam Badyrka scored game-high 20 points for Crusaders…Women’s flag football will become 23rd varsity sport at Marywood University, beginning in 2025…The Pacers will play as club team in spring of 2025 before competing in Atlantic East Conference, which last year became first NCAA conference to offer varsity women’s flag football…Jimmy Clark and Bobby Hoban scored 11 points each as Dunmore beat Carbondale Area, 55-19, in non league basketball game…Two-time world champion and four-time gold glove shortstop Brandon Crawford announced his retirement from baseball after 14 seasons, first 13 with San Francisco Giants…Congratulations to Dave “The Cobra” Parker and family of late Dick Allen for election by Veteran’s Committee into National Baseball Hall of Fame…Allen hit .292 with 351 homers in 15-year career with Phillies, Cardinals, Dodgers, White Sox and A’s and was former NL Rookie of Year and AL MVP….He had .378 career on base percentage, leading AL twice…He led AL in homers twice and was league leader in OPS four times…Parker, known as “The Cobra” and currently afflicted with Parkinson’s, was long overdue as five-tool player with rifle arm and 2,712 career hits…The Cobra played with Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Oakland A’s, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angels and Toronto Blue Jays hitting .290 with 339 homers, 526 doubles, 75 triples and 1,493 RBIs…He earned an NL MVP, three silver sluggers, three gold gloves, two consecutive batting titles and was two-time world champion…Both Allen and Parker were seven-time all-stars…But what about Tommy John and late Luis Tiant not being elected?…John, 83, who Tommy John surgery is named after, won 288 games, totaled 162 complete games and 46 shutouts, had 3.34 career ERA and won 20 games three times after his historic surgery by Dr. Frank Jobe…El Tiante, who recently passed away at 83, won 229 games, completed 187 games with 49 shutouts, had 3.30 ERA with two AL ERA titles at 1.60 and 1.91 and won 20 games four times…Its a huge slight these two legendary pitchers are not in National Baseball Hall of Fame…No pitcher in today’s game is compiling these numbers…Both pitched to go the distance and win…Look for baseball writers to elect Ichiro, southpaw reliever Billy Wagner and possibly former Yankees lefty C.C. Sabathia into National Baseball Hall of Fame this month…It’s time former Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins gets more support…Times-Tribune sports writer Scott Walsh called late Scrantonian-Tribune sports editor Guy Valvano a great resource on local sports history who will be missed tremendously…Dunmore’s Valvano died two months ago at 96…Dunmore’s Brian McGurl, John Quinn and rest of QBall put on quite a show at Dunmore corners for Dunmore’s highly successful Chrstmas on the Corners event attended by hundreds last month…So Juan Soto signs with Mets for $765-million and private suit for his family…Yankees offered $760-million, but no suite…Good way to get out of shelling out $765-million…Do you remember John Loury?…Whatever became of Dennis Leonard?…Happy New Year, everyone…

Dishin’ the Dirt: November 2024

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Condolences to family of Dunmore legendary former Sunday Scrantonian Tribune sports editor Guy Valvano who passed away last month at 96…Valvano, noted sports historian, was author of 12 books on local sports scene…Legendary local hardwood standout Dave Popson inducted into Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame Saturday, November 2, at Drexelbrook, Drexel Hill…Popson was first-team basketball All-American at Bishop O’Reilly and played with Michael Jordan at University of North Carolina…He was four-year starter in high school and was teammate of Dunmore’s Bob Bamford with NEPA Pace Setters…Drafted by Detroit Pistons, he played three years in NBA with Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks…

Baseball world mourning passing of Pete Rose, MLB all-time hits leader with 4,256…Banned from baseball and not eligible for National Baseball Hall of Fame due to gambling on the game, Rose, who was 83, died in Las Vegas one day after attending Nashville convention and reuniting with former Big Red Machine teammates Tony Perez, Dave Concepcion, George Foster and Ken Griffey, Sr….Johnny Bench was at Nashville convention day before, but he and Rose did not connect…Rose, three-time world champion, played with Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos and Philadelphia Phillies, accumulating 746 doubles (second all-time), 135 triples and 160 homers while driving in 1,314 runs and scoring 2,165 times (sixth all-time)…A three-time batting champion and former National League (NL) MVP, he led NL in doubles five times…Rose hit .321 with 30 runs, 13 doubles, two triples, five homers and 22 RBIs in 268 career post season at bats…Rose, career .303 hitter and 17-time all-star at five different positions, was most proud of his record playing in more winning games than any player in MLB history…

MLB also mourning passing of legendary Cuban pitcher Luis Tiant, polarizing opponent to Rose and Cincinnati Reds as member of Boston Red Sox in classic 1976 World Series…El Tiante, who was 83, also is not in National Baseball Hall of Fame despite 229 career wins, 187 complete games, 49 shutouts, four 20-win seasons, 3.30 career ERA, including two ERA titles at 1.60 with Cleveland Indians in 1968 and 1.91 in 1972 with Boston…It’s shame and injustice Hall of Fame voters and  Veterans Committee never recognized Tiant’s achievements which far shine above pitcher’s in today’s era…Its also shame Hall of Fame writers were never allowed to vote on Rose’s iconic achievements as a player since he was banned from baseball for betting as a manager after playing career ended…Tiant died last month one week after Rose passed away…Congratulations to Dunmore football coach Kevin McHale and his Dunmore Bucks who defeated Susquehanna, 47-34, in first round of District 2 playoffs…Dunmore’s Gabe Franek rushed for 103 yards and three touchdowns and caught a pass for a touchdown…Dunmore’s Izaiah Parker rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns…The Bucks (5-6) will defend their title against top-seeded Riverside (10-1) Friday, November 8, at Riverside Veterans Memorial Stadium…

Congratulations to Dunmore long time  volleyball coach Susan Dempsey inducted into Northeastern Chapter of Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame during 40th annual Induction Ceremony at Fiorelli’s, Peckville, last month…Dempsey started volleyball program at Dunmore in 2006 and guided Lady Bucks to 10 Lackawanna League titles, two District 2 Class 1A championships and seven District 2 Class 2A runner-up finishes…Other inductees included Jordan Hoyt Calvey, Joseph Dente, Matt McGloin, Elizabeth McGowan, Gina Chieffallo Moreno, Steven Pratico, James Tomcho, Rick Muntean for Service Award and Scranton Times-Tribune sports editor Chris Imperiale for Media Award…Bob Walsh, Dunmore, is Chapter president,…Mid Valley baseball product Jerry Valonis is vice president…Judy Igoe Carr is secretary…Former Dunmore standout basketball player and coach Tom “Doc” Dougherty is treasurer…

Condolences to family of former Scranton Central and Millersville University baseball standout Bob Rossi who died last month at 69…He and twin brother Phil played for Scranton Red Sox in ACBL under both Valonis and Gary Ruby at Dunmore’s Schautz Stadium in mid 1970’s…Both among ACBL’s leading hitters, Bob batted right and threw left as center fielder and Phil batted left and threw right as shortstop…Both rarely struck out…Both played for Millersville from 1974 through 1977, with Bob completing four-year collegiate career with .401 career batting average earning All-PSAC East First-Team recognition three times…He hit .435 as sophomore, school record at the time, and is one of only three Millersville players with career batting average of .400 or better…He was MLB scout for 26 years and once named Pittsburgh Pirates Scout of Year…He was selected to Northeast Chapter of PA Sports Hall of Fame in 1999…Condolences to family of noted local musician Jack Skosko who died last month at 89…Skosko, accordion and keyboard player, performed with numerous bands and was original member of Fabulous Fortunes in 1950’s…Tony Nguyen netted eventual game-winner in 63rd minute to lead top-ranked Scranton Prep over No. 2 Dunmore, 2-1, to win District 2 Class 2A title Thursday, October 31…Johnley Jean scored Dunmore’s only goal in the loss…

Former New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies star outfielder Lenny “Nails”  Dykstra living in West Scranton while attempting to battle back from legal issues and personal demons…Do you remember former Scranton Prep standout wrestler and football lineman Dave Chroback?…Dylan Svetovich, Dunmore, and Robert Sarafinko, teammates in summer Tri-Valley Baseball League, attended Los Angeles Dodgers game five clinching World Series win over Yankees at Yankee Stadium and met Austin Capobianco, the fan ejected for attempting to pry foul ball off Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts in Game 4…Capobianco, 38, and his friend Jon Peter were banned for rest of game and Game 5 at Yankee Stadium, but was seen outside of stadium across street at Stan’s Sports Bar mingling with fans, taking pictures and signing autographs prior to Game Five…Austin Bicking of Holy Cross had couple of explosive kick returns for Crusaders in loss to Old Forge…

Dunmore senior quarterback Jack McNeff completed eight of 12 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns in Bucks win over West Scranton…Jamie Prislupski had two goals to lead Holy Cross to 2-1 Division III soccer win over Blue Ridge…North Pocono and Dunmore expanded wrestling agreement to varsity level…PIAA approved the agreement stretching from seventh to 12th grade…Alisha Davis scored two goals and Irelyn Gilhooley added another as Dunmore defeated Holy Cross, 3-0, in soccer…Dunmore standout soccer player Tommy Clark is senior class vice president…Valley View baseball product Max Kranick, member of New York Mets organization who previously pitched for Pittsburgh Pirates, marrying high school sweetheart Emma Hayley Henzes, granddaughter of late legendary Dunmore football coach Jack Henzes, Saturday, November 9…Congratulations to Dunmore senior Lucy Selbert elected as senior class recording secretary.,,She is also president of service club, Aevidium club ambassador, health careers club treasurer and member of yearbook staff…Grateful Dead fans mourning passing of founding member and influential bassist Phil Lesh who passed away last month at 84…Do you remember Scranton Knights back Mike LaTorre rushing for 171 yards and touchdown in team’s 21-0 win over West Scranton in Battle of Bell 10 years ago?…Do you remember Wade Ollendyke?…Whatever became of Jon Matlack?…