Dunmore Coach Kevin McHale Feels Good About Team

Posted on August 25, 2021 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore graduated plenty of seniors from last year’s football team, but head football coach Kevin McHale feels very good about this year’s team.

McHale said between 35 to 40 kids are expected to be on this year’s roster.

Thomas Bowen will return as the Dunmore quarterback in his sophomore season after starting as a freshman.

McHale, a 1996 Dunmore graduate, played four years of football under retired legendary Dunmore coach Jack Henzes. He was an assistant coach under Henzes for several years before becoming the head Dunmore coach when the football icon retired.

McHale is a 2000 graduate of Moravian College in Bethlehem where he received a bachelor of science degree in social sciences. He received his teaching certificate from Marywood University in 2002.

Photo courtesy Rich Banick Photography ©

Married to the former Shelley Higgins, a Dunmore graduate, the couple has two children: Jack, 12, and Colin, 9.

McHale led Dunmore to the District 2 Class 2A championship last year when the Bucks finished 3-2 in the COVID-19 shortened football season. The Bucks lost to Bishop McDevitt in the first round of the state playoffs.

“We graduated a lot of seniors,” said coach McHale. “We are very excited about having Bowen back at quarterback. He did a great job as a freshman. It’s not easy to be a freshman starting quarterback. He worked extremely hard in the off season to better himself. He worked hard in the weight room, with conditioning and by studying a lot of film.

“He is now bigger, stronger, faster, smarter.”

Other key offensive players include senior linemen Austin Brislin, a three year starter; Jake Cicerini, a two way starter who is recovering from an ACL injury; Danny Schmidt, the center; Luciano Calderone, Joe Marzzacco and Blake Schultz who is injured now, sophomore wide receivers Dom DeSando, Danny Pigga and Lorenzo Mitchell and junior running backs Cal Talutto and Josh Malone.

The defense includes senior defensive backs Vinnie Bonavoglia, Liam Crowley, Cameron Reyes and Kieran Reyes, junior linebacker Patrick Pucilowski, senior linebacker Zeake Rosario and sophomore linebackers Nick Donvito and Jake Hickey.

The defensive line includes Brislin, junior Evan Makowski, junior Andrew Fazio, sophomore Braden Ruther and sophomore Nathan Ruther.

Junior Max Hunt is expected to be the kicker. Junior Nick Pearro and sophomores Rogan Dougherty and Sean Gallagher are in competition for the punting duties.

Cicerini, who is recovering from the ACL injury, is expected to make a big impact at right offensive tackle and left defensive tackle. McHale called him a kid with great character, very coachable and an outstanding teammate. Cicerini, 6-3, 260 pounds, has battled a series of injuries to his right knee throughout his middle and high school football career, but keeps battling back.

The assistant coaches under McHale are Mike Barrett, Michael Ehnot, Michael Perry, Damon Bowen, Michael Gardier and Colin Holmes. All of the assistant coaches with the exception of Bowen played football at Dunmore.

Michael McDonnell is the head freshman football coach.

“We are really excited about this coming season,” coach McHale said. “The kids have really prepared themselves for the season. We like where we are at now. Our goal is to win every game, win the district title and then go as far as we can.

“Our schedule is tough. There are no easy games. We are ready to reach our full potential as a football team.”

Bucks’ Senior Lineman Remembers Grandfather when on Gridiron

Posted on August 25, 2021 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

When Dunmore senior lineman Danny Schmidt is on the football field, he knows someone is watching over him.

His late grandfather Michael Freund, who died at age 73 in 2018, will always have a special place in his heart.

Son of Beth and Joe Schmidt, Danny is a four-year member of the Dunmore football team.

He learned about Dunmore football at an early age from his late grandfather.

“My grandfather meant so much to me,” Danny said. “He taught me about football.

“My grandfather took me to every Dunmore football game since I was six-years-old. He was always with me at the games.

“He just did so much for me. He taught me about loyalty and to work hard all the time. He always told me that if you do something, do it right, Danny recalls. “And he always said to do unto others as you would want done unto you.”

The tough, hard-working lineman said his mom has also always been a positive force in his life.

“She tells me to keep working hard and keep your head down. Be kind to others.”

Danny, 17, has a 90 academic average. His best subject is history.

He enjoys listening to music in his spare time and would like to see classic rockers Motley Crue in concert.

The senior standout talked about what it takes to excel as a lineman in high school football.

“You need to be accountable to your teammates, work hard, and show up every day,” he said. “You need to be a good teammate. It is all about teamwork.”

Tough-minded and strong-willed, Danny said he knows Dunmore head football coach Kevin McHale well and has learned a lot about football and life from him. “I have been working with coach McHale since I was 10-years-old,” he said. “He taught me to always be accountable and work hard. He taught me about dedication. Coach McHale taught me a lot over the years.”

The dedicated senior scholar-athlete said he is undecided about where he will attend college, but is leaning towards East Stroudsburg or Temple University. He is undecided on a college major and is hoping to play college football if the opportunity presents itself.

Danny said his future goal is a simple one. “I just want to be a success in life.”

The personable senior said his hobbies include fishing, working out, and hanging out with friends.

His goal this year is a big one. “Winning a football championship here at Dunmore is always the goal,” he said.

Danny loves Dunmore football and is looking forward to his senior year.

“Everybody is accountable here on our team,” he said. “There is nothing better than Dunmore football. It is like one big family.

“My senior year at Dunmore is going to be great. There are a lot of friends I am close to here at Dunmore. We will have a good run. Our football team will have a great run. Dunmore High School has been terrific to me, I love Dunmore.”

Danny can’t wait to get out on the gridiron for his senior year.

His late grandfather will be looking down and beaming with pride.

Doin’ Dunmore: Thanksgiving Day Football Memories

Posted on August 25, 2021 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

A new Thanksgiving Day rivalry emerged Thursday, Nov. 22, 1945, when Dunmore defeated West Scranton, 6-2.

The Dunmore win nailed down the Lackawanna Conference title for first-year head coach Tommy Silvano and the Bucks.

Dunmore finished 9-0 in the conference, but had to settle for second place in the Northern Division of the EIFC.

Larksville represented the division in the championship game after finishing with a 6-0 record.

Former Sunday Scrantonian Tribune sports editor Guy Valvano, Dunmore, wrote a book, “Thanksgiving Memories,” in 2009.

According to Valvano’s book, there were 7,500 fans on hand Thursday afternoon, Nov. 22. 1945, at Athletic Park.

Valvano wrote Guy Ardizoni, one of the most talented running backs in the history of Lackawanna County high school football, ran 14 yards in the mud in the closing minutes. The score offset a 2-0 lead from a safety that had been held by West Scranton since the first quarter.

Valvano wrote Ardizoni was hobbling on a painful right knee that had been injured the previous game. The touchdown enabled the fleet-footed senior to finish the season with 114 points in 10 games, according to Valvano.

That eclipsed the record of 102 points he had set a season earlier, added Valvano.

Tech defeated Central, 6-0, on Thanksgiving morning that very same day at Athletic Park. Billy “Ging” Weiss, the smallest and lightest player on the mud-covered field, cut off tackle and scored on a 17 yard run for Central, wrote Valvano.

Five years later in 1950, wrote Valvano, Dunmore won the Lackawanna Conference championship by defeating West Scranton, 18-0, before 5,500 fans at home on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 23, to finish with a 7-2-2 record,

Dunmore had been hopeful of representing the Northern Division in the EIFC championship game, wrote Valvano, but the honor – much to the chagrin of Dunmore School District officials – went to Swoyersville.

The Luzerne County school, wrote Valvano, nosed out the Bucks after being allowed to use the record of an opponent that had not played a minimum of five conference games as required by the EIFC. That opponent was Ashley, which was 0-1-1 in the conference.

The final standings showed Swoyersville as the first place team with Dunmore as the runner up.

Swoyersville’s loss was to Southern Division member Coal Township, a team that was held to a 7-7 tie by Dunmore one week before the Bucks played West Scranton on Thanksgiving Day. Coal Township handed Swoyersville a 26-13 setback in the EIFC title game.

Coaches from Coal Township had looked at Dunmore as their potential opponent in the EIFC title game, wrote Valvano. The coaches of the Southern Division champion were scouting Dunmore that Thanksgiving Day, wrote Valvano.

When some Dunmore fans at the Bucks-Invaders game on Thanksgiving, wrote Valvano, asked Coal Township head coach Walter Marshall why his staff was not scouting Swoyersville that day, his response was that he expected the Purple Demons to be playing Dunmore in the title game.

In the 1950 Thanksgiving Day game played on the snow-covered field, wrote Valvano, Dunmore’s touchdowns against West Scranton were scored by Matt Soranno, on an interception return; Lou Costanzo on a one-yard run; and Pat Ferraro, on a 14-yard run.

The win gave Dunmore head football coach V. James Gatto his second Lackawanna Conference championship.

The late Chic Feldman of The Scrantonian reported Dunmore had put the finishing touches to the most grueling regular season schedule in school history. The losses were to Lock Haven and Berwick, two quality football programs, at the outset of the season. Dunmore then went through the rest of the season without a loss.