Dunmore baseball coach predicts big season for Bucks

Posted on April 2, 2025 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore Bucks veteran baseball coach Sid Hallinan, Jr. is predicting a big year for his team this season.

And so far his Bucks are living up to expectations with three straight convincing early season wins over Wyoming Area, 11-1, Carbondale Area, 23-2, and West Scranton, 10-0.

Hallinan spoke to The Dunmorean following the team’s opening win last month over Wyoming Area, 11-1.

“The win over Wyoming Area was spearheaded by Jamie McMynne and Cady Jackson’s dominance on the mound and the big hits by Matt Iezzi to generate runs,” said Hallinan. “It was a team effort in that we played very well defensively and at the plate limited our strikeouts and overwhelmed Wyoming Area defensively.”

McMynne pitched four and one-third innings of one-run ball and Cady hurled one and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief with two strikeouts.

Iezzi, a senior, went three-for-four with a bases-clearing triple in a four-run first inning and later hit a walk off homer in the bottom of the sixth. Iezzi scored three runs and drove in four in the win. Senior Max Forgione was two-for-four with two RBIs and a run.

The Bucks second win, 23-2 over Carbondale Area, came in just four innings. Sophomore catcher Evan Mizenko led the Bucks with a four-for-five game and hit a bases loaded triple in the top of the fourth. He had six RBIs in the game.

Mason Stets, a junior, pitched a complete game giving up three hits, three walks and two runs while striking out six. He also drove in three runs.

Forgione was two-for-three with two runs and an RBI. Cady was two-for-three with three runs, two RBIs plus two walks.

A seven-run first inning, highlighted by a two-run homer by Forgione and three-run homer by Bobby Hoban, led Dunmote to its third straight win, 10-0, over West Scranton, in a five inning contest.

Forgone pitched three innings of shutout ball, giving up only one hit with three strikeouts. Iezzi pitched two scoreless innings in relief. Hoban was two-for-two with five RBIs. Stets was two-for-three with an RBI and run scored.

Dunmore’s pitching staff consists of Jamie McMyne, Max Forgione, Jackson Cady, Mason Stets, Matt Iezzi and Anthony Yerka.

“Our pitching staff this season is very experienced and we run five deep with two other guys to fill innings if needed,” said Hallinan.

“They understand how to pitch and not just throw. The pitching staff and our catcher Evan Mizenko are on the same wavelength when it comes to which pitches are being called and why. The pitching IQ is high. That’s special.”

Players who see most of the action in the starting lineup include second baseman/shortstop Stets, shortstop Forgione, center fielder McMynne, first baseman Iezzi, third baseman Cady, catcher Mizenko, outfielder Bobby Hoban, utility man Yerka, outfielder Nate Grochowski, outfielder/third baseman Jimmy Clark and outfielder/second baseman Jaedyn Kura.

The reserves are Brendon Novorosky, Mark Schuster and Colin Sciartilli.

Coach Hallinan praised his stalwart shortstop/pitcher Forgione. “Max approaches the game with almost a sense of professionalism whether it’s hitting, fielding or pitching. However, the biggest change in him is his ability to lead. He has grown so much as a leader not just by example, but vocally which was uncomfortable for him early on as a sophomore captain.

“Our guys try to make themselves better by watching his work ethic. Now they hear him and follow him. He is more relaxed and having more fun. Our guys feed off that. He wants to win so bad. That motivates me and our coaching staff on a daily basis.”

Coach Hallinan talked about the heavy hitting of Iezzi. “Matt grew up in a big way last year. He approached batting practice differently and in a more extreme way. It paid off for him and our team. We talked early on last year that every swing and rep in batting practice needs to have a specific purpose other than hitting the ball 400-feet.

“Once he bought into that, he took off. His batting average, slugging average and on base percentage all went up while his strikeouts went down. The boys called him Matty Ice because he trusts himself so much in the big moment due to his approach and IQ at the plate. The three-for-four with six RBIs in game one this season just proves he is ready for a big year.”

The enthusiastic coach also had positive comments about McMynne. “Jamie came to us as a skinny, energetic, hard-working freshman two years ago. He just wanted to throw hard. That transformed into a pitcher who got stronger in the weight room, brought a routine in to prepare mentally and physically and continues to work hard.

“I love that we butt heads sometimes on pitch selection. He made me better in that regard due to his high IQ on the mound. At the plate he is fun to watch, generates power and drives in runs for us. He can also hit for average and has a high on base percentage. Centerfield comes almost easy for him. He is excellent defensively. When he is on the mound, I get a little nervous that he is not in the outfield.”

Hallinan is assisted by Nick Valvano, Derek Forgione and Mike Vescovi who is also head J.V. coach.

Frank Spager is the Junior High baseball coach. His assistants are George Stefanski and Dylan Svetovich.

“Our goals are simple and that is to win,” said the energetic Hallinan.

“With that being said, winning our division is not easy. However, these kids have been working very hard every day since October to get better. We want to win so badly and improve. We want to win our league. We say why set the bar low. Set it high. We want a district championship and to make a strong state run. There is no reason we can’t do it. We take the approach to improve game by game. We fix our mistakes as we go along. We want to achieve big things. That’s why we are working so hard.

“Our team attitude is to give our opponents seven innings of great baseball. We want to make it tough for our opponents. We want to beat down every opponent. Our guys deserve to win every game because of their extreme willingness to get better..We have talent and get mentally stronger each day.

“The mood and energy is different this year. The coaches and team leaders feel it. We will work hard and have a ton of fun. The people of Dunmore will enjoy watching these boys play baseball the way it was meant to be played.”

Holy Cross advances to state basketball semifinal losing on buzzer beater

Posted on April 2, 2025 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Holy Cross advanced to the PIAA Class 3A boys basketball semifinals, losing at the buzzer, 58-57, to West Catholic Saturday, March 22, at Parkland High School, Allentown.

After almost four full quarters of intense basketball. West Catholic sophomore Jayvon Byrd caught an in-bounds pass with a little more than a second left on the clock and drilled a 3-pointer to lift the Burrs to a dramatic 58-57 win over the Crusaders.

It was a heartbreaking loss for coach Al Callejas, Jr. and his Crusaders who were hoping to go to the state final.

The buzzer beater set off a wild celebration and trip to the state final for the Burrs.

Holy Cross (25-5) reached the PIAA Class 2A final last season.

Senior Michael Hughes, who was named Times-Tribune Player of the Week following the loss, nearly delivered a win for the Crusaders.

He made key steal when West Catholic tried to hold the ball for a final shot with 1:30 left in the game with the score knotted, 55-55.

Then after a timeout, Hughes, a Class 2A all-state player last year, drove to the basket in the final seconds and drew a foul. A clutch performer, Hughes swished both foul shots to give the Crusaders a 57-55 lead with 6.4 seconds left in the contest and two fouls to give.

Holy Cross forced West Catholic to chew up time by committing both fouls.

That set up the Burrs underneath the basket with 1.6 seconds left.

Adam Badyrka of Holy Cross then kicked a pass on an in-bounds play, but there was still 1.3 seconds left.

Naseem Perez then found Byrd open and he hit the game winning 3-pointer. The Crusaders collapsed to the gym floor as the basketball sailed through the net.

“I am heartbroken for these kids,” coach Callejas, Jr. said. “They gave me everything they had.”

Holy Cross standout Matt Lyons scored 14 points and had four rebounds in the tough loss. “It was a hard fought game and we gave all the effort we had,” he said.

“The team played great all year. It was amazing to see what we could do after how far we went last year. Getting back to the eastern final, in a higher classification is not an easy task. Everyone left it all out there for what was to be the final game for us. It’s just a shame it had to end that way.”

Adam Badyrka also scored 14 points and hauled down six rebounds. “It was a tough loss, but a great season,” he said.

“The season was unbelievable and a great ride. I wouldn’t want to do it with any other group of guys. It’s tough to go out like that, but it’s a season to remember. This team was special and it’s going to be one to remember. I love this group of guys, the seniors, the coaching staff and the entire Holy Cross community. If not for them, this season is not possible. I hope for the best for all the seniors on their road to the future.”

Hughes, who scored a team high 15 points, reflected on the loss and great season. “The run our team made this year was very fun,” he said. “I made so many memories with my teammates and coaches. I could not have asked to play with a better group of people. I am definitely going to miss the experience.”

Despite losing to Riverside, 61-50, in the District 2 Class 3A final, the Crusaders began the state playoffs with an overtime win over Troy, 72-68. Holy Cross then beat Audenried Charter, 58-55. The Crusaders easily beat Lancaster Mennonite, 63-52, to advance to the state semifinal.

Hughes led the Crusaders with 15.5 points per game this season. Lyons averaged 14.9 points and Badyrka 14.0 points.

C.J. Thompson and Mario Matrone were also key contributors on the team. Thompson was named Times-Tribune Lackawanna League Division II Defensive Player of the Year. Both Thompson and Lyons were named to the All-Defensive team.

Hughes and Lyons were both named Lackawanna League boys coaches’ first-team all-stars.

Athlete of the Month: Kaci Kranson

Posted on April 2, 2025 by The Dunmorean

Former Holy Cross standout is Landmark and Region 5 player of year

By Steve Svetovich

Kaci Kranson is a former Times-Tribune Athlete of the Year and standout basketball and softball performer at Holy Cross High School.. Her accolades were lengthy in both sports.

President of her class with a 4.0 grade point average, Kaci surpassed over 1,500 points breaking the school record.

So what does she do for an encore?

She enrolls at the University of Scranton, where by her junior year she becomes a three-time First-Team All-Landmark Selection in basketball. Even more impressive this season, Kaci was named Landmark Conference Player of the Year and Region 5 Player of the Year.

But more important to Kaci, she helped lead the Lady Royals to a 29-2 record, including another Landmark Championship and trip to the Final 8 of the NCAA playoffs before a 81-77 loss to Wisconsin-Stout on Saturday, March 15.

A second-team All-American, Kaci scored 536 points this season. She averaged 17.3 points per game. She was named Landmark Athlete of the Week a half dozen times.

Daughter of Jill and Ryan Kranson, she is a criminal justice major at the University of Scranton with aspirations to become a police officer like her mom. A Dean’s List student, she has a 3.6 grade point average.

Hard working and humble, Kaci, 21, said it’s nice to receive awards but her goals are more team oriented.

“Sure, I was excited to receive the awards,” she said, “but it’s a reflection on the team. My team has been preparing hard for this season since September. We were very excited to get as far as we did, but it was expected. We did not want to settle for less. We were very excited to win the Landmark, but we wanted to get into the Final Four in the NCAA playoffs.

“This team worked hard from day one. It means everything to the whole team to go as far as we did.

“We made ourselves the best possible version of a team. In the back of our minds, we could win every game and go as far as possible. We took it game by game.

“We strived for this. We showed who we are.”

Kaci excelled at both softball and basketball at Holy Cross, so it was a tough decision regarding which sport she would play in college.

“I was blessed with two great high school coaches in Barry Fitzgerald and Joe Ross, so I was unsure what I wanted to do. Originally, I was going to,play softball. Then I had a chance to play basketball for former Dunmore coach Ben O’Brien. It became a no brainer for me.”

Always team-oriented, Kaci said she learned a lot from her parents over the years.

“They always tell me to live in the moment, have fun and enjoy each day. Always work hard for what you need to do. Nothing is ever handed to you. You need to work for it.”

Well-spoken and articulate, Kaci said she has learned so much from Coach O’Brien. “He is just a tremendous coach,” she said.

“He taught me about so many different aspects of the game, including the mental approach. He taught me about the confidence you need in order to,play this game. You always need to think you are going to make your next shot even if you miss a few.”

The standout forward-guard said she misses softball. “I do miss it,” she said. “I was fortunate to play travel ball and in high school for both softball and basketball. I was even more fortunate to have two great high school coaches. I keep in touch with both. Coach Ross came to a couple of my college games. Coach Fitzgerald is often there for my college games. I was blessed to have both of them.”

Kaci, always positive, talked about her future. “I want to get this team to the Final Four next year,” she said. “It’s going to be my last year playing a competitive sport. The Final Four is the main goal. I want to savor everything and win as much as possible in my senior year. It’s hard to believe my last year is coming up. I will cherish the moments.

“Time will tell if I play any more basketball after college. I want to focus on school and get into law enforcement. I want to become a police officer like my mom. She has been a great inspiration to me. I might want to eventually get into coaching, starting out as an assistant. I’ve been involved with sports my whole life.”