Dunmore’s Andrew Durkin Shows Toughness for Scranton Prep

Posted on August 25, 2021 by The Dunmorean

Dunmorean Andrew Durkin is a senior member of the Scranton Prep football team. (Photo Credit: Richard Finner Kane)

By Steve Svetovich

When Andrew Durkin went from Dunmore Middle School to Scranton Prep, he was not sure what to expect.

But he is going to end up as a four-year member of Scranton Prep’s football and baseball teams and, in his words, a changed individual.

“Going to Scranton Prep has been a great experience for me,” he said. “Through sports and school, it has changed who I am as a person for the better.”

Son of Atty. Larry and Kristine Decker, Dunmore, Andrew, 17, is looking forward to his senior season as a member of the Scranton Prep football team.

He is a starting tight end and linebacker on the Scranton Prep football team. Andrew plays outfield on the baseball team and hit .394 as a junior.

He is a member of the National Honor Society and has an impressive 95 academic average at Scranton Prep. His best subject is math.

His football coach at Scranton Prep is Terry Gallagher.

“I have learned a lot from Coach Gallagher,” he said. “He taught me how to be physical, mean, and tough on the football field. He taught me to be disciplined and take responsibility.”

Andrew talked about what it takes to be a good tight end.

“You need to be physical and be a good blocker and receiver.”

The scholar-athlete also excels at linebacker. “To be a good linebacker,” he said, “you also need to be physical and tough. You need to stay low. You need the low leverage.”

Scranton Prep was 4-1 in the COVID-19 shortened football season in 2020. “Our goals are a district and state title this year,” said the senior standout.

Well-spoken, confident and mature, Andrew said he has learned a lot from his parents. “My parents taught me to always respect others and have respect for all the players and coaches on the team.”

His dad has a law office in Dunmore.

Andrew enjoys listening to music in his spare time and would like to see Drake in concert.

He plans on studying business or finance in college but is unsure where he will attend school.

“I would like to have a job in the business world,” he said.

Andrew said he is looking forward to his senior year. “I love playing sports at Prep,” he said. “Along with school work, it takes up most of my time. I want to have a winning senior football season. The goal is championships.

“My personal goal is to succeed and work hard at what I do.”

Scranton Prep Football Coach Takes One Game at a Time

Posted on August 25, 2021 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Scranton Prep head football coach Terry Gallagher does not believe in looking too far ahead.

“We take one game at a time here at Scranton Prep,” he said. “The coaching staff here wants to make sure we play the best we can week by week.”

And that means not looking too far past each opponent.

“We only look at the opponent we are playing that particular week,” he said. “We prepare the best we can for that team. We don’t set goals for down the road. Our only goal is to beat the next team… That is how we do things here.”

Scranton Prep was 4-1 in the COVID-19 shortened season in 2020. Despite the 4-1 record, the team did not make the post season.

Coach Gallagher, in his sixth season as head coach, is a 2002 graduate of Scranton Prep. He played football at LaSalle before eventually graduating from the University of Scranton with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education. He teaches at North Pocono.

Coach Gallagher said his players are looking good in summer practice sessions.

“The boys are looking pretty good,” he said. “The older players have been working in this program and have the experience to lead us. Our veteran players will lead by example.

“We are trying to push all the right buttons and be more physical and improve our techniques. Hopefully, we will have a full year of games.”

Sean Monahan, a junior, is expected to be the team’s quarterback this season.

Other key returning players include senior wide receiver-defensive back Rob Maguire, senior offensive and defensive lineman Kellen Doughton, senior tight end-linebacker Andrew Durkin of Dunmore, junior running back-defensive back London Montgomery, senior wide receiver-defensive back Robert Rossi, senior linebacker-fullback Mike Golay, senior lineman Adam Kenny, senior lineman Drew O’Malley, senior lineman Christian Kohut, junior lineman Anthony Nicotera, senior Jimmy Burke and seniors Rich Pasco and Ned Leonard.

Assistant coaches under coach Gallagher are Brian Croom, Dan McShaffery, Jason Tallo, Ryan James, Brett Stage, Anthony Rossi, Billy Pasqualichio, Keith Toolan, Ben Koshanski and A.J. McKenna,

Burke, a 5-10, 285-pound defensive lineman, is one of the top returning football players in District 2. Coach Gallagher called him one of the leading guys in the weight room and one of the strongest players on the team.

Burke started as a sophomore and played a key role in Scranton Prep reaching the District 2 title game. He had 55 tackles, including five for a loss. He also recorded two sacks.

Last season, Burke had 26 tackles and two and one-half sacks in only five games. He earned a spot on the Lackawanna Football Conference Division I-II Coaches’ all-star second team.

Burke takes a lot of pride in his strength and agility training.

“We have the experience to lead this team,” coach Gallagher said. “We take things week by week, one game at a time. We are looking at being prepared and winning game one right now.”

Brothers Make Feature Film Idea into Reality

Posted on March 4, 2020 by The Dunmorean

By Steve Svetovich

Thomas and Patrick Kennedy not only have bright imaginations, but they act on their ideas. Sons of Thomas and Kelly Kennedy and grandsons of the late Green Ridge District Magistrate James (Ace) Kennedy, Thomas, 18, a senior, and Patrick, 17, a junior, are students at Scranton Prep. Both had an idea and acted on it.

The brothers had an idea to produce a pair of independent feature films. And with their bright imaginations, they did. Working with students and parents from both Scranton Prep and Scranton High Schools, they created two films which were sellouts at the old Ritz Theatre on Wyoming Avenue, Scranton.

The boys’ mom, the former Kelly McHale, is a Dunmore teacher, and along with her husband Thomas, fully supported the idea to write and produce the films in which Patrick starred in.

Thomas, is president of his senior class, officer of numerous clubs and captain of the Mock Trial team at Scranton Prep.

Patrick, normally the more reserved of the two brothers, is a member of the wrestling, cross country and baseball teams at Scranton Prep.

Through the production company, KBE Films, the Kennedy brothers released the two featured length independent films in 2019 and last month,

The first movie is entitled “Unlawful Justice – A Roll of the Dice.” The sequel is entitled is “Unlawful Justice 2 – Jericho vs. Greene.”

The brothers served as directors, writers, producers, stunt coordinators, editors and actors for the films.

“The first film was so successful, ” said Thomas Kennedy, the brothers’ dad, “that they wrote a second script and released the film this past Feb. 8. Both films sold out at the Ritz.

“The money raised went for service trips at Scranton Prep. And donations were taken for the cost of the second movie.

“The students at Scranton Prep plus students at Scranton High School were in both films. And parents of the students were used. Noah Leety, the student council president at Scranton High School, appeared in it.

“My son Tom directed and edited both films. Patrick wrote and starred in both. He played the star role in. ‘Jericho.’

“It was quite the task to get these kids from two different high schools together to rehearse for the films. These kids have so many other high school commitments with their studies, sports and clubs.

“Both films were based on 1980’s action style movies. My boys are movie enthusiasts like me. The two films are very good and the boys learned so much from writing and producing them. They used much better equipment with the second movie. Both were entirely shot on an I-phone. The second movie had more equipment.”

Over 300 people attended each movie. WBRE-TV headlined the movies on its news.

Thomas Kennedy, with a 3.8 GPA, who has thus far been accepted to eight schools, wants to study pre law, but minor in film and theatre in college.

Among his other activities at Prep he is president of the Prep Players and Protect Club, member of National Honor Society, Scranton Prep Dean’s Team, Junior Statesmen of American, football and baseball teams; manager of the basketball team; competed at the national level in speech and debate in Milwaukee, Wis., serves as secretary of the Book Club, Physics Club, Sustainability Club and Movie Club, and food drive coordinator.

Thomas was cowriter/actor in a dramatic play, Malum In Se, performed in 2019 at Scranton Cultural Center, and is a member of the Joseph of Arimathea Ministry, a unique groups that comes together anytime a dead body is unclaimed or a family has no one to mourn with them.

Patrick Kennedy, with a 3.7 GPA, wants to become a dentist. At Prep he is a member of the Movie Club and stage crew, in addition to his athletic endeavors.

“Tom is more charismatic,” said their dad. “Patrick is quiet and reserved, but he was much more open when acting in the films.”

Thomas is very much into theatre and plays the leading role in many of the plays at Scranton Prep. Patrick is more of an athlete.

Both are members of the National Honor Society at Scranton Prep.