Tag Archives: Well Dun

Well Dun: November 2024

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Longtime Dunmore volleyball coach Susan Dempsey and former Penn State and Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin headed the 40th annual induction ceremony for the Northeastern Chapter of the Pennsylvania Chapter Sports Hall of Fame last month at Fiorelli’s, Peckville.

Other inductees included Jordan Hoyt Calvey for track and field; Joseph Dente as a baseball/softball official; Elizabeth McGowan for basketball; Gina Chieffallo Moreno for softball; Steven Pratico for football and track and field; James Tomcho for basketball/coach; Rick Muntean for the service award, and Chris Imperiale for the media award.

Former WBRE Eyewitness News sports director/sportscaster Phil Schoener served as toastmaster. The affable Schoener currently works as a broadcaster for the SportsFever TV Network, a syndicator of NCAA college sports to ESPN.

Bob Walsh, Dunmore, is president of the Northeastern Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. Mid Valley sports product Jerry Valonis is vice president. Judy Igoe Carr is secretary, and Tom “Doc” Dougherty is treasurer.

Other committee members include John Davies, Jerry Dempsey, Terry Greene, Rich Revta, and Chris Thomas.

Dunmorean reporter and sports editor Steve Svetovich is shown with newly-inducted member of the Northeast Chapter of PA Sports Hall of Fame Sue Dempsey, longtime Dunmore Volleyball coach, at her recent induction.

The U.S. Marine Corps provided the Presentation of Colors. Msgr. Patrick J. Pratico, Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, provided Invocation and Benediction. The Fiorelli’s staff provided a cocktail hour and superb dinner buffet.

Sue Dempsey, Dunmore, was a volleyball standout at Cranford (NJ) High School School. She earned All-County honors in 1981 and then played at Seton Hall for one year before attending Marywood University and earning MVP honors for the Pacers in 1984.

She then became volleyball coach for Marywood and in four years (1992-96) won a PA Athletic Conference title and finished runner-up in 1992. She then headed to Abington Heights (1998-2001) and led the Lady Comets to their first District 2, Class 3A volleyball title in 2001.

She started the volleyball program at Dunmore in 2006 and guided the Lady Bucks to 10 Lackawanna League titles, two District 2 Class 1A championships and seven District 2 Class 2A runner-up finishes. The volleyball pioneer reached the 200 career-win milestone in 2018.

In her speech, she mentioned her late dad who passed away three weeks after she learned the news of her induction. She spoke of his constant words of encouragement throughout her life

“He taught me that if they say no, then you work harder until they say yes.”

Matt McGloin was a standout quarterback for West Scranton High School, where he threw for 5,485 yards and 58 touchdowns in his four years. He was a four-year starter in basketball, scoring 1,398 points. He was a three-year starter in baseball. He was named Times-Tribune Athlete of the Year in 2008.

Former Penn State and Oakland Raiders quarterback Matt McGloin is a recent inductee into the Northeast Chapter of the PA Sports Hall of Fame. Now a Lackawanna County Commissioner, he is shown with Dunmorean sports editor Steve Svetovich at the ceremony.

McGloin attended Penn State as a walk-on, making the team and eventually earning the starting quarterback job. He threw for 6,390 career yards and a school-record 48 touchdown passes.

He went on to the NFL, playing four years with the Oakland Raiders (2013-16). He played quarterback in 13 games, including seven starts in 2013. He completed 161-of-277 passes for a 58.1 completion percentage, 1,868 yards and 11 touchdown passes. He threw 11 interceptions. He passed for 1,587 yards and eight touchdown passes in only seven games in 2013.

He was also on the rosters of the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs.

Jordan Hoyt Calvey is a former track and field standout at Abington Heights, where she won three District 2 titles in the 200 meters, and two district crowns in the 100 meters in 2010. She was Times-Tribune co-Athlete of the Year after winning the PIAA Class 3A championship in the 200 meters and finishing as state runner-up Class 3A in the 100 meters. She went on to the University of Pittsburgh, where she ran on the 800-meter relay team that set a school record in 2011 at the Texas Relays.

Joseph Dente has been a baseball and softball umpire for 49 years. He is a high school boys and girls basketball official for 43 years. He initiated a referee mentoring program to help new officials reach the varsity level. He umpired/officiated 25 Lsckawanna League District II championship games and worked 25 PIAA tournament contests.

Elizabeth McGowan finished with 1,582 points as a girls’ basketball player at Mid Valley High School. She won the Lackawanna Northern Division scoring title and was tournament MVP in the Jaycees-Falcons Cage Classic. She was a junior college All-American at Lackawanna Junior College and played two years at Old Dominion University, where she was a part of two Colonial Athletic Association titles and made two NCAA tournaments.

Gina Chieffallo Moreno had a highly impressive career pitching record of 59-2 as a softball player for Valley View. She was a perfect 41-0 in the Lackawanna League, with two perfect games, two no-hitters, 37 shutouts, 494 strikeouts and a 0.49 ERA. She helped the Cougars win the PIAA title in 2013. She was Times-Tribune Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013.

She was on the Times-Tribune All Regional Team in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2013, she was the MaxPreps Softball Medium schools All-American.

At Brown University, she was a four-year varsity softball player where she had an 8-5 record and 2.73 ERA. A team captain twice, she was a two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American Scholar Athlete.

Steven Pratico was a center and defensive end on the Valley View Cougars 1992 PIAA Class 2A title team. He was captain on the state title team. He was named by Coaches’ Magazine to the All-American Team in 1992. He was a member of the track team, winning the Lackawanna Track Conference title in the shot put and discus. He played football at Rutgers University (1993-95) and Bucknell University (1995-97). He helped Bucknell to their lone 10-0 season in 1997.

James Tomcho was a first Team All-Scholastic basketball player at Mid-Valley High School. At Keystone College, he ranks ninth with 537 career rebounds and third with 103 career blocked shots. He was team captain for an 18-4 team at Keystone. He then became a basketball coach leading Penn Stats Scranton to a team record 21 wins and its first conference title. In 1992-93. He led Carbondale Sacred Heart to the Northeast Athketic Conference Division II and District 12 Class 1A titles.

Rick Muntean has over 35 years of professional baseball management experience, including 26 years as general manager at every minor league level. He was the first general manager for the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Red Barons. He received the Best Minor League Baseball Yearbook Award in 1990 and was Minor League Baseball 100th anniversary Promotion third place winner in 2001. He was Executive of the Year in the Northern League in 2004. He was voted Executive of the Year in the Future Collegiate Baseball League in 2014.

Chris Imperiale is sports editor of the Scranton Times-Tribune. He began his journalism career there in 1994 as a correspondent and was hired as a full-time sports reporter in 1997. In 2002, he was promoted to assistant sports editor and led a redesign of the sports section. In 2004, he became assistant metro editor. He became sports editor in 2009.

He led the Times-Tribune sports department to state and national acclaim, twice earning the prestigious AP Sports Editors Triple Crown as a top 10 newspaper in circulation in 2018 and 2020. He served on multiple state and national committees for sports editors and writers and was AP Sports Editors Mid-Athletic Regional Chairman from 2014 through 2016.

The 2024 inductees into the Northeast Chapter of the PA Sports Hall of Fame are shown, flanked by Chapter vice president Jerry Valonis, far left, and president Bob Walsh, far right.

Well Dun: Retired fireman writes best-selling book

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By Steve Svetovich

Dunmore’s Vince Sardo, 58, is living proof anyone can overcome hardships and hard times. And he’s used those life experiences to write an international best selling book.

He will promote that best-seller during a book launch Friday, October 4, from 5 to 7 p.m., at the Scranton Art Haus, 301 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton.

Son of the late John “Beansey” Sardo and Nancy Alunni Bevan, the best-selling author is a retired Dunmore fireman. He worked for the Dunmore Fire  Department for 19 years, retiring in 2019. He took after his late dad, who was a Dunmore firefighter from 1966 through 1995. His dad died in 2022.

Sardo’s book, entitled “Legs on a Table,” is about overcoming adversity. He interviewed 18 people who overcame adversity to become successful in life. Noted local business owner and entrepreneur John Basalyga is one of his subjects.

“It’s about the four core pillars that turn dreams into reality,” Sardo said. “You need to be determined, resilient, persistent and love yourself.

“This book is about people who experienced fear and failure and came out of it,” Sardo explains. “I’ve been part of a religious cult and came out of it. I was clinically dead years ago from drugs and came out of that alive.

“This is a love story about overcoming adversity in life. It’s my story and that of 18 others.”

The book was released August 21 and soon hit number one in three categories on Amazon in America.

A motivational speaker, Sardo enjoys writing and became very goa- oriented following his retirement from the Dunmore Fire Department. He held various leadership positions in the fire department such as secretary, treasurer, vice president and lobbyist/legislative liaison.

“Those leadership roles most definitely helped me in life,” he said. “Those roles helped to inspire this book.”

Sardo’s debut book, “Legs on a Table: The Four Pillars to Transform Dreams into Reality,” reached number one in the Inspirational Personal Testimonies category on Amazon USA  and Testimonies category on Amazon Canada, highlighting its powerful message of resilience and transformation.

The book launch signing at the Scranton Art Haus will provide attendees the opportunity to meet Sardo, hear about his inspirations for the book, and get copies signed.

The book features his personal story of overcoming near-death experience and rebuilding his life, along with the other 18 everyday champions who faced and triumphed over significant challenges. From Basalyga, who built a successful real estate career from humble beginnings, to Joseph Barna, a World War II veteran who became a published author at 93, and Dr. Jill Murray, who rose from driving a UPS truck to becoming President of Lackawanna College, the book offers practical insights on resilience, determination and the power of self-belief.

“I’m overwhelmed by the support the book has received,” said Sardo. “These stories are meant to inspire people, no matter where they are in life. I’m thrilled to celebrate this journey with the community.”

Sardo’s best-selling book, available on Amazon, features a 30-day action plan to help readers implement practical lessons from the book in their own lives. The book is also a best-seller on Amazon Canada.

“There was a time when I thought my story had already ended,” said Sardo. “That came January 1, 1990. I was lying on a hospital bed after a drug overdose. My heart had stopped. I was only 23 years old.

“I had lost everything. I lost my business, marriage, and nearly my life. I was clinically dead.

“In that dark, suspended moment, I faced the truth. I had become everything I never wanted to be. I had become a quitter, filled with failure and  disappointment.”

“But against all odds, I survived,” Sardo explains. “ And in that moment, I made a vow that if I ever got a second chance, I would not waste it.

“That’s why I wrote this book. I wrote it to share the tools that helped me rebuild my life and to show that no matter how many times you fail, that you can also rise. This book isn’t about perfection. It’s about perseverance. It’s about reclaiming your dreams, potential and life.

“With the right mindset and actions, you can turn even the darkest moments into stepping stones.”

The Dunmore native is the proud father of three children: Angel, 32; Shala, 30, and Vincent Rocco, 28.

Well Dun: September 2024

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Remembering late Dunmore legend Jack Henzes coaching debut in Dream Game

Late legendary Dunmore coach Jack Henzes coached his first Dream Game in 1976 with three objectives.

Former Sunday Scrantonian Tribune sports editor Guy Valvano, Dunmore, in his book, “The Dream Lives On,” wrote about these objectives in Coach Henzes’ Dream Game debut:

“The first objective, ” Henzes said in 1976, “is to beat the County. The second is to try to develop some special relationships between the players that they can keep for the rest of their lives. And the third is to try to get them in the best physical and mental condition for the game.”

Henzes described the philosophy as the same one used by late USC legend John McKay when he coached the College All-Stars.

A participant in the 1953 Dream Game, coach Henzes was always a stickler for detail and game preparation.

According to Valvano’s book, Henzes called a meeting for his City team in advance of the 1976 game for the purpose of setting up a schedule for the two weeks of practice.

Valvano, who will be 96 next month, wrote in his book that Henzes planned on using his players in companionship. He would try to put players from the same school together. He would place players from the same school, for example, side by side at offensive guard and tackle at the same time in the contest.

Coach Henzes and his staff planned to use players on either offense or defense, but the coaches prepared a number of them for two-way assignments in case help might be needed due to an injury to a key player.

According to Valvano’s book, Henzes said, “The players are very enthused about playing and I’m very enthused about coaching. The kids have come well-prepared, which is a credit to their coaches.”

Riverside coach Bernie Lazevnick, who was directing the opposing County team, followed the same general practice pattern he used for his own team.

According to Valvano, Lazevnick did emphasize that the basic difference from normal pre-season workouts is that there is more teaching involved when preparing players for an all-star game.

In what would be Lazevnick’s only appearance coaching a Dream Game, the County rallied in the fourth quarter, scoring a pair of touchdowns to earn a 14-12 win over Henzes’ City team.

Riverside’s Paul Jesuit, normally a split end under Lazevnick, was pressed into duty as the County’s quarterback and threw key passes in both fourth quarter touchdown drives. He completed six of 15 passes for 58 yards.

Paul Papi of Old Forge ran for both County touchdowns, the second on a seven-yard run with 37 seconds left in the game. Ray O’Kon booted the two extra points for the County.

Henzes, who played in the Dream Game as a player for the Blakely Bears, won three of his next four Dream Games as City coach.

The 1976 Dream Game had been under scrutiny due to declining attendance, a battle with rain, and a couple postponed.

The 14-12 County win over the City drew 7,067 to Scranton’s Memorial Stadium. The County’s dramatic finish kept the lore of the game alive for years to come.

A pair of Dunmore players scored the touchdowns for the City.

Dunmore’s Bob Mesko scored the first touchdown for the City on a 10-yard run and Dunmore teammate Cory Meade added a two-yard tally in the third quarter.

Old Forge’s Papi scored a touchdown on a four-yard run in the fourth quarter. O’Kon then kicked the extra point.

With less than three minutes left in the game, Paul Kern recovered a fumble for the County.

Papi then scored his second touchdown on a seven-yard burst and O’Kon made his second extra point kick.

The County defeated the City, 12-0, in the inaugural Dream Game Dec. 7, 1935 at Athletic Park.

The City earned its first Dream Game win over the County, 6-0, Dec, 5, 1936 on a frigid afternoon before only 2,000 fans at Athletic Park. Dunmore’s Jim Gatto coached the City to the win over the County’s Fiore Cesare of Scranton Tech.

Scranton Tech’s Bill Bradshaw scored the game’s only touchdown on a pass from teammate Paul Amato who had snared a lateral from Saint Paul’s Gene Moran.