THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2024 • Volume 44 – No. 18 (USPS 277440) ©2024, THE JOURNAL-HERALD. All Rights Reserved
CONTINUING: THE WHITE HAVEN JOURNAL ESTABLISHED 1879–146th YEAR, NO. 5
CONTINUING: THE WEATHERLY HERALD ESTABLISHED 1880–145th YEAR, NO. 31
Photos and story courtesy Jill Rosenstock
The White Haven Area Community Library recently hosted a delightful Literary Celebration of Christmas event. The afternoon featured acclaimed actor Steven Reiss, who captivated the audience with dramatic readings of classic Christmas stories.
These included humorous tales like Auntie Claus, whimsical journeys such as The Polar Express, and heartwarming
See WHACL, page 7
by Suzanne Winters
Penn Lake Borough Council met for a work session and its monthly meeting December 19. Topics for the meeting were discussed at the work session, and there was discussion concerning the pass down information from outgoing council president Paul Rogan. This was his last meeting.
Penn Lake residents Dan George and Tim Lenahan stood to thank Rogan for his years of
dedication and leadership to the community, as well as his work on the dam project.
Penn Lake resident and Dam Advisory Group member Lisa Stuart was accepted to fill the vacancy left by Rogan’s resignation.
The owner of Prestige Disposal was present to stand behind his bid for trash collection. Rogan asked him about recycling and whether or not the items actually get recycled, which was also a
topic of discussion at the work session. He explained that there is little market for recycling, and his company loses $10,000 per contract per year on recycling. He explained that not much gets recycled using single stream, as loads are easily contaminated by food products left on the collected items. More is recycled using dual stream, but it costs more.
After discussion and a failed motion by Councilwoman Sue George to opt for trash only pick
up, which would have saved $40,000 by accepting Casella’s bid for trash and no recycling, the Council voted to accept Prestige’s bid for both trash and recycling. The Prestige bid for both was lower than Casella’s for the same service. The contract still offers one bulk item pickup per month, with trash and
See PENN LAKE, page 5
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(JAY E. HOLDER, Co-Publisher 1954-1997; CLARA HOLDER, Co-Publisher 1954-2014)
Seth Isenberg, Advertising Sales
Ruth Isenberg, Editor
Steve Stallone, Sports Editor
Member, Greater White Haven Chamber of Commerce Carbon County Chamber of Commerce
Pocono Mountains Chamber of Commerce © Copyright 2024, The Journal-Herald
by Ruth Isenberg
It is easier than ever to revisit the past. If you use Facebook, or save your photos online, you get regular reminders of what happened two years ago, or five years ago, or even longer.
This week, a post on the White Haven Community Page on Facebook reminded us of an event that had a major impact on the town, the Main Street fire of December 23, 1987. The White Haven Volunteer Fire Company, along with fire companies from around the area, fought a devestating blaze that eventually resulted in a levelling of the 400 block of Main Street. The arson destroyed businesses that had been part of the community for generations, but fortunately no lives were lost.
The most interesting part of the post is the comments. Some people didn’t know about the fire it happened before they were born, or before they moved to the area. But the comments from the people who lived through it were notable because of their focus gratitude. They were thankful for the fire companies who fought the fire. They were grateful for the response of the community to those who were made homeless. Looking back, it was gratitude that came to the fore.
It’s a lesson for starting the New Year. We know that there will be bad things happening in 2025. There always are, we just don’t always know ahead of time what they will be. We need to summon courage and resilience when they happen.
If we look to the examples of the past, we can rest assured that our communites will step forward with help and support for those who need it, whether here at home or around the world. It’s happened before; it will happen again.
Gratitude is a good attitude to take into 2025. No matter what problems we face, as individuals or as communities, we have much to be thankful for. In the face of inevitable changes, may we be able to project our thoughts into the future, and summon up some of the gratitude we will surely feel then to make our todays better.
The Board of Directors of the Weatherly Area School District, at their Regular Meeting on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, approved the below meeting schedule for 2025.
Caucus Meetinqs
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Reqular Meetings
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Wednesday, February 12 2025
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Wednesday August 13, 2025
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
The Weatherly Area School District Board of Directors Reorganization Meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Middle School LGI Room.
All Caucus and Regular Monthly Meetings will be held in the Middle School LGI Room at 6:00 p.m. The Board may take official action at any of the above scheduled meetings on any matter of business properly presented to lt.
Edward Rarick
Business Manager
Weatherly Area School District
From The Journal-Herald December 24, 1993
Jay & Clara Holder, Co-Publishers
East Side Borough received a $22,900 grant to develop a comprehensive plan and amend it zoning and subdivision and land development ordinances.
Kidder Township cut the salaries of supervisors by 20%, as well as the salaries of the sewage enforcement officer, zoning officer, and assistant zoning officer, in order to balance the budget. The contracts for the police chief and assistant chief were extended, as negotiations had stalled and the police contract was headed to arbitration.
The White Haven Area Senior Citizens enjoyed a festive Christmas party that included a drama, The Bell That Couldn’t Ring, and a delicious dinner
served by the Ugly Mug, as well as door prizes donated by local businesses.
A feature story with photos detailed the work Sandy Valley Horse Farm was doing to provide theerapeutic riding opportunities for handicapped children and adults.
Phil Engman wrote about “a new age of Crestwood Coment basketball” being underway under two new head coaches Tim Grazio for the boys’ team, and Karen Bove for the girls’ team. Both teams were preparing for holiday tournaments.
A Lake Harmony Business Association was forming again, with 18 people attending a meeting at the Mountain Laurel Resort. Organizers included Judy and Paul Fera, Edward Keck, Jeanette Keiper and Paul Davidson.
The White Haven Borough Planning Commission will hold a meeting on January 2, 2024, at 6 pm at the White Haven Borough offices at 312 Main Street, White Haven PA.
The meeting will be to review the application submitted by Aqua PA for their project titled White Haven Treatment Well PFAS Remediation located in the borough. This project will include the construction of a new treatment building that will augment the existing treatment facilities at the site.
12/26
NOTICE OF TRUST ADMINISTRATION
NOTICE is hereby given of the administration of THE MARY E. GALLAGHER REVOCABLE TRUST, dated September 16, 1991. Mary E. Gallagher, settlor of the trust, late of the Township of Butler, County of Luzerne, and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, died on June 24, 2024.
Ann Gallagher and Susan Stefanick, Trustees, request all persons having claims or demands against the Trust to make known the same, and all persons indebted to the Decedent to make payments without delay to the Trustees, c/o Stacey F. Acri, Esquire, Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak, 273 E. Northampton St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702. 12/26
The Dennison Township Board of Supervisors will hold their reorganization meeting on Monday, January 6, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. in the Dennison Township Municipal Building at 76 Walnut Street, White Haven, PA. The regular monthly meeting will be held immediately following the reorganization meeting.
Kathleen Stortz, Secretary
The Dennison Township Auditors will hold their reorganization meeting on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. in the Dennison Township Municipal Building at 76 Walnut Street, White Haven, PA.
Kathleen Stortz, Secretary
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Letters of Administration have been granted by the Register of Wills of Luzerne County, PA, on September 18, 2024, in the Estate of Esteban Jimenez, late of Freeland Borough, who died March 23, 2024, to Sandra Jimenez, Administratrix.
All persons indebted to said Estate are requested to make payment and those having claims to present them immediately to:
LAW
James V. Senape, Jr., Esquire
Catherine A. McGovern, Esquire
Michael B. Senape, Esquire 612-614 Main Street, P. O. Box 179 Freeland PA 18224-0179 570-636-3133 12/26
Penn Lake Park Borough Zoning Hearing Board will hold a public hearing January 13, 2025, 6:00 pm at Penn Lake Borough Community Building, 1744 Lakeview Drive, Penn Lake, White Haven, PA 18661 to consider application by Kevin and Karen DiPipi for 1327 Lakeview Drive, White Haven, PA 18661 (R-1 Zoning District) for dimensional variances and variance approval approval for construction of an accessory structure (carport) as the principal use on the lot across from the Owner/ Applicant’s home. The application is available to the public by contacting Barry Jacob, Zoning Officer (570-899-7149).
Mark P. McNealis Esq., Solicitor for Zoning Hearing Board 1/2
ESTATE of DURELL SEIP, deceased, late of the Borough of Palmerton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania.
LETTERS TESTAMENTARY have been granted to the undersigned who requests all persons having claims or demands against the estate of said decedent to make know the same and all persons indebted to the decedent to make payments, without delay, to the Executrix: Donna Trimmel 144 West Columbus Avenue Nesquehoning, PA. 18240 or to her Attorney:
Robert T. Yurchak, Esquire 1 East Catawissa Street; POB 127 Nesquehoning, PA 18240 12/26
Notice is hereby given that the 2025 Budget for Dennison Township was adopted at the Dennison Township Board of Supervisors meeting held on December 4, 2025.
Kathleen Stortz, Secretary
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the East Side Borough Planning Commission will meet on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 6:30 P.M. at the White Haven Public Library, 121 Towanda Street, White Haven, Pa for the following purposes:
1. To reorganize the members of the Planning Commission.
2. Review the preliminary/final major subdivision plan - lands of Hollrigl, Kemmerer, Mrozinski and Fisher.
Plans for the proposed preliminary/final major subdivision plan are available for inspection by appointment only by calling the Borough Secretary, Carol Lenahan at 570-443-7011.
East Side Borough Planning Commission
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that Letters Testamentary have been granted to Tina Biasi, of Hazle Twp., Pennsylvania, in the Estate of Carole Ann Palermo a/k/a Carole Palermo, late of Hazle Twp., Pennsylvania, who died on September 24, 2024. All persons indebted to said Estate are requested to make payment and those having claims or demands to present the same without delay to the Executor named or to: Alexis C. Falvello, Esquire THE FALVELLO LAW FIRM, P.C. 641 State Route 93 Sugarloaf, PA 18249 1/2
Notice is hereby given that pursuant to Act 24 of 2024 amending the Second Class Township Code to adjust supervisors compensation, the Dennison Township Board of Supervisors will consider adoption of the following ordinance at their regular monthly meeting scheduled for January 6, 2024 immediately following their reorganization meeting.
WHEREAS, the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has enacted Act 94 of 2024, which sets forth parameters for the compensation of supervisors of townships of the second class, and; WHEREAS, the act provides that supervisors of townships having a population of not more than 4,999 may be compensated in an amount not to exceed $3,145.00 per year, and; WHEREAS, the population of Dennison Township is 992. Now, therefore it is hereby enacted and ordained as follows:
Each supervisor of Dennison Township entering office after the effective date of this ordinance shall receive compensation as an elected township supervisor in the annual amount of $3,145.00
Such compensation shall be paid in monthly installments of $262.08.
Rosalie R. Simko, 86, of White Haven, passed away on Friday afternoon, December 20, 2024. Born in Hazleton, she was the daughter of the late Charles and Rose Zurinski Skollar and was a graduate of White Haven High School. Rosalie worked as a waitress and secretary, most of her life, but most recently worked at the PA Visitor Center on the PA Turnpike. She was an active member of St. Patrick’s Church, helping at the food pantry and volunteering where needed. She loved spending time with family, baking and making her famous homemade pierogies. Rosalie was a great cook and baker, making 30 pumpkin pies every year for family and friends at Thanksgiving as well as endless hours of Christmas
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cookie making with her beloved sister. She and her husband enjoyed traveling and loved her “grand dogs” and “grand kitties.”
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Paul Simko, this past year, and sister Louise Gower.
Left to cherish her memory is her devoted husband of 67 years, Paul J. Simko; daughters Valerie Noyes, Fallon, Nevada, and Paulette Simko (Laurie) Hilltown, PA; grandchildren, Shanna Radjavitch, Plymouth, PA; Matthew Crofcheck of MD, Troy Simko (Katie) of Mountain Top; greatgrandchildren Alexander Crofcheck and Mason Moser. Blessing service will be conducted on Thursday, December 26, at 5 p.m. from the Lehman Family Funeral Service, Inc., White Haven with a visitation from 4 p.m. until service time.
Visit www. LehmanFuneralHome.com for additional information
George S. Shenosky, Jr. of White Haven, passed away on December 20, 2024, at home.
Born in Hazleton, he was the son of the late George S. and Frances A.
Bogdziewicz Shenosky. He was a graduate of Hazleton High School. He was a car enthusiast; worked as an automotive mechanic and
restorer, and played in a band for 40 years.
Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Ann Marie Shenosky; stepsons, Raymond Sipler and his wife Dawn of Berwick, and Darren K. Sipler of Hazleton; granddaughter Allie Sipler; and cousins.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Lehman Family Funeral Service, White Haven. Private services will be held at the convenience of the family with interment in St. Casimir’s Cemetery, Freeland.
ERIC F. AIGELDINGER
Eric F. Aigeldinger, 72, of Mountain Top, passed away December 20, 2024, at the Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Plains Twp.
He was born in Wilkes-Barre on Sept. 14, 1952, the son of the late Francis (Bud) and Ethel French Aigeldinger.
He was a graduate of Crestwood High School and received an associate degree from Penn State University.
Eric served as a police officer for the Fairview Twp. Police Department for 31 years and then served with the Luzerne County Sheriff’s Department for 15 years, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Deputy, until his retirement.
He served with the Crestwood School District Board of Education for 30 years. He was a very active member of
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the Mountain Top Historical Society. He served as a board member for both the Mountain Top Hose Company No. 1 and the Mountain Top Area Association Ambulance. Of his many hobbies, Eric was most proud of his winning a championship racing cars in 1981 at the New Evergreen Speedway, St. John’s.
He was preceded in death by his brothers, Jay and Francis Aigeldinger; and his sister-inlaw, Mary Jo Aigeldinger. Surviving is his loving wife of 38 years, the former Kathie Fichtner Aigeldinger; daughters Jillian Aigeldinger and her companion Mike, and Mary Aigeldinger; sons Jared Aigeldinger and his wife Michelle, Bill Aigeldinger, Marc Aigeldinger and his wife Talita, and Aaron Aigeldinger and his companion Lauren; grandchildren Devon, Shelby, Isabella, Gabriella, Myla, Charlotte, Giovanna and Grayson; brothers Tony, John and Marty Aigeldinger; nieces; nephews; stepmother Mary Ann Aigeldinger; former wife Pam Aigeldinger.
A celebration of Eric’s life will be held on Saturday, Dec. 28, at the George A. Strish Inc. Funeral Home, 105 N. Main St., Ashley. Memorial calling hours will be on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m.
Continued from page 1
recycling pick up remaining on Mondays. The new trash bill for property owners was set at $385.
Correspondence received this month included Rogan’s resignation letter, per Secretary Karen Burden, effective January 2.
A letter of interest for Zoning Hearing Board Solicitor was received from Attorney Jessica Pleskach. Council agreed to offer her the position.
Mayor Tom Carter said a disaster emergency declaration was made after the recent storm, which left the borough without power for four days. The declaration was made in order to get things cleaned up quickly. He thanked the White Haven Fire Department (WHFD) for all their hard work cleaning up downed trees and branches immediately after the storm. Councilman Dan Eustice offered thanks to both the WHFD and Kislan Trucking who also put in many days of work cleaning up trees and debris after the storm. Kislan’s representative at the meeting thanked residents for their patience while they did
the work, sometimes needing to block roads in order to clean things up.
Borough Solicitor Dan Mulhern reported continuing work on dam easements.
Councilman John Burden indicated there are eight Short Term Rental permits approved in the ordinance, all of which have been issued. He mentioned that there is a property in the borough operating without a permit. It is being advertised on Facebook. He will call the solicitor next week with the necessary information so action can be taken.
Rogan gave a dam report which included ongoing work with grant applications and management, dam easements and working with Streamline in preparing documentation for submission to DEP.
He also reported most of the ARPA funds have been expended. Only $1,000 remain.
The 2025 budget was approved. The milage for 2025 remains unchanged from 2024.
A motion to accept Jim Brozena’s proposal for $175/ hour for grant management was accepted.
DGK insurance proposal of $3,925 was accepted. Terrorism coverage was declined.
This year, the Weatherly Area High School’s Kindness Club’s Holiday Fundraiser benefitted Geisinger Pediatrics. Starting in early November and running until December 6, the club, advised by Miss Bobbi Ann Kufro, collected brand new stuffed animals for the patients who visit Geisinger Pediatric locations across NE Pennsylvania. Monetary donations were also collected and stuffed animals were then purchased with that money. The stuffed animals are handed out to children in the hospital, those going for surgery and also those who visit various specialists. They are meant as a show of comfort in an otherwise scary and overwhelming environment.
The club is happy to announce that the donation of 357 stuffed animals and hundreds of dollars worth of toys will find their way in the hands of children in need.
Some members of the WAHS Kindness Club were present for the pickup of the donations from WAHS’s very own Samantha Kennelly Hinkle, who is a Development Specialist for Children’s Miracle Network at Geisinger. Shown from left, first row, are Nicole Schertrumpf, Amanda Whale, Sienna Brown, Kellyanne Kennelly, Madeline Rhodes, and Angelina Ieraci; second row, Samantha Kennelly Hinkle, Miss Bobbi Ann Kufro (club advisor), Alexys Perkins, Liam Savakinus, Aiden Foley, Hayden DiGennaro, Ben Kropp and Rebecca Caldwell.
Aqua Pennsylvania made a $2,000 donation last week to the White Haven Food Pantry. Shown from left are Paul Loftus, White Haven Field Supervisor; Juan Colon, Food Pantry Volunteer; Cathy Salsman, Pantry Administrator; and Dave Hoogstad, NEPA Area Manager.
Kevin Seyer, Principal, has announced the following sixth grade students have achieved Principal’s Honors at Fairview Elementary School for the 1st Quarter of the 2024-2025 school year. The Crestwood School District Elementary Honor Roll (6th Grade) reflects that the student has attained an A in all courses offered.
Inclusive are English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Science.
Honor roll students are Hayden Au, Vienna Deluca, Emily Fritz, Mia Giordano, Olivia Henning, Riley Iracki, Gavin Jones, Ava Radjavitch, Kayla Stec, and Emma Woolbert.
Members of the Forty Fort Lions Club recently presented the Camp Kresge branch of the Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA with a contribution designated to the Blue Sky Outdoor Education program.
The Forty Forty Lions Club has been supporting YMCA Camp Kresge for over 15 years, helping with capital restoration projects and programs that support youth initiatives like Blue Sky. Contributions like these provide outdoor education learning opportunities for school age youth, using the great outdoors as nature’s greatest hands-on classroom. The program is provided freeof-cost to area school districts and includes healthy lunch and snacks for students.
The contribution was presented at the Wilkes-Barre Family YMCA branch of the Greater Wyoming Valley Area Y association on Friday, December 20 and will be used to help children learn, grow, and thrive.
“We are beyond grateful for the continued support from the Forty Fort Lions Club,” said Nick
Pincin, Senior Director at Camp Kresge. “The outdoor experience helps kids engage with learning in new and memorable ways. We would not be able to provide these opportunities without the generous support of our partners.”
The Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA is a non-profit, charitable organization turning no one away for inability to pay. The YMCA awards financial assistance to children, adults, and families across our communities allowing them to benefit from membership, child care, summer camp, and wellness programs. As the projected need for financial assistance continues to grow, critical programs are relying now more than ever on the support of our community.
Those who share a passion for youth development may join in supporting this cause by giving online: https://wvymca.org/ donate. To learn how to qualify for financial assistance: (570) 823-2191 or www.wvymca.org.
Continued from page 1
narratives like The Gift of the Magi.
The festive atmosphere was further enhanced by the presence of Santa Claus and his elves, along with the warmth of hot chocolate and homemade cookies. This enchanting event was made possible through the joint collaboration of the WHACL Children’s and Adult Committees.
It’s been a short week, what with trying to get this week’s paper done to go into the Post Office on Christmas Eve so our readers might receive their copies on the usual day. As a result, we haven’t sighted much we’ve been too busy. Also, the days have been the shortest we will sight for a while. The photo at right was taken on our way home on the Winter Solstice…which appears to have this year really been the beginning of winter. Last Friday’s storm, combined with the overnight additional accumulation on Monday, pretty much guaranteed a white Christmas this year.
Deer have been out as usual, and the cardinals and blue jays have been staying close.
Best wishes for a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and healthy New Year to all.
LITERARY CHRISTMAS organizers, from left, Denise Weiss, Karen Spencer, Steven Reiss, Jill Rosenstock, Santa (Bob Lamson) and Augue Ciulla.
Lehigh Gorge Notary
Liz Berger has been providing Tag & Title, DCNR, Boat and Fish Commission, and general Notary services in White Haven for over 30 years. As the local community Notary Public with years of experience, there is no question she can’t answer. Find her at Lehigh Gorge Campground, 4585 State Street in East Side, or under the More tab at: lehighgorgecampground.com 570-443-9191
The Pennsylvania Farm Show, which is the nation’s largest indoor agricultural exposition under one roof, kicks off Saturday, Jan. 4, in Harrisburg. The show will run through Saturday, Jan. 11.
This year’s theme is “Powering Pennsylvania,” which aims to highlight agriculture’s vital economic role. The event will offer visitors a tiny slice of the industry that employs nearly half a million people and contributes $132.5 billion to the Commonwealth’s economy every year.
As always, the show will feature hundreds of
competitions and exhibits, as well as animals and products related to the state’s robust agriculture industry. The annual showcase is a family-friendly event with lots to see and do; and don’t forget to stop by the famous food court for a taste of some Pennsylvania cuisine.
Admission to the show is free, but parking is $15 per vehicle. Shuttle service is provided.
For all the latest news about the Farm Show, follow it on Facebook or visit www. pa.gov/agencies/farmshow/ pa-farm-show.
Members of ALA Unit 360, Weatherly delivered a number of items to Valor Clinic in Jonas. The items included 40 back packs , 30 cans of easy open Dinty Moore stew, personal care items, 102 pairs of socks, hats, gloves and some coats, as well as some afghans, ponchos, shawls, small blankets, and scarves that were made by the Prayer group at St. Matthews Church and were blessed by the minister. 144 decks of cards and 60 snack boxes were donated by Amazon. The unit also presented the Valor Clinic Foundation with a check for $500 for the purchase of turkeys and bacon for the Christmas meals they make and deliver to veterans. Shown from left are Shawn, a guest at Valor, Robert Ferreira, Administration Manager, Georgia Farrow, Unit 360 treasurer and Georgeann Herling, Unit 360 President.
Middle School Principal Anthony DeSpirito has announced the names of the students who were nominated and selected as Weatherly Area Middle School Students of the Month for November. The award is based on academic achievement, attendance, extra-curricular involvement, and service to school and community.
Cloe Kelly, left, daughter of Ashlee Cusatis, Weatherly is the 6th grade student of the month. Cloe is a member of chorus, and the decorating committee. Cloe also volunteers time helping in her church.
MaBella Gerhard, center,
daughter of Brad and Melissa Gerhard, Weatherly is the 7th grade student of the month. MaBella is a band member, chorus member, and part of the decorating committee. MaBella is also active in her youth group, helping with a 5k walk-a-thon and Bible quizzing.
Trinity Spence, right, daughter of Ken and Ann Marie Spence, Weatherly, is the 8th grade student of the month. Trinity is an active member of science club, art club, chorus and band, cheer, and video editing and production. Trinity also is an active member of Faith Church. She is involved in Mega Camp, and fundraising.
by Frank Fear
It’s an annual thing with me— beginning in 2017— picking the teams I think might shock teams from the Power Conferences (Big Ten, Big XII, SEC, ACC, and Big East) during the opening weekend of the NCAA men’s basketball championship. In my screening process, I don’t consider teams that play in what I refer to as the “Upper Mid-Major” conferences. As I see it, those seven conferences include the Atlantic 10, American, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West, West Coast, and Sun Belt. The exclusion is because I’m searching for David to slay Goliath, an outcome that genuinely “shocks the world.” However, with many teams stepping up in competition, more care must be taken when tagging a team with the “David” designation. A good example is Florida Atlantic, a Final Four participant in 2023. But inarguably, David was in the house when Saint Peters knocked off Kentucky in March 2022, and Fairleigh Dickinson was there in March 2023 when the Knights shocked Purdue.
Teams like St. Peters and Fairleigh Dickinson compete in “Lower Mid-Major” conferences (N=19). They are the Atlantic Sun, America East, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Coastal Athletic, Horizon, Ivy, Mid-Atlantic Athletic (MAAC), Mid-Eastern Athletic (MEAC), Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southwest Athletic (SWAC), Southern, Southland, Summit, and Western Athletic. How do things shake out so far this season? I’ve analyzed how lower mid-major teams in those 19 conferences have performed in non-conference play, specifically how they did against Upper Mid-Major and
Major competition. Here’s where my analysis settled (games played through December 18). Drake (Missouri Valley Conference) has triumphed over Miami (FL), Kansas State, Florida Atlantic, and Vanderbilt. The 11-0 Bulldogs have not lost a beat after head coach Darian DeVries and son (star player) Tucker left Des Moines for West Virginia. Ben McCollum has kept it going, led by junior guard Bennett Stirtz, who leads the team in scoring and assists. He is also hitting 50% of his shots from the field. Columbia (Ivy League) beat Villanova. The 10-1 Lions have not played a demanding schedule, but its win over Villanova stands out. Coach Jim Engles relies on a senior player from the Dominican Republic who may have the longest name in major college play: Geronimo Rubio De La Rosa. De La Rosa is a triple threat, averaging nearly 20 points a game with mid-single digits in rebounding, assists, and steals. Could Columbia be the new Princeton? Holy Pete Carril!
University of California, San Diego (Big West), winners over Utah State, LaSalle, Toledo, and James Madison. No Cardinals, Bears, Cougars, or Wildcats are these guys. They are Tritons, a large mollusk in tropical and subtropical areas. (That’s nice but not as creative as UC Santa Cruz’s choice … Banana Slugs.) Led by Western Carolina transfer Tyler McGhie, 11-2 UCSD has balanced scoring with four double-figure starters. Few fans pay attention to Out West basketball, but I encourage you to follow this team.
College of Charleston (Coastal Athletic Conference) has beaten St Joe’s, Florida Atlantic, and the University of South Florida. North Carolina A&T is now part of the Coastal Conference, as are Northeastern, Elon, and Towson. What characteristics bind those teams? The answer is on page 431 of your workbook. But we know about Charleston, a
team that has made basketball headlines. This year, the 8-3 Cougars are led by Croatian Ante Brzovic, a 6’10” senior forward who throws down nearly 20 points a game, complemented by grabbing almost ten rebounds per contest. He’s assisted by combo guards AJ Smith and Deywilk Tavarez, who are double-digit scorers. The head coach is experienced Chris Mack, formerly of Xavier and Louisville fame.
Furman (Southern Conference) won vs. Princeton, Belmont, and Tulane but lost to Kansas by 35. Ouch! With seven players contributing 17 or more minutes a game, balance is the word for these Paladins. If you wonder, Paladins were knights of Charlemagne’s court known for heroism and chivalry. But the interesting thing is that Furman once had different nicknames for different sports teams. The baseball team was known as the Hornets, the football team as the Hurricanes, and the basketball team as the Paladins. (A good business back in the day was printing Furman tee-shirts). Probably out of frustration or the need for consistency, a local sportswriter ended the confusion by using Paladins to describe all of Furman’s athletic endeavors. That was then, and today, the 12-1 basketball Paladins rely on senior guard PJay Smith. Another strength is Bob Richey, the head coach since 2016. Richey has won nearly 70% of the games and has experience winning in the Big Dance, taking down Virginia in 2023.
That’s it for now, my very early edition. I’ll be back around the end of the conference season to see which teams have held up and whether any newcomers make my list. Until then, may all your holiday “s”wishes come true!
North Schuylkill 50, Weatherly Area 33Jackson Sweeney and Nico Capone each scored 10 points, leading North Schuylkill’s balanced attack in a win over Weatherly Area.
Eli Brown topped the Wreckers with 10 points, and Jaxon McKeegan followed with eight.
Seventh Grade
North Schuylkill 44, Weatherly Area 17 - Jayce Sapp poured in 20 points as North Schuylkill pulled away to victory. Brayden Litwhiler added five points for the winners. For the Wreckers, Carter Minnick had nine points and Tyler Nelson finished with six.
Eighth Grade
North Schuylkill 53, Weatherly Area 25 - Payton Gawrylick led all scorers with 14 points and Taylor Houser followed with 12 as North Schuylkill defeated Weatherly Area.
Halena paed the Lady Wreckers with eight points and Mikayla Pugh scored seven.
Seventh Grade
North Schuylkill 29, Weatherly Area 14Penelope Bereskie scored a game-high 12 points and Hailey Sisko tallied eight in North Schuylkill’s win.
For Weatherly Area, Shayna Pugh scored six and Mikayla Pugh chipped in four.
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by Steve Stallone Sports Editor
Penn State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Texas the four home teams for the opening round of the new 12-team College Football Playoff all collected decisive victories over the weekend and are headed to the quarterfinal round.
The sixth-seeded Nittany Lions dispatched ACC runner-up and 11-seed SMU 38-10 at a sold-out Beaver Stadium in Happy Valley, with Northeast PA football standout Dominic DeLuca emerging as the star for Penn State.
The former walk-on linebacker from Wyoming Area High School returned an interception 23 yards for the game’s first score, and added a second interception later in leading the runaway win. Penn State had three picks in all, two that went for touchdowns. James Franklin picked up his 100th win at Penn State.
Seventh-seeded Notre Dame turned back No. 10 Indiana 27-17, No. 5 Texas took down 12-seed Clemson 38-24, and No. 8 Ohio State routed No. 9 Tennessee 42-17 in the other opening-round games.
The quarterfinal matchups are set for New Year’s weekend, and look outstanding on paper. Notre Dame tangles with No. 2 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl,
Texas draws No. 4 Arizona State in the Peach Bowl, and topranked and unbeaten Oregon faces Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.
Penn State (12-2), meanwhile, will take on No. 3 Boise State (12-1), the Mountain West champs, in the Fiesta Bowl, set for New Year’s Eve. The Nittany Lions’ defense will receive a stern test from Boise State, which has the top running back in the nation in Heisman Trophy runner-up Austin Jeanty. He has rushed for 2.497 yards in 13 games, and needs 132 yards to surpass Barry Sanders as college football’s all-time single-season rushing leader.
If Notre Dame and Penn State survive, they would meet in the semifinal round, in the Jan. 9 Orange Bowl. The championship game is scheduled for Jan. 20.
Speaking of national championships, the Penn State women captured the NCAA Division 1 volleyball crown on Sunday with a thrilling four-set victory over Louisville, in front of more than 21,000 screaming fans on the Cardinals’ home court in downtown Louisville no less.
I happened to be turning through the stations Sunday afternoon and was lucky enough to stop on the telecast, catching Louisville’s nine-point rally
in the second set for a 34-32 victory that tied the match at 1 apiece. That back-and-forth second set was an instant classic!
From there, the Nittany Lions put together back-to-back set wins of 25-20 and 25-17, concluding an inspirational run to the title for the players and head coach Katie SchumacherCawley. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in September, but has stayed with the team all season for the program’s eighth national championship.
Schumacher-Cawley played for and was an assistant coach to Russ Rose, Penn State’s legendary coach who led them to the other seven national titles before retiring in 2021. She won the title as a player in 1999.
Afterward, SchumacherCawley downplayed being the first woman coach to win the national title, instead addressing those who inspire her at this point in her life.
“I’m inspired by the young kids that are sick,” she said of the children who she sees dealing with cancer. “If I can be an inspiration, then I take that. But I feel good. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by so many great people.”
Penn State had to rally past Nebraska 3-2 in the semifinal round. Jess Mruzik produced 29 kills in the final, and was named the Most Outstanding Player for the Nittany Lions (32-2).
Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball’s leadoff position in the 1980s and ‘90s, died on Friday at the age of 65.
Sadly, Henderson’s passing marks the third death of a prominent Hall of Famer from the Bay Area this year alone. Former San Francisco Giants stars Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda both passed in June.
Henderson grew up in Oakland, starred at USC and was drafted by his hometown Oakland Athletics, embarking on a 25-year professional
career that featured stops in nine different cities. But it was with the hometown A’s that he quickly made a name for himself.
In his first full season in 1980, he stole 100 bases, topping Ty Cobb’s decades-old American League record. In 1982, he surpassed Lou Brock’s Major League single-season mark of 118 by stealing 130 bases. In 1991, he moved past Brock (939) as baseball’s all-time steals leader, and retired in 2003 at age 44 with 1,406 thefts. In all, he led the league in steals 12 times.
More than just a base stealer, Henderson is also the career leader in runs scored (2,295) and most leadoff home runs (81), ranks second to Barry Bonds with 2,190 walks and is fourth in games played (3,081) and plate appearances (13,346). A 10-time All-Star and 1990 AL MVP, he finished with 3,055 hits, and won championships with the 1989 A’s and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays.
The dates, times and venues have been announced for the Wyoming Valley Conference boys’ and girls’ basketball tournaments, coming up in February.
The girls’ semifinals will be Wednesday, Feb. 12, at Nanticoke Area High School, and the boys’ semifinals will be Feb. 13 at Hazleton Area High School.
The championships will be held at Wilkes-Barre Area High School on Saturday, Feb. 15. The girls’ championship will begin at 2 p.m. and the boys’ championship is set for 4 p.m. The four-team fields include the champions and runners-up from Division 1 and Division 2. In both the girls’ and boys’ tournaments, the Division 1 champion will face the Division 2 runner-up in one semifinal while the Division 2 champ and the Division 1 runner-up will face off in the other semifinal.
Continued from page 10
The Marian Catholic girls’ basketball team, featuring local athlete Deanna Pugh as its sophomore point guard, toppled traditional state power Allentown Central Catholic 49-32 last week at Rockne Hall in Allentown.
The Fillies, who outscored the Vikettes 17-6 in the fourth quarter, had four players in double figures, led by Addy Fritz’s 12 points. Pugh contributed 11 points, including three 3-point baskets.
Marian is off to a 7-1 start this season, and is currently the No. 2 seed in District 11 Class 2A behind only Williams Valley (7-0), and is 4-0 in Schuylkill League Division 2 play, also trailing only Williams Valley (5-0).
Marian and Williams Valley are due to meet for the first of two games on Jan. 7 at Williams Valley. The rematch is Jan. 30 in Hometown.
Weather-wise, it’s the worst time of year: Bitter cold, snow in the air and on the ground, horrible driving conditions.
Yet there’s no time better than this time of year. Gathering with friends and family for the holidays, enjoying food, drink and most importantly, one another...there’s nothing better.
Here’s wishing all of the area athletes, coaches, cheerleaders, fans, and the entire community the Journal-Herald serves a very enjoyable and memorable holiday season, and a happy and healthy 2025!
The Crestwood boys’ wrestling team notched its first win of the season last Tuesday, turning back Wyoming Valley West 54-21 in a Wyoming Valley Conference home matchup.
Individual results from the match were not provided.
The Comets had been getting closer to that elusive first win. After falling to current unbeaten Wallenpaupack (8-0) 51-17 in their season opener, the Comets fell just short against both Hanover Area (39-34) and Wilkes-Barre Area (35-29).
Crestwood will be back in action on Saturday when the Comets will take part in the Bob
Rohm Memorial Tournament at Bloomsburg University. Lake-Lehman will also represent District 2 at the all-day invitational.
The Comets will take part in the Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament Jan. 4 at WilkesBarre Area High School.
Meanwhile the Crestwood girls’ wrestling team will compete in the Tony Iasiello Tournament this Saturday at Bethlehem Catholic High School.
In other high school wrestling news, the PIAA has announced that the Giant Center in Hershey will no longer be hosting
the PIAA Team Wrestling Championships. Instead, the top teams in the state will compete at the Altoona High School Field House.
After preliminary and firstround matches at regional sites on Feb. 4, the remaining teams will shift to Altoona, which will host the Class 2A and 3A quarterfinals Feb. 7, followed by the consolations, semifinals and finals the following day, Feb. 8.
District 2 will be a regional site host, and will take on the District 4 champion in the first round.
The Crestwood boys’ basketball team dropped a pair of tough games to old rivals as Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 play opened last week.
On Thursday, the Comets let an early lead slip away in a 44-39 setback at Pittston Area. Two nights later at home, Hazleton Area held off Crestwood 53-50 in another battle of division heavyweights.
Pittston Area 44, Crestwood 39 The Comets jumped the host Patriots early, pulling out to a 15-8 firstquarter lead.
The Comets, who entered the game 6-2 overall with four wins in their previous five games, couldn’t keep that pace up.
Pittston Area clawed its way back, outscoring Crestwood 36-24 the rest of the way to end its own three-game losing streak and improve to 4-3 (1-0 WVC).
Silvio Giardina, whose driving basket midway through the third quarter gave his team its first lead at 25-24, led the Patriots with 18 points. Paul Jordan McGarry finished with 11. Connor Wagaman topped the Comets with a game-high 21 points, including five of their
six 3-pointers. Ayden Agapito followed with nine points.
CRESTWOOD (39) — Sechleer 0 0-0 0, Feisel 0 1-2 1, Barna 2 0-0 5, Wagaman 8 0-0 21, Scotti 0 0-0 0, Grevera 0 0-0 0, Agapito 4 1-2 9, Edwards 1 1-2 4, Biscotti 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 3-6 39. PITTSTON AREA (44) Giardina 7 1-3 18, Lopresto 2 2-4 6, Walter 3 0-0 7, McGarry 3 2-2 11, Lynn 0 2-4 2, Clarke 0 0-0 0, Jadus 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 7-11 44. Crestwood........... 15 4 11 9 — 39 Pittston Area.........8 9 15 12 — 44 3-pointers: Wagaman 5, Edwards. Giardina 3, McGarry 3, Walter.
Hazleton Area 53, Crestwood 50 Luis Guzman scored the go-ahead points on a drive to the basket with 16 seconds to play, and the visiting Cougars held on for another hard-fought win in this rivalry.
After getting a stop at the other end, the Cougars’ Ryan Staffin then scored at the buzzer to complete the WVC Division 1 victory.
Guzman led the Cougars (5-3, 1-0 WVC) with 14 points, Angel Saladin added 10 and Staffin finished with nine points.
Ryan Sechleer paced Crestwood (6-4, 0-2 WVC) with 12 points, Connor Wagaman followed with 10, and Ayden Agapito and Jacob Feisel each scored eight.
In the junior varsity game,
Domanic Nika scored 20 points in leading Hazleton Area to a 55-51 triumph.
Jack Rodgers had 20 points for the Comet jayvees.
A freshman game was played first as part of a triple-header, with Hazleton Area beginning the day’s sweep with a 58-33 victory. Eddie Macko, Xavier Heck and JJ Lantigua all scored 12 for the winners.
Avery Brace topped the Comet freshmen with seven points.
HAZLETON AREA (53) Ritz 0 0-0 0, Stish 1 2-2 4, Saladin 4 2-2 10, Melenciano 2 0-0 4, Moran 3 0-0 6, Staffin 3 2-2 9, Guzman 5 2-2 14, Perkosky 1 0-0 3, Smith 0 0-0 0, Perez 1 1-1 3. Totals 20 9-9 53. CRESTWOOD (50) Sechleer 3 6-8 12, Feisel 4 0-1 8, Barna 2 1-1 5, Wagaman 3 2-2 10, Rogers 0 0-0 0, Grevera 0 0-2 0, Agapito 3 2-2 8, Edwards 1 4-4 7. Totals 16 15-20 50. Hazleton Area.....17 10 11 15 — 53 Crestwood.......... 12 9 14 15 — 50
3-pointers: Guzman 2, Staffin, Perkosky. Wagaman 2, Edwards.
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ACROSS
1. Le Corbusier’s art
5. *”The Matrix” protagonist
8. Captures 12. Funkiness in the air
13. Vegetative state
14. Capital of Vietnam
15. Fairy tale villain
16. Beware of these in March
17. Spiker and Sponge of “James and the Giant Peach”
18. *Bioengineered humanoid in “Blade Runner”
20. The Beehive State
21. Burn with coffee, e.g.
22. Tire meas.
23. Sea nymph
26. Salad dressing option
30. *Pierre Boulle’s Cornelius
31. Hoity-toity
34. Back arrow key
35. Covered with sphagnum
37. Tiny Tim’s guitar
38. Allegro ____, in music
39. Sign of escape
40. Apprehension
42. Emergency responder, acr.
43. Neuron junction
45. Sleeping sickness vector
47. *Katniss Everdeen’s sister
48. Hammerin’ Hank
50. Tennis “innings”
52. *2010 film starring DiCaprio
56. Meat of coconut
57. Desperate
58. Karl of politics
59. *1979 film starring Sigourney Weaver
60. Fail to mention
61. Bo Peep’s females
62. *”Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep” author
63. Was ahead
64. *Spock’s are pointy
1. Point of entry
2. Side of a ruler, e.g.
3. S or C follower, in business
4. Two-word threat
5. Relating to node
6. Make corrections
7. Kiln for hops
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9. Tolstoy’s Karenina
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13. Droning insect
14. Niger and Nigeria language
19. In an unfriendly manner
22. Parent org.
23. “He named
24. Strong adhesive
25. Pine juice
26. Original thought
27. Garment enlarger
28. *”The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” author
29. Neil Diamond’s “Beautiful ____”
32. *Frank Herbert’s famous novel
33. “I Like ____” 1950s campaign slogan
36. *”Where no man has gone before” TV series
38. “The Tortoise and the Hare”
author
40. “It’s no ____!”
41. Beale of Memphis, e.g.
44. South Korean port
46. Main dish
48. Japanese cartoon art
49. Like thick smoke
50. Solo, pl.
51. Long narrative poem
52. Worshiped one
53. Minnesota’s southern neighbor
54. Last word on radio
55. Famed loch
56. Rogue or rascal
Story & photos by Steve Stallone Sports Editor
Boasting lineups stacked with talent, size and varsity experience, the Hazleton Area and Crestwood girls’ basketball teams are not only frontrunners for Wyoming Valley Conference titles, but for District 2 hardware as well.
With a combined record of 11-1, the two rivals met on Monday night in Hazle Twp. in the first of two scheduled meetings between the area basketball heavyweights.
After Round 1, it is clear that Hazleton Area has emerged as the team to beat in WVC Division 1.
The Lady Cougars used a suffocating defense to force
25 Crestwood turnovers, and displayed their offensive prowess with three doublefigure scorers in handing Crestwood a 73-46 setback that moved Hazleton Area (7-0, 1-0) to the top of the early-season standings.
Hazleton Area got the early jump as Sophia Benyo scored off the opening tap, Alexis Reimold nailed a putback, and Kaitlyn Bindas scored five straight points, building a quick 9-5 lead. That advantage swelled to 14-5 after two Sophia Shults free throws and a Reimold 3-pointer that followed a Shults steal.
The Lady Comets had an answer.
Back-to-back threes from Jackie Gallagher and Charlie Hiller pulled Crestwood back within three. Then, in the
Crestwood’s Charlie Hiller (10) and Hazleton Area’s Sophia Shults sky for the opening tap at Monday night’s Wyoming Valley Conference girls’ basketball showdown at Hughie McGeehan Gymnasium in Hazle Twp. Hazleton Area scored a 73-46 victory.
Crestwood’s Kate Gallagher (22) looks for an open teammate to pass to as Hazleton Area defender Sophia Shults, left, closes in during third-quarter action Monday night. Looking on are Hazleton Area’s Alexis Reimold (31) and the Lady Comets’ Jackie Gallagher (13).
closing seconds of the first quarter, Hiller hit the first of two free throws, and Crestwood corralled the second miss and got it to Kate Gallagher, who swished a basket from the corner to bring the Lady Comets to within two (16-14) at quarter’s end.
Crestwood pulled even at 19-all on Cameron Vieney’s 3-pointer at the 6:10 mark of the second quarter, but never overtook the Lady Cougars, who followed with a 12-3 spurt to seize control again. Reimold’s putback, started the flurry, Benyo scored inside, Bindas drove the lane for backto-back buckets, and Reimold found Shults in the corner for a 3-pointer that made it 31-22, Hazleton Area.
Jackie Gallagher kept the Lady Comets in touch with a pair of free throws and her second triple, but two more Reimold baskets sent the teams to the locker room with Hazleton Area up by eight (35-
27) at halftime.
“I think the first quarter we came to play,” assessed Crestwood head coach Mary Mushock-Namey. “It looked like we were ready, and we were set. And then it was like something just hit us and we forgot about our prep and everything we were going over, and we panicked a little more in the press than we should have. We turned the ball over a lot, and they capitalized on turnovers.
“We said from the beginning we don’t want a track meet, we don’t want to run with them. They can go 10 deep and we can’t, so therefore we actually played into their game and that wasn’t to our advantage.”
The Lady Comets were still within eight points (44-36) midway through the third quarter after a pair of Kendall Petrosky baskets and Hiller’s fast-break score. But Hazleton Area’s full-court pressure and
See CRESTWOOD, page 15
Continued from page 14
superior depth began to weigh on them as the game wore on.
Over the final five minutes of the third quarter, Crestwood missed all six of its shots, and had its other seven possessions end in a turnover. Although the Lady Cougars were unable to completely capitalize, two more baskets from Bindas and Benyo pushed the Hazleton Area lead to double figures at 48-36 heading to the fourth.
There, the Lady Cougars took the game over.
Bindas scored twice on the break, Reimold added a 3-pointer and another driving basket, and Shults pitched in a score and free throw during a 12-5 burst that put the lead at 19 (60-41) and the game out of reach.
Kate Gallagher scored seven of her nine points in the fourth quarter for Crestwood, but the Lady Comets were outscored 25-10 over the final eight minutes as Hazleton Area won going away to take the division lead heading into the new year.
Crestwood’s Jackie Gallagher (13) receives congratulations from her teammates as she returns to the bench for a break during the second half of Monday night’s WVC girls’ basketball game at Hazleton Area High School.
“We were sloppy with the ball, we didn’t make some shots in the beginning, and we were in foul trouble,” noted Lady Cougars’ head coach Joe Gavio. “But the press started wearing them down a little bit. Their legs were starting to go. We were controlling tempo. We’re never going to take the foot off the pedal.”
Bindas led all scorers with 24 points for the Lady Cougars and also sparked the defense with eight steals. Hazleton Area also received 18 points from Reimold and 17 from Benyo. Despite battling foul trouble and eventually fouling out late, Shults made her presence felt nonetheless with eight points, four blocks and four steals.
Hiller paced the Lady Comets (5-2, 1-1 WVC) with 14 points and four steals, Jackie Gallagher had 11 points and nine rebounds, and Kate Gallagher finished with nine points and a team-high 11 boards.
Round 2 is set for Jan. 20 at Crestwood.
“I think it’s going to be easier than people think,” MushockNamey said about her team’s ability to put Monday’s game behind them. The Lady Comets had won five straight, and were coming off a big win at Pittston Area last week when Friday’s scheduled game with Hazleton Area was pushed to Monday due to a winter storm.
“If we played Friday I think it would have been a different game, because we were riding high off a win from Pittston, but being off two days because of the snow, that hurts us. When we have to sit down, we kind of lose it a little bit,” she explained. “But I think we’ll just look past it and get them at home. This is exactly what happened last year. We lost to them here and got them at home. They’ll be fine. We’ll get back at it on Saturday.”
Gavio knows the rematch will be anything but easy. His teams have been ambushed there a number of times, including last season when the Lady Cougars lost at Crestwood but went on to win the District 2 6A crown and reach the second round of states.
“This is a good team. They were 5-1 coming in,” Gavio said of Crestwood. “They’re going to be there. And it will be tough up at their place. There’s always a big crowd, the court’s smaller.
Crestwood girls’ basketball head coach Mary MushockNamey talks to her team during a timeout Monday night at Hazleton Area High School.
We like a bigger court and we like to run a little bit. I don’t know what it is, but sometimes it’s just home court advantage.”
In junior varsity action Monday, Hazleton Area improved to 4-0 with a 56-28 win behind Juliana Silva’s 19 points. Mia Monoski scored 18 to lead Crestwood.
The Lady Comets are back in action Saturday afternoon at home against non-conference opponent Pleasant Valley.
CRESTWOOD (46) — Karpusik 0 0-0 0, Vieney 2 0-2 5, Hiller 5 3-8 14, Petrosky 3 0-0 6, J. Gallagher 2 5-6 11, Andrews 0 1-2 1, Lenio 0 0-0 0, Menoski 0 0-0 0, K. Gallagher 4 1-2 9, Sklarosky 0 0-0 0, Stofko 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 10-20 46.
HAZLETON AREA (73) — Marolo 1 0-0 3, Benyo 8 1-2 17, Eberts 0 0-0 0, Bindas 10 3-5 24, Williams 0 1-2 1, E. Shults 1 0-0 2, Lagowy 0 0-0 0, Reimold 8 0-0 18, S. Shults 2 3-4 8, Silva 0 0-0 0. Totals: 30 8-13 73.
Crestwood.......... 14 13 9 10 — 46
Hazleton Area.....16 19 13 25 — 73
3-pointers: J. Gallagher 2, Vieney, Hiller. Reimold 2, S. Shults, Bindas, Marolo.
Crestwood 55, Pittston Area 42 — Charlie Hiller scored 17 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out three assists last Wednesday night as the Lady Comets
opened WVC Division 1 play by handing visiting Pittston Area its first loss of the season.
Crestwood used a 20-3 surge during the middle quarters to turn a three-point deficit into an 18-point lead (39-21) midway through the third period. The Patriots never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way.
Kendall Petrosky finished with 13 points, Jackie Gallagher contributed 12 points, four assists and two blocks, and Kate Gallagher yanked eight rebounds for the winners.
Daniella Ranieli scored 17 of her game-high 22 points in the second half for the Patriots (6-1, 0-1). Maddie Karp added 15 points.
PITTSTON AREA (42) — Ranieli 7 5-6 22, Long 1 0-0 2, Karp 5 3-4 15, Hintze 0 0-0 0, Callahan 0
The Weatherly Area Wreckers are heading to the new year with a new confidence. And why shouldn’t they?
The Wreckers have won four of their last five basketball games punctuated by last week’s 61-60 road victory at Lourdes Regional. They have already doubled their win total from all of last season, and they will carry a 4-3 overall record into the 2025 portion of their schedule.
The recipe for the Wreckers’ success thus far includes strong defense and a balanced offense where three, four or even five starters are in double figures in scoring. The team’s most recent win followed that same path.
Point guard Ian McKeegan led four Weatherly starters in double digits with a game-high 22 points, while Corbin Wagner (13), Niko Saldukas (11) and John Donish (11) joined them in doubles.
Lourdes led 15-13 after one quarter before McKeegan and the Wreckers started heating up. McKeegan scored 14 points during Weatherly’s 24-13 second-quarter burst, sending the Wreckers to the locker room up 37-28.
The Wreckers still led by seven (49-42) heading to the fourth, then held off the Red Raiders’ late push to come home with a one-point victory.
The game was ultimately
Down to five players at tip-off, the Weatherly Area girls couldn’t match Shenandoah Valley’s depth or firepower when the two Schuylkill League Division 2 rivals met last Tuesday in Shenandoah.
The Lady Devils opened up an 18-3 lead after one quarter and increased it to 32-4 by intermission en route to a 51-11 victory.
Gianna Donovan scored all 14 of her points in the opening half including four 3-pointers and Morgan Labosky scored 10 of her 14 in the second half to lead the charge for Shenandoah Valley.
Kelly Reiner paced the Lady Wreckers with eight points, including a 6-for-7 effort at the free throw line.
Also last week the Lady Wreckers had home games against Lincoln Leadership and Lourdes Regional postponed. The Lincoln Leadership has been moved to the end of the schedule, Feb. 10. No new date has been set for the game at Lourdes.
Weatherly Area is officially off until the new year. The Lady Wreckers will have a regularscheduled road game at Lincoln Leadership on Jan. 4.
WEATHERLY AREA (11) Marasco 1 0-0 2, Russell 0 0-0 0, Rhodes 0 0-0 0, Reiner 1 6-7 8, Snyder 0 1-2 1. Totals: 2 7-9 11. SHENANDOAH VALLEY (51) Britta-
ny Tufts 4 0-2 9, Brianna Tufts 2 2-2 6, Donovan 5 0-0 14, Argueta 1 0-0 2, Sarguero 0 0-0 0, Monaghan 2 0-0 4, Ferguson 0 0-0 0, Labosky 6 2-2 14, Chagolla 1 0-0 2. Totals: 21 4-6 51.
Weatherly Area........3 1 3 4 11
Shenandoah Vy......18 14 8 11 51
3-pointers: Donovan 4, Brittany Tufts.
decided at the free throw line, where the Wreckers outscored the Red Raiders 17-3.
With the win, Weatherly moves to 3-2 in Schuylkill League Division 2 play, one game behind first-place TriValley (4-1) and Nativity (4-1).
Lourdes (0-5 Division 2) placed three players in double figures, led by G. Renn with 17. B. Rischel scored 16 and B. Schichitano followed with 15.
In the junior varsity contest, Lourdes notched a 27-19 win behind L. Williams’ 15 points.
Brandon Davis paced the Wrecker jayvees with seven points.
The Wreckers are now off until after the new year, returning to the court Jan. 4 at Lincoln Leadership Academy (7-2). Their next home game is Jan. 6 with Tri-Valley (5-1 overall).
WEATHERLY AREA (61) Adler 1 0-0 2, McKeegan 5 10-14 22, Stauffer 1 0-0 2, Saldukas 5 0-2 11, Donish 5 1-5 11, Wagner 3 6-7 13. Totals: 20 17-28 61. LOURDES REGIONAL (60) Scichitano 7 0-0 15, Moore 2 0-0 5, B. Rischel 8 0-5 16, G. Renn 7 0-0 17, J. Rischel 1 1-2 3, Shegonoski 0 0-0 0, Barnoski 0 0-0 , Sanari 0 0-0 0, Williams 1 2-2
Weatherly Area’s scheduled non-conference game at unbeaten Bethlehem Christian (7-0) last Friday was postponed due to the weather. No new date has been announced.
Thursday, Dec. 26
Boys Basketball
Crestwood at CYC McGrane Tournament
Friday, Dec. 27
Boys Basketball
Crestwood at CYC McGrane Tournament
Saturday, Dec. 28
Girls Basketball
Pleasant Valley at Crestwood
Boys Wrestling
Crestwood at Rohm Memorial Tournament, Bloomsburg University
Girls Wrestling
Crestwood at Iasiello Tournament, Bethlehem Catholic H.S.
Monday, Dec. 30
Girls Basketball
Nanticoke Area at Crestwood
Friday, Jan. 3
Girls Basketball
Dallas at Crestwood
Boys Basketball
Crestwood at Dallas
Saturday, Jan. 4
Boys Wrestling
Crestwood at Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament, at Wilkes-Barre Area H.S.
Boys Basketball
Weatherly Area at Lincoln Leadership Academy
Girls Basketball
Weatherly Area at Lincoln Leadership Academy
