Honesdale's Jon Gillow notches the first win of his varsity coaching career
HONESDALE — It may have taken a bit longer than expected, but Honesdale's newest varsity skipper finally has something to celebrate.
On Wednesday night, Coach Jon Gillow's Hornets battled longtime local rival Western Wayne in the consolation contest of the 62nd Annual Jaycees Holiday Basketball Tournament.
The game was played before hundreds of fans at a raucous Red Palace … fans who were primed to witness a bit of hoops history.
Number One
Gillow's rookie campaign as head coach of the varsity boys was off to a rough start as Honesdale had opened the 2022-23 season with six straight losses.
The latest of those came Monday in the Jaycees Tournament semifinals to East Stroudsburg South. Less than 48 hours later, though, the Hornets had a chance to stop the losing streak and that's exactly what they did.
Led by All-Tournament selection Nate Hugaboom, Honesdale jetted out to an early 15-6 lead over the Wildcats. The Red & Black extended that advantage to 31-17 at halftime, then put the game out of reach with a 23-10 third quarter run.
Eight minutes later, Gillow had that milestone victory by a score of 62-30.
“It feels great!” Jon exclaimed. “It's a huge weight off my shoulders. I'm extremely excited for the boys and I can't wait to see where this momentum might take us.”
Honesdale officially tips-off its Lackawanna League schedule Tuesday evening on the road at Western Wayne. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. at the venerable Varden Garden.
Semifinal Setback
The Hornets hit the hardwood Monday night for their semifinal Jaycees Tournament clash with East Stroudsburg South.
Unfortunately for local fans, the Cavaliers used a well-balanced offensive attack to put Honesdale in a deep early hole.
Senior forward Logan Santos and sophomore guard Jaen Chatman proved to be a deadly 1-2 punch. Santos rained down jumpers from the perimeter while Chatman did the majority of his damage slashing to the basket and in transition.
As a result, ESS opened up a 15-5 lead after one quarter, then took a 33-18 margin into the lockerroom at halftime. The Hornets did play better after the break, but by then the damage was done and the Cavs coasted to a 64-47 victory.
Hugaboom led the way for Honesdale with 13 points including three treys. He was aided and abetted by teammates Nate Greene (13 pts) and Joey Taraschuk (11 pts).
“I'm definitely proud of the way the boys came out and played,” Coach Gillow said. “I like the defensive intensity I saw, the way we boxed out and how we limited their points in transition.”
Breaking Through
Honesdale showed its mettle and resilience on Wednesday night with a solid all-around effort against Western Wayne.
The Wildcats were coming off a lopsided loss to Paupack on Monday and looking for their third win of the young season.
This game was never in doubt, though, as the Red & Black built an early advantage and never looked back en route to a 62-30 triumph.
Hugaboom and Taraschuk provided a first quarter spark, each tallying five points. Nate reached double digits by halftime as the Hornets outscored the 'Cats 16-11 in the second.
The duo continued rattling the rims in the third period, leading Honesdale to a 23-point outburst and an insurmountable 54-27 advantage.
Hugaboom finished his night with a game-high 18 points on the strength of four field goals, two treys and a perfect 4-for-4 stint at the free throw line. For his efforts, Nate was named to the All-Tourney Team.
“I can't say enough about Nate,” Coach Gillow said. “He's completely bought into what we're preaching.
“Nate was pretty much just a perimeter shooter last year, but he's so much more than that now. He's passing better, taking the ball to the basket and really playing awesome defense. I couldn't be happier for Nate.”
Taraschuk closed out his evening with 13 points, while Karter Kromko netted seven. Peter Modrovsky and Trent Gombita each contributed six to the Red & Black cause.
Western Wayne was paced by junior forward Cayden Rose who wound up with 10 points. Senior guard Dustin Ferraro was chosen for the All-Tourney Team after tallying five and playing stalwart defense.
Looking Ahead
Weather permitting, Honesdale's Lackawanna League schedule begins in earnest next week.
After Tuesday's road trip to Western Wayne, the Hornets travel to North Pocono on Friday. The Red & Black return home to host Delaware Valley (Jan.10), then visit the shores of The Big Lake for a battle with archrival Paupack (Jan. 13).
Now that Coach Gillow has that elusive first win under his belt, the young skipper is hoping to build on Wednesday's Jaycees Tournament victory.
“Two things I'd really like to see moving forward are for us to take care of the basketball and be a little bit more patient on offense,” he said. “If these kids keep playing our brand of hard-nosed defense and we limit the turnovers, I think we can play with anyone in our division.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Honesdale Boys Basketball Jaycees Tournament Jon Gillow First Win
