HS BASKETBALL: Seniors set to shine in LIAA girls and boys all-star games
Mar. 25—Seniors who were a big part of the exciting high school basketball season get a chance to show off their skills one more time.
For the second straight year, the Lackawanna Interscholastic Athletic Association will sponsor the all-star game for graduating players at Scranton High School on Monday night. The doubleheader, organized by Scranton athletic director Ted Anderson, and Forest City athletic director Brian Durkin, starts with the girls game at 6 p.m. and the boys game to follow at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students.
In the girls game, the Red Team, which will feature three players from PIAA Class 3A champion Dunmore, will be coached by the Lady Bucks' leader Carrie Toomey. The Blue Team coach is Montrose's Todd Smith, who led his team to the PIAA Class 2A semifinals.
Valley View coach Mike Kurpis will guide the Red Team, and Forest City coach John Duffy will be in charge of the Blue Team in the boys game.
Players selected for the Red Team include Dunmore's Ciera Toomey, Cadie Lewis and Ana Pacewicz.
Abington Heights' Caroline Murray and Lauryn Notari, Valley View's Molly Murphy, Mid Valley's Grace Goetz and Abbie Larson, Holy Cross' Guiliana Mazza, Susquehanna's Lexi Iveson, Elk Lake's Delaney Curley, and Mountain View's Taylor Neri, who helped the Lady Eagles reach the PIAA Class 1A semifinals, are also members of the Red Team all-stars.
The Blue Team counters with a pair of players who helped Scranton Prep to the PIAA Class 4A semifinals in Rita Collins and Gianna Cafarella.
They will be joined by Montrose's Mia Snyder, a 1,000-point scorer, and Hayley Pompey, who helped their team reach the PIAA Class 2A semifinals.
Grace Steffen and Avion Rosenthal of Wallenpaupack, Lanee Olson and Zaliyah Small of Scranton, Sam Polishan of North Pocono, Skylar Long of Western Wayne, Bella Nee and Lauryn Oliveri of Old Forge, and Hayley Hermann of Forest City are also members of the Blue Team.
In the boys game, Kurpis has another chance to coach four of his graduating players who helped the Cougars win the Lackawanna Division I championship.
Eli Yusavage, AJ Kucharski, Taheed Jewell and
LV Pegula headline the Red team all-stars.
North Pocono, which won the Lackawanna Division II title, is represented by AJ Nemitz and Chris Walsh. Honesdale also has a pair of players, Karter Kromko and Nathan Hugaboom, and Scranton has Dillon Lazdowsky and Kole Conforti on the Red Team.
West Scranton's Tristan Lee, Scranton Prep's James Pettinato, Abington Heights' Patrick Walsh, and Delaware Valley's Jake Brower round out the Red Team roster.
Holy Cross seniors Hayden Hosie, Gabe Gonzales, and Logan Tierney, who helped the Crusaders reach the PIAA Class 2A semifinals, are members of the Blue Team all-stars.
Duffy will coach Dylan Bezek and DJ Heath, who led his Foresters to two straight District 2 Class 1A championships. Lakeland is also represented by two selections in Tony Hazelton and Joey Dunstone, while Old Forge is represented by Joey Macciocco and Tyler Pepsin on the roster.
Mid Valley senior Danny Nemitz, who became Mid Valley's all-time leading scorer, Riverside's Frankie Antoniacci, Dunmore's Nico Ruggiero, and Elk Lake's Wyatt Casselbury are also members of the Blue Team.
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jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125;
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