Kyle Guarino will leave behind a lasting legacy at Western Wayne High School

VARDEN — As anyone who follows Western Wayne high school sports can attest, Kyle Guarino has become a household name over the course of the past few years.

Guarino piled up the awards and accolades in helping lead the Wildcats to four straight football playoff appearances. He’s also been utterly dependable for a boys basketball team that’s fought hard to emerge from the shadows of a particularly dark period in program history.

An extremely well-rounded young man, Guarino boasts an affable nature and singular blue collar work ethic. In addition to athletics, he’s also an Honor Roll student who’s deeply involved in both the Future Business Leaders of America and the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America.

“Kyle is relentless, tough and physical on the field,” said football coach Randy Wolff. “Off the field, he is the most kind, thoughtful and enjoyable person you could be around. Kyle was a true pleasure to coach.”

As we approach the waning days of his varsity career, it seems like the perfect time to highlight Kyle Guarino and the undeniably positive impact he’s had on his school and his community.

This is his story.

Hardwood Heroics

Western Wayne’s boys varsity basketball program has experienced more than its fair share of struggles recently.

Last winter under the direction of Coach Adam Holtzer, the Wildcats finished with a disappointing 0-22 record. This marked a second straight winless season and led to a changing of the guard.

Holtzer was replaced as head coach by former Pocono Mountain East and East Stroudsburg University star Lamont Tillery. It’s a move that’s quickly paid dividends as the Wildcats have already notched a pair of victories this winter.

Not surprisingly, Guarino’s leadership on and off the court is a major factor in Western Wayne’s turnaround. To date, he’s scored 16 points on the strength of seven field goals and two free throws.

More importantly, though, Guarino provides toughness and an intimidating physical presence in the paint at both ends of the floor. He also sets an excellent example for his teammates with hustle and unselfishness.

“Kyle is a great player to work with,” Coach Tillery said. “He’s full of energy and willing to put his body on the line for his team.

“Even though Kyle didn’t have a great experience last year, he came out this year wanting to lead vocally and by example. Each and every day, Kyle’s shell is breaking. He’s enjoying the game and himself.”

For his part, Guarino is thrilled to be a part of this brand new era of Wildcat hoops.

“Coach Lamont has changed the culture of Western Wayne basketball for the better,” Kyle said. “We have bought in as a team to what he is teaching and we’ve improved a lot from the past couple of years.”

From an individual standpoint, Guarino believes his offensive game in particular is benefiting greatly from Tillery’s tutelage.

“Our new coach he has changed the way I play and see the game of basketball,” Kyle said. “At the beginning of the season, all I could do was drop step and lay it up. Now, I’m able to play inside and outside at the guard spot. He has truly evolved my game.“

With Coach Tillery at the helm and the tireless dedication of young men like Guarino, Western Wayne’s hoops program finally appears to be headed in the right direction … the same direction the football team has been traveling for quite some time now.

Gridiron Stardom

Guarino played a key role in Western Wayne’s run of success on the gridiron these past few years.

He was that rarest of elite performers: A two-way varsity starter for four straight seasons under Coach Wolff.

Kyle anchored both the offensive and defensive lines for the Wildcats, earning both praise and accolades for his hard-nosed physical style of play. In fact, he was voted First Team All-Conference on both sides of the ball as a senior.

“Kyle was a huge contributor to all the success we’ve enjoyed the past four years,” said longtime assistant coach Shane Grodack. “Kyle was what we call the tip of the spear, doing all the hard work in the trenches so that our running backs could make big plays.”

Grodack is a Western Wayne alum who went on to semipro success with the Scranton Eagles. Shane played with Kyle’s Dad during his high school days and sees a strong resemblance between father and son.

“His Dad was tough as nails and Kyle is a chip off the old block,” Shane said. “Just like his Dad, Kyle puts a capital T on the word toughness.”

Guarino dazzled defensively this fall, racking up 45 solo tackles six of which were behind the line. However, the highlight of Kyle’s entire season came in a Week Six LFC battle with West Scranton.

Western Wayne had already built a solid lead by halftime, but midway through the third quarter, Guarino made a play that sealed the deal.

West Scranton quarterback Caiden Berardi took the snap and dropped back to pass as his line tried to set up a screen. Guarino had done his homework, though, and immediately diagnosed the play.

Kyle slid to the middle of the field and picked off Berardi’s pass. He then turned a great play into an unforgettable one, rumbling 22 yards for a touchdown.

“That’s something you don’t see every day,” Coach Grodack said with a smile. “A defensive tackle intercepting a pass and running it back for a score. Wow!"

Guarino credits both the scouting report his coaches put together and teammate Evan Dean, who threw a key block as Kyle bulldozed toward the end zone.

“It was the best thing ever!” he exclaimed. “Once I saw the official raise his arms it was just amazing. The boys were all around me going crazy, so was our sideline and the crowd. It’s definitely something special that I’ll never forget.”

Guarino finished up his career with a total of 40 regular season starts, 129 tackles, 12 for loss. He was also honored this year with a spot on the All-Region Team.

Small Town Perspective

Kyle is the son of Bill and Sharon Guarino, Waymart. His plans after graduation include studying to become an electrician.

Kyle is a huge sports fan. He roots for the New York Giants and Penn State football teams. During basketball season, Kyle cheers for Duke on the college scene and his favorite NBA player is LeBron James.

Guarino began participating in team sports at an early age. He was just a first grader when he took up basketball and eventually got heavily involved in football as a seventh grader.

“I think youth sports are an incredible thing,” Kyle said. “It’s a great way to get kids active and hopefully find a passion that they love like I have.”

Guarino will close out his scholastic sports career with countless happy memories … everything from that unforgettable pick six versus West Scranton to a basketball buzzer-beater versus Mid Valley in junior high.

And while athletics has played a huge part in Kyle’s story thus far, it’s just one aspect of life in small town rural America that he wouldn’t trade for anything.

“My parents grew up here,” Kyle said. “They’re friends with my friends’ parents and we are just one big family.

“Everyone knows each other. Anytime that someone needs something or needs help we all band together with no questions asked. It is something amazing that I am very lucky to be a part of.”

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Lackawanna League Football Boys Basketball Kyle Guarino Wildcats