HS BASKETBALL: Lynett Boys Basketball Tournament has rich history

This holiday season, the Lackawanna College Student Union is empty.

There are no overflowing crowds. No nonstop, baseline-to-baseline action, no thrilling shots or buzzer-beaters, or emotional celebrations.

The annual Lynett Tournament, which would have celebrated its 70th season, was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. So, as Scranton Prep, Holy Cross, Scranton and Dunmore players hope against all hope to just have a basketball season come Jan. 4, it’s a time to relive the memories this event has created through the years.

 

 

1950s

1951
St. Rose defeated Old Forge, 65-62, in the Class A final at the first Lynett Tournament at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center played in the last week of March. Jim “Red” Fitzsimmons scored 25 points, while Fran O’Malley had 20 and Anthony Angello added 11 for the Roses. Francis “Herbie” Hoover scored 16 to lead five players in double figures for the Blue Devils. Freddy Lettieri scored 13, Hugo Mori had 12, Charley Rushefski 11 and Marty Farrell 10 in the game that drew 4,200 fans. More than 15,000 fans saw the 24 teams compete in three classes in seven nights. St. Michael’s defeated Wilkes-Barre, 52-45, to win the Class B title as Vince Botscheller scored 13 points, and Benton Township beat Waymart, 75=52, in Class C with Milo Farnham scoring 25 points for the winners.

1952
Hugo Mori earned the unofficial most valuable player honor as Old Forge defeated Swoyersville, 54-53, in front of 3,500 fans at the Catholic Youth Center in the Class A final in March. Old Forge avenged a loss to Squoyersville in the District 2 Class A final as Mori scored 18 points and dazzled fans with his ball-handling skills. Marty Farrell added 16 points and Carmen DiSimoni added 11 for the Blue Devils. Joe Holup scored 23 for Swoyersville. St. Patrick’s of Olyphant defeated Duryea, 53-51, in Class B. Tommy Tate scored 25 points for the Patties.

1953
Carmen DiSimoni and all-state standout Marty Farrell led Old Forge to a second straight Lynett Tournament championship with a 71-62 win over Scranton Central. DiSimoni scored 24 points and Farrell, the 6-foot-6 star, had 16 points. Joe Palmere added 15 points and Bob Dipipi had 10 for the Blue Devils. Forest City opted out of the Class B final against St. Patrick’s of Olyphant because of a PIAA rule.

1954
Scranton Prep won its first title in the first holiday tournament. Entering as the No. 3 seed, the Cavaliers turned back Swoyersville, 39-30, in front of 1,500 fans at the Catholic Youth Center. John Reddington had 10 points and Bob Stiepock added eight to lead Scranton Prep. Old Forge, which lost to Scranton Prep in the semifinals, won the third-place game by beating West Scranton, 54-44. Phil Tagliaterra led the Blue Devils with 18 points.

 

1955
Scranton Prep defended its title with a dramatic, 43-42, win over Swoyersville in front of 2,000 fans at the Catholic Youth Center in December. Bobby Meckwood hit a game-winning layup after Gene Kelley grabbed a rebound and handed it off to him with 3 seconds remaining in the game. John Fletcher intercepted a long in bound pass from Swoyersville to secure the title. Meckwood, who was carried from the court, led the way with 20 points. Old Forge defeated Central, 65-50, in the third-place game. Nick Anzelmi scored 24 points for the Blue Devils.

 

 

1956
Scranton Central earned its first Lynett Tournament title with a 67-48 win over newcomer Luzerne on December 28 at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center in a game that drew 1,700 fans. Pat Fruehan, despite nursing a heavily taped ankle, scored 29 points, while John Chisdak and Jack Gibbons each added 12. Old Forge finished third for the third straight season with a 54-42 win over Scranton Prep. Nick Anzelmi and Jack Marseco each scored 14 for the Blue Devils.

1957
Scranton Central repeated as champion by thwarting a furious second-half comeback by Scranton Prep with three three straight baskets with less than a minute-and-a-half to play in a 53-50 win in a game that drew 2,338 fans to the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Bob Zamboni paced Central with 15 points. Scranton Prep’s John Jordan gave his team the lead 50-47 on a pair of foul shots, but Bob Sweeney converted a fast break and Keith Krayer scored off another turnover before John Chisdak scored the game’s final points. Kingston Catholic defeated Old Forge, 72-57, for third place.

1958
Old Forge became the first program to win three Lynett Tournament titles with a 51-39 win over Scranton Central in December before a crowd of 1,750 at the Catholic Youth Center. Ed Flowers paced the Blue Devils with 17 points, Phil Avvisato scored 12, while Len Kresefski, who dominated the boards, and Bob Beviglia each scored 11 in the win. Tom Quinn scored 11 for Central. Scranton Prep finished third with a 44-33 win over Swoyersville. Joe Quinn led the Cavaliers with 14 points.

 

1959
Bill James scored 25 points and Kenny Legins added 22 to lead Nanticoke to a 74-47 win over Dunmore in a championship final that attracted 2,000 fans to the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Cataldo Guimento led the Bucks in their first appearance in the holiday tournament and scored 19 points. Scranton Prep earned a third-place finish with a 53-50 win over West Scranton. Bill Witaconis paced the Cavaliers with 17 points.

 

1960s

 

 

1960
Steve Vacendak scored 24 points as Scranton Prep won its third Lynett Tournament championship with a 64-45 win over South Catholic in front of more than 1,800 fans at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Vacendak, a junior, also scored 24 points in a semifinal win over Central. Frank McNulty added 14 points and Terry Kane had 13 for the winners. Billy Grochowski scored 17 for South Catholic. Central beat Old Forge, 62-52, to claim third place.

1961
In its first appearance in the Lynett Tournament, Cathedral scored a 49-46 upset win over Scranton Central in the championship game in front of 2,043 fans at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. The Lancers won their 10th straight game as Jim Coughlin, who scored 33 in a semifinal win over West Scranton, Gerry Valonis and Mike O’Bell combined for 35 points. Central’s Everett Jenkins scored 19 points. Scranton Prep took third place with a 39-35 win over West Scranton.

1962
Scranton Central set a championship final record for points with a 76-62 win over Dunmore in a game that drew 2,511 fans to the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Appearing in its sixth final, the Golden Eagles were led by Bill LaFontaine, who scored 27 points. Joe Mullen and Richie Carlonas each scored 16 points and Tommy Lewis had 14 for the balanced attack. That effort countered a 36-point night by Dunmore’s Joe Lalli. Cathedral defeated Scranton Prep, 52-44, to claim third place.

1963
Swoyersville finally broke through. After losing three of the first five Lynett Tournament finals, the Sailors defeated Scranton Prep, 54-52, in front of 2,100 fans at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Ray Holup scored 28 points to lead Swoyersville, which handed Scranton Prep its first loss of the season. Bob Moylan scored 14 points for Scranton Prep. Central claimed third place with a win over West Scranton as Charlie Witaconis scored 22 points.

1964
Scranton Central smashed its tournament final record with an 80-56 win over Old Forge in a game that dew 2,439 fans to the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. The Golden Eagles were the first program to win four tourney titles and led 46-16 at the half. Danny Jenkins scored 24 points, Charley Wozniak had 22 and Joe Swift scored 18, while Mike Comerford, who filled in for injured starter Bob Steinberg, scored five points. Jim Marino scored 22 points and Joe Fumanti has 14 for Old Forge. Cathedral defeated Scranton Prep, 45-41, in the third-place game.

 

 

1965
Cathedral defeated Scranton Tech, 74-50, to win its 10th straight game to start the season and its second Lynett Tournament title. The high-scoring Lancers, who scored a 92-55 win over West Scranton in the semifinals, were led by Bob Kern’s 21 points. Leo Lyons scored 14, Paul Biko had 13 points, while Hank Bunnell and Bill Summers scored 10 points each for the winners. Scranton Tech’s Jerry McNamara scored 16 points. South Scranton Catholic defeated West Scranton, 77-63, to claim third place.

1966
Nanticoke claimed its second Lynett Tournament title with a wild 74-68 win over Montrose in front of 2,737 fans at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. John Kocienski scored 21 points to lead five in double figures for the winners. Dave Canfield scored 16 and Bill Grick had 16 for Montrose. Cathedral took third place with a 60-53 win over Scranton Prep as Paul Biko scored 25 points.

1967
Paul Biko turned in a memorable performance with 33 points as Cathedral defeated Pittston Area, 88-74, in the Lynett Tournament final. Jack Lyons scored 18 points, Tom DeLeo added 17 and Pat Lyons had 12 in the record-setting performance. Biko made 12 straight free throws down the stretch to thwart Pittston Area. Lou Loquasto led the Patriots with 30 points and Paul Tylawski had 20. Montrose used a high-powered scoring effort of its own in a 92-69 win over South Catholic in the third-place game. Dave Kurosky scored 28 points and Dave Canfield had 27 for the Meteors.

1968
Nanticoke claimed its third Lynett Tournament title with a 63-42 win over Williamsport in front of 2,000 fans at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Tom Bilko scored 22 points for the winners. West Scranton took third place with a 62-50 win over Scranton Central. Jerry Karwoski paced West Scranton with 19 points.

1969
In one of the most dominant performances in the history of the Lynett Tournament, Jerry Karwoski, a 6-foot-7 center, scored 40 points and had 32 rebounds to lead West Scranton to a 65-57 win over Dunmore in front of 2,100 fans at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. In three tournament games, Karwoski scored 104 points. Wyoming Area defeated Bishop Hannan in the third-place game, 80-74.

 

1970s

1970
Nanticoke withstood a late rally by Scranton Prep and won the 20th Lynett Tournament with a 68-67 victory in front of 1,200 fans at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Trailing by 13 in the fourth quarter, Scranton Prep took a 67-66 lead with 2:30 left. Nanticoke’s Vince Lukashefski made a free throw to tie the game and Scranton Prep held for a final shot. Nanicoke’s Pete Warchal made a steal and drew a foul and with 12 seconds remaining he made the first of two free throws. A game-winning shot attempt by Gerard Lavelle caromed away. Paul Gallagher scored 18 points and Ken Speicher had 16 for the Cavaliers.

1971
Charlie Brady scored 32 points to lead Riverside to an 80-68 win over Scranton Prep to claim its first Lynett Tournament title in front of 2,551 fans at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Brady, a 6-foot-7 standout led the way as Marty Adryan scored 17 and Tom Lenns added 16. Nanticoke defeated Wyoming Area, 60-51, in the third-place game.

1972
Scranton Prep won its fourth title and first since 1960 by defeating Scranton Central, 73-49, in a game that drew more than 3,000 fans to the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Chris Fedele led the way for the Cavaliers with 31 points. Brian Clark contributed 14 points and Bill Timlin had 10 for the Cavaliers. Gary Scheuch paced Central with 15 points. Nanticoke defeated Riverside, 60-50, in the third-place game.

 

1973
Nanticoke launched a three-year run of dominance with a 58-56 win over Riverside in the Lynett final in front of 1,754 fans at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Mike Kmietowicz led Nanticoke with 21 points and Gary Verazin added 15 for the champions. Jackie Ott scored 17 points and Mike Morgan had 15 for Riverside. Scranton Prep claimed third place with a 57-56 win over West Scranton.

1974
Nanticoke won its sixth tournament title overall with an 80-48 win over Scranton Prep in a game that drew 2,109 fans to the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Ken Casey scored 22 points to lead four players in double figures for Nanticoke. Mike Sowa scored 14, Barry Horvath scored 12 and Gary Verazin finished with 10. Mike Clarke scored 12 points and Len Pisony had 11 for Scranton Prep. Dunmore raced past Riverside, 90-67, in the third-place game as Tony Nardelli scored 27 and Bob Mannciso had 26.

1975
Ken Casey scored 29 points as Nanticoke made it three-in-a-row with a 72-54 win over Scranton Central at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Gary Verazin added 16 points and John Cherr added 14 for the Trojans. Joe McCarthy and Tim Wagner each scored 14 points and future Pro Football Hall of Fame guard Mike Munchak scored 12 for Central. Scranton Prep won the third-place game, 77-76, over Bishop Klonowski as Ward FitzPatrick scored 23 points.

 

 

1976
Scranton Central ended the streak. The Golden Eagles defeated Nanticoke, 66-63, in font of 2,985 fans at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center in the final of the Lynett Tournament. Mike Munchak scored 10 points had an outstanding game defensively, limiting all-state player, Ken Casey, to 14 points. John Cusick led the Golden Eagles with 14 points, Tim and Mike Wagner each scored 13 points and Marty Cunningham scored 12 for the winners. Riverside defeated Scranton Prep, 92-73, in the third-place game as Herb Decker scored 27 points.

1977
Scranton Central repeated as champion at the Lynett Tournament with a 72-59 win over Pittston Area at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Mike Wagner, a 6-foot-6 center, scored 28 points and collected 23 rebounds to lead the Golden Eagles. Jeff Gallagher contributed 20 points and Mike Munchak had 10 for the champions. Bishop O’Hara defeated Riverside, 88-83, as Todd Bailey scored 37 points for the winners.

1978
Scranton Prep, with Bill Bessoir scoring 35 points, defeated Riverside, 77-59, in the Lynett Tournament final that drew 2,000 fans to the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. The Cavaliers earned head coach Jack Farrell the 200th win of his career. Joe Mikita added 14 points, Chris Casey had 12 and Mike Mackrell 10 for the Cavaliers, who won their fifth championship. Riverside’s Dave Pry scored 26 points. Nanticoke defeated West Scranton, 64-53, in the third-place game.

1979
Nanticoke earned its fifth Lynett Tournament crown of the decade with a 47-30 win over Scranton Central in a game that drew only 900 fans to the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Dave Kellar led Nanticoke with 16 points. Andy Demkowich led Central with 13 points. Pittston Area defeated Riverside, 68-63, in the third-place game. Joe Brady scored 27 points for Riverside.

 

1980s

1980
Dunmore won the program’s first title at the Lynett Tournament, which celebrated its 30th anniversary. The Bucks defeated Scranton Central, 58-47, at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Joe Murray paced Dunmore with 17 points, while Bob Bamford added 15 and Jeff Sileo scored 13. Andy Demkowich led Central with 18 points. Scranton Prep defeated Nanticoke, 61-59, in the third-place game.

 

1981
Led by junior Dave Popson, who went on to play at the University of North Carolina, Bishop O’Reilly defeated Scranton Prep, 70-60, at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Popson scored 32 points, including 12 in the the first quarter, and finished with nine rebounds and five blocked shots. Mike Burns led Scranton Prep with 27 points and Gene Grady had 12. Dunmore defeated Nanticoke, 48-29, in the third-place game.

1982
Bishop Hannan used a strong fourth quarter to post an 80-66 win over Scranton Tech in the final of the Lynett Tournament at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. John Phillips finished with 28 points and Mike Judge had 25 points for Bishop Hannan. The Golden Lancers darted away from the Raiders with a 27-point fourth quarter. Dennis Burley scored 18 points, Dave Bailey had 17 and Marvine McCloe added 16 for Tech. Scranton Prep defeated Mid Valley, 64-51, in the third-place game.

1983
Scranton Prep celebrated another Lynett Tournament title and another milestone. The Cavaliers defeated Old Forge, 81-57, at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. It was the program’s sixth tournament crown and it also earned coach Jack Farrell his 300th career win. Pat Casey scored 23 points, Rich Beviglia added 17, Tim Hoban scored 16 and Joe Hessling had 10 in the balanced final. Jim Smicherko and Mike Mucciolo each scored 12 points for Old Forge. Scranton Central defeated Carbondale Sacred Heart, 72-63, in the third-place game.

1984
Scranton Prep defended its championship with a 73-59 win over Scranton Central at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Steve Domnick scored 19 points to lead the Cavaliers, while Paul Madison had 17, which included a dunk, Peter Mackrell, Joe Hessling and Tim Regan all scored 11. Dave Harte and Mike Drasba each scored 14 for Central. Scranton Tech earned third place with a 52-35 win over Dunmore.

1985
Scranton Prep joined Nanticoke as the two programs to successfully win three Lynett Tournament championships. The Cavaliers defeated Scranton Central for the third straight season, posting a 66-61 win at the Scranton Cathlic Youth Center. Scranton Prep center Brian Hoban scored 19 points and had 16 rebounds, while Peter Mackrell scored 12. Fred Leibold scored 18 and Chris McGowan added 16 for Central. Dunmore defeated Sacred Heart, 63-24, to claim third place.

1986
Scranton Prep and its nine seniors earned a fourth straight Lynett Tournament championship with a 77-59 win over Valley View at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center that drew 1,800 fans. Steve Dominick scored 14 of his 21 points in the first half, while Pat Murphy finished with 20, Craig Rose had 13 and Jeff Harrison scored 11. Rick Bray scored 21 points for Valley View. Scranton Central won the third-place game when it beat Dunmore, 58-46.

 

1987
In a scene that resembled North Carolina State’s upset win over Houston in the 1983 NCAA Tournament final, Adrian Parker grabbed a Chris McGowan shot that was short and converted it into a game-winning layup with 1 second remaining as Scranton Central defeated Scranton Prep, 44-42, at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Parker finished with nine points and 10 rebounds, while McGowan scored seven points and had seven rebounds for the champions. Bishop O’Hara won the third-place game, 44-39, over rival Dunmore.

 

 

1988
Scranton Prep won its record 10th title at the 38th Lynett Tournament when it defeated Scranton Central, 57-46, at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Matt Casey scored 17 points, had 10 rebounds and two assists for the Cavaliers, who moved their overall record in championship finals to 10-7. Joe Kosierowski contributed 16 points and Chris Collins had 10 points for the winners. Paul Dennebaum led Central with 24 points and Bill Lazor scored 11. Bishop O’Hara finished third after a 58-57 win over Dunmore. Tony Battaglia and Austin Yerke each scored 16 for the Bruins.

1989
Dunmore’s Todd Hartshorn found Tom Marchese for the deciding points as the Bucks defeated Scranton Prep, 47-43, in the Lynett Tournament final at the Scranton Catholc Youth Center. Joe Kokinda paced Dunmore with 14 points and Shawn Colo had 12, while Marchese, the reigning Lackawanna Southern Division Player of the Year, scored seven points and had 12 rebounds for Dunmore. Joe Kosierowski led Scranton Prep with 15 points. Scranton Central defeated Bishop O’Hara, 60-49, in the third-place game.

 

1990s

1990
In the 40th Lynett Tournament, Sean Crofton and Jamie Mamera boosted Scranton Prep to a 74-54 win over Dunmore in the final that avenged an earlier loss to the Bucks. Mamera scored 15 of his game-high 22 points and Crofton scored 12 of his 19 in the second half for the Cavaliers, who claimed the program’s 11th crown. Pat Maguire led Dunmore with 15 points. Scranton Central finished third with a 65-44 win over Bishop O’Hara.

1991
Scranton Prep’s Steve Murray lofted a soft shot that kissed off the glass, hit the front rim and dropped through for a game-winning basket as time expired in a 59-58 thriller over Dunmore in overtime at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center in front of 1,499 fans. Murray initially took a shot with 2 seconds remaining, but missed, and then collected the rebound that kicked off teammate Brent Rupp’s shoulder before launching the winning shot. Bishop O’Hara defeated Scranton Tech, 42-34, in the third-place game.

1992
Brian Lavelle scored 12 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter as Dunmore defeated Scranton Prep, 54-48, in the fourth straight meeting between the two programs in the Lynett Tournament. Lavelle earned the tournament most valuable player award. Grey Simpson added 15 points and Nick Polito had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Tim Foley scored 19 for Dunmore. Bishop O’Hara defeated Scranton, 57-50, in the third-place game.

1993
Dunmore won its second straight tournament championship with a hard-fought 39-32 win over Bishop O’Hara in front of 1,458 fans at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Jack Dempsey turned in a strong defensive effort and scored 10 points to lead the Bucks and be selected as the most valuable player. Mike Reno led Bishop O’Hara with 10 points. Scranton Prep won the third-place game, beating Scranton, 65-53. It snapped a streak of 10 straight finals appearances for the Cavaliers.

1994
Dunmore won its third straight tournament title as most valuable player Brad Hunt scored 17in a 55-44 win over rival Bishop O’Hara before a crowd of 1,357 at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Mike Coleman tossed in 12, Mike Barrette scored and Brian Dempsey added 10 each for the Bucks. Al Callejas Jr. scored 14 points to lead Bishop O’Hara.

 

 

1995
For the fourth straight season, Dunmore claimed the Lynett Tournament championship. The Bucks defeated Scranton Prep, 45-35, in front of 1,762 fans at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Brian Costanzo scored 14 points and Kevin Walsh had nine rebounds to lead the Bucks. Mike Skoff led Scranton Prep with 17 points. Bishop O’Hara defeated Scranton, 51-46, in the third-place game.

1996
In a showdown between the top two teams in the Lackawanna League, No. 2 Scranton Prep defeated No. 1 Scranton, 63-58, at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Skoff earned most valuable player honors after he scored 23 points, had six assists, four steals and three steals. Ryan Cognetti scored 10 points and had 13 rebounds for the winners. Bumper Ross led Scranton with 22 points and Dave Staples had 15 points. Bishop O’Hara defeated Dunmore, 59-51, as Al Callejas Jr. scored 31 points.

1997
A season after finishing fourth, Dunmore returned to capture another Lynett Tournament title when it defeated Bishop O’Hara, 66-38, at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Kevin Walsh scored 18 points and had 12 rebounds to earn the most valuable player award. Pat Clark scored 11 points and had 10 rebounds and Jeff Boniewicz had 11 points for the Bucks. Scranton beat Scranton Prep, 38-30, to claim third place.

 

 

1998
Bishop O’Hara claimed its first Lynett Tournament championship when Mike Moran scored 21 points to lead his team to a 59-38 win over Scranton Prep at the Scranton Catholic Youth Center. Scott Dodsgon scored 12 points and Frank Talarico added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bruins. Dunmore defeated Scranton, 76-63, in the third-place game.

1999
Dunmore earned its sixth championship of the decade at the Lynett Tournament. The Bucks defeated rival Bishop O’Hara 62-50. Carlos Gibson scored a game-high 21 points to pace Dunmore. Brian Collins led Bishop O’Hara with 13 points. Scranton Prep took the third-place game by defeating Scranton, 70-36, as Ryan Rogan scored 28 points.

 

2000s

2000
Kayleigh Bond and Ryan Rogan shared the most valuable player honor as Scranton Prep defeated Dunmore, 61-54, to win the program’s 14th Lynett Tournament title in the 50th anniversary of the holiday tradition. Bond, a powerful center, scored 19 points, and Rogan, the sleek guard, scored 18 to lead the Cavaliers. Mark Walsh scored 12 points for Dunmore. Bishop O’Hara defeated Scranton, 48-34, to finish third.

2001
Mike Timlin shook off his nerves after missing the first of two free throws and calmly swished the next to lift Dunmore to a 54-53 win over Scranton Prep in the 51st Lynett Tournament in a game that drew more than 2,000 fans at the new Scranton High School gym. Mark Walsh took home the most valuable player award after scoring 22 points as the Bucks won the program’s ninth crown. Matt Snyder and Andrew Conaboy each scored 11 points for Scranton Prep. Scranton won the third-place game with a 63-44 win over Bishop O’Hara.

2002
Dunmore won its 10th Lynett Tournament title as Chael Clark led his team with 27 points and 19 rebounds in a 54-47 win over Bishop O’Hara at Scranton High School. Jordan Clark, Chael’s brother, contributed 12 points. Jayme Gillette paced Bishop O’Hara with 13 points. Scranton claimed third place with a 59-48 win over Scranton Prep.

 

 

2003
Stephon Draper scored 22 points on his home floor and earned the most valuable player award after leading Scranton to a 58-47 win over Scranton Prep to win the program’s first Lynett Tournament title. In two games, Draper scored 40 points and had 10 steals. Lamar Johnson added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Knights. Jerry Donahue had 16 points for Scranton Prep. Bishop O’Hara finished third after 51-45 win over Dunmore.

2004
For the second straight season, Stephon Draper stood out as the best player in the tournament. He grabbed a loose ball, tapped out by AJ McKenna, and layed it in for the game-winner in Scranton’s 42-40 victory over Dunmore at Scranton High School in front of a crowd of 1,824. Draper finished with 19 points and Phil Bartocci earned a spot on the all-tournament team. Scranton Prep took home third place by edging Bishop O’Hara, 47-46.

2005
AJ McKenna celebrated his 18th birthday by scoring 13 points and collecting 15 rebounds to lead Scranton to a 49-45 win over Scranton Prep for a third straigt Lynett Tournament title. Karrington Grissett added 12 points and Mike Weeks also had 12 points for the Knights. Billy Joyce scored 14 points for Scranton Prep. Dunmore captured third place with a 64-48 win over Bishop O’Hara.

2006
Matt FitzPatrick scored 21 points to lead the then undefeated Scranton Prep Cavaliers to a 58-33 win over Bishop O’Hara in the 56th Lynett Tournament. It was the 15th touranment title for the Cavaliers and their first since 2000. Chris Dende added 11 points for the Cavaliers. Cody Youshock scored 13 points to lead Bishop O’Hara. Scranton grabbed third place with a 59-54 win over Dunmore.

2007
Despite facing an 11-point halftme deficit, Scranton Prep came back and defeated top-ranked Holy Cross, 53-50, for the program’s 16th Lynett Tournament title. Chris Dende scored 17 points and had five steals to earn the most valuable player award. Will Wertz earned all-tournament honors and had scored 10 points, had four assists and nine rebounds. Billy Joyce scored 13 points for the winners. Dennis Dempsey scored 15 points to lead Dunmore past Scranton, 60-49, in the third-place game.

 

2008
Mark Bevacqua fought through flu-like symptoms and scored 13 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked four shots to earn most valuable player award and lead Holy Cross to its first Lynett Tournament championship with a 68-47 win over Dunmore. Louis Cipriano scored 21 points, which included four 3-pointers, and Brett Podhyski added 10 points for the Crusaders. Scranton Prep edged Scranton, 58-55, in the third-place game.

 

2009
Jake Rowland helped Dunmore earn a measure of revenge in a 71-67 win over Holy Cross in the championship final of the Lynett Tournament at the Lackawanna College Student Union. Rowland and Pat Ross, the tourament most valuable player, each scored 18 points. Brett Podyski led Holy Cross with 19 points. Scranton defeated Scranton Prep, 67-57, to claim third place.

 

2010s

 

 

2010
Scranton dominated from start to finish on its way to a 77-47 win over Dunmore in the 60th Lynett Tournament. Terry Turner scored 15 points and earned the tournament most valuable tournament, Malik Draper scored 17 points and Hasiin Dixon added 14 to lead the fast-paced Knights, who built an 18-0 lead in the first quarter. Karlon Quiller had 27 points and eight assists in the tournament for Scranton. Holy Cross finished third with a 62-49 win over Scranton Prep as Connor Callejas scored 19 points and finished the tournament with 36 points.

2011
For the second straight season, the athletically gifted Scranton Knights stormed to another Lynett Tournament title. They defeated Dunmore in the final, 68-49, at the Lackawanna College Student Union. Terry Turner earned the most valuable player honor with 16 points, Malik Draper scored 19 points and had five rebounds, and Karlon Quiller scored 12 points and handed out seven assists for the Knights. Jordan Dempsey led Dunmore with 12 points. Scranton Prep took third place with a 57-45 win over Holy Cross.

2012
In a tournament delayed by weather, Scranton earned a third straight Lynett Tournament title for the second time in program history. Karlon Quiller scored 20 points and had 10 rebounds to lead the Knights past Scranton Prep, 52-45, at the Lackawanna College Student Union. Joe McCarthy added 11 points for the Knights. Matt Knowles paced Scranton Prep with 18 points. Holy Cross defeated Dunmore, 61-40, in the third-place game.

 

2013
Scranton Prep earned its record 17th Lynett Tournament title and set off a run of titles with a 69-59 win over Holy Cross at the Lackawanna College Student Union. Tim Rose earned most valuable player honors with 22 points, Bobby Casey scored 18 points and Noah Beh added 10 for the champions. Connor Callejas led Holy Cross with 22 points. Scranton defeated Dunmore, 51-44, to take third place.

2014
Playing at a fast pace, Scranton Prep raced past Holy Cross, 71-39, for the program’s 18th title at the Lynett Tournament. Tim Rose won his second straight most valuable player honor after scoring 16 points and handing out six assists. Bobby Casey, an all-tournament selection, scored 13 points for the winners. Brenden Leese led Holy Cross with 10 points. Dunmore claimed third place with a 51-42 win over Scranton.

 

 

2015
Scranton Prep made it three-in-a-row with a convincing 72-46 win over Scranton in the Lynett Tournament. Nick Dende scored 15 points, while Paddy Casey scored 13 points and earned the tournament most valuable player award. Shakwon Knights led Scranton with 17 points. Dunmore defeated Holy Cross, 51-48, in the third-place game.

2016
Scranton Prep had too much firepower in a rematch with Scranton, rolling to a 67-49 win in the Lynett Tournament. Logan Bailey earned the most valuable player award after scoring 19 points and Paddy Casey scored 13 points for the Cavaliers. Robbie McAndrew scored 15 points for Scranton. Dunmore defeated Holy Cross, 41-37, in the third-place game.

 

 

2017
Scranton Prep made history with a fifth straight title as Leo O’Boyle scored 30 points in a 70-46 win over Dunmore at the Lackawanna College Student Union in a game that drew 1,425 fans. Wes Simons scored 16 points and had seven rebounds and five assists, and Brian Boland added 11 points for the Cavaliers. Steve Borgia and Daniel Walsh each scored 11 points for Dunmore. Scranton defeated Holy Cross, 59-58, on a 3-pointer from Ky’Ron Harbin in the third-place game.

2018
For the sixth straight season, Scranton Prep overwhelmed the Lynett Tournament and earned a 63-36 win over Holy Cross in the final. Rhys Merritt scored 19 points and had 11 rebounds, and Mario Rotell earned the tournament most valuable player award after scoring 14 points and taking five steals. Leah O’Connor led Holy Cross with 13 points. Scranton finished third with a 59-51 win over Dunmore.

2019
Kieran Burrier knocked down the first of two free throws he earned after diving for a loose ball to draw a foul with less than 1 second remaining as Holy Cross ended Scranton Prep’s six-year reign as champion with a 55-54 victory in the 69th Lynett Tournament. Caleb Callejas put on a shooting display with six 3-pointers and scored 23 points to earn most valuable player honors. Patrick Bennie added 10 points for the Crusaders. Robert Rossi led Scranton Prep with 16 points. Scranton finished third for the third straight season with a 58-52 win over Dunmore.

 

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