Comets claim McGrane title

WILKES-BARRE – Mark Atherton needed just one chance to find the head coaching job where he could make a lasting impact.

When his Crestwood Comets most needed second chances Thursday night, Ayden Agapito provided them.

Agapito’s consecutive putbacks in the final 3:08 doubled a four-point Crestwood lead and helped the Comets finish off a 42-34 victory over two-time defending champion Holy Redeemer in the title game of the 57^th annual McGrane Holiday Basketball Tournament.

Atherton picked up his 500^th career victory while Agapito completed a double-double and landed the tournament Most Valuable Player Award.

In a game that was tied early in the fourth quarter and saw Crestwood lead by just two points with 4:06 left, Agapito’s baskets came in the middle of an 8-0 run that opened the lead to 40-30 in the final minute.

“I thought he did a good job of scoring around the basket and the guards did a good job getting him the ball there,” Atherton said, “but he got a couple offensive rebounds and that was the difference in the game.

“In a game that’s a grind like this, a couple of offensive rebounds are big.”

The coach’s father, the late Jim Atherton, posted 651 career wins while leading programs at Perry Joint, West Pittston and Coughlin high schools as well as Wilkes University and Luzerne County Community College.

Mark Atherton has been at Crestwood since taking the job in 1994.

“It’s kind of special that I got them all at one place, at Crestwood,” Atherton said. “They took a chance on me way back as a young guy

“I appreciate them and hopefully we have reciprocated back to them.”

The school stuck with Atherton after just nine wins in the first two seasons.

“We made some progress along the way,” Atherton said. “ … It’s the players, my assistant coaches. I have so many guys who I have coached with that are here and that really means a lot to me.

“But, in the end, it really is the players that make you successful, so I want to thank them and certainly thank all the guys that coached with me along the way. And, I want to thank my family; my wife, of course, for all the support along the way, and all the sacrifices they make.”

The milestone came in an appropriate setting. Crestwood and Holy Redeemer have combined to win the last seven titles in the McGrane Tournament at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center. Crestwood has won four of those titles. Holy Redeemer’s three in that stretch give the school seven in its 17-year existence.

To keep the Royals from adding another title, the Comets had to come up with an answer for George Sabatini, who received the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award.

Breaking down the defense off the dribble from the top of the key, then using his 6-foot-5 frame to finish over multiple opponents when he got close to the basket, Sabatini had 11 points in the first half. That’s all Holy Redeemer could manage as a team in the second half.

“We had a little more focus on Sabatini after the first half,” Atherton said. “He had a couple dribble splits on us and I think we took that away.”

Sabatini’s 13 points led all scorers, but his only basket of the second half came in the final minute after the Crestwood lead had reached its high of 10 points.

Agapito, who had six of his 10 rebounds on the offensive end, and Matt Sklarosky led the Comets with 11 points each.

Chaz Wright had seven rebounds while Sklarosky and Derek Johnson had five each to help Crestwood build rebounding advantages of 36-26 overall and 15-4 on the offensive glass.

Johnson also had seven points and game-highs of five steals and three assists.

Sabatini made all five of his free throws and cleared nine defensive rebounds.

Brayden Sock hit a pair of 3-pointers and added eight points for the Royals, who had a four-game winning streak snapped and fell to 5-5.

Crestwood overcome foul shooting difficulties to improve to 6-2 and stretch their winning streak to five games. The Comets were just 10-for-21 from the line while the Royals made their first nine on the way to 11-for-13.

Sabatini had nine points and six rebounds in the first quarter. His drive for a three-point play gave the Royals a 16-13 lead at the end of one.

Through five ties and seven lead changes, the Royals took a 23-21 lead into the locker room on a 3-pointer by Jack Hurst.

Crestwood did not trail again after holding Holy Redeemer scoreless for the first 5:24 of the second half on 0-for-8 shooting with four turnovers.

The Royals reached the championship game with the help of 12 points and six steals Mark Atherton, the Crestwood coach’s son, in Wednesday’s 39-32 semifinal win over Hanover Area.

“He’s such a competitive kid that I know he’s hurting over there,” coach Atherton said. “I’m happy for my guys, but it’s your son.”

With the teams in opposite divisions of the Wyoming Valley Conference and different district/state classifications, they will not have to square off again.

“It’s one game,” coach Atherton said. “It’s over with.”

Crestwood 42, Holy Redeemer 34

CRESTWOOD (42) –Mason Czapla 1 0-0 2, Derek Johnson 2 2-2 7, Matt Sklarosky 4 3-6 11, Chaz Wright 1 3-10 6, Ayden Agapito 4 2-3 11, Ryan Sechleer 2 0-0 5, .George Jennings 0 0-0 0, Gio Barna 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 10-21 42.

HOLY REDEEMER (34) –Cody Quaglia 1 2-2 4, Mark Atherton 2 0-0 4, George Sabatini 4 5-5 13, Brayden Sock 2 2-2 8, David Popson 0 2-2 2, Logan Sekol 0 0-0 0, Evan Lacari 0 0-0 0, Jack Hurst 1 0-0 3, Michael Dubaskas 0 0-2 2. Totals 10 11-13 34.

Crestwood`13`8`7`14`—`42

Holy Redeemer`16`7`2`9`—`34

Three-point goals – CRE 4 (Johnson, Wright, Agapito, Sechleer), HR 3 (Sock 2, Hurst).