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TORI TALANCA
School: Berwick
Year: Senior
Sport, position: Basketball, center
Family: Victoria, mom; Leo, dad; Sara, sister; Cody, brother
Last week: Talanca’s buzzer-beating layup off an inbounds play that began with eight-tenths of a second remaining lifted Berwick to a dramatic 37-36 victory over Jersey Shore in a PIAA Class 4A first-round playoff game at Wilkes University on Friday.
What she says: “I wasn’t thinking at the time. I was just doing what I knew what to do and it worked. It worked perfect. I think they got confused by what were doing. There was so many people by Reese (Mensinger), so I was wide open under the basket. (Reese as a decoy) helped a lot.”
Coach says: “It was awesome. It’s a sideout that we run all the time called ‘secret’. Usually we use Reese Mensinger, but this time we used Reese as a decoy in the corner and she attracted two defenders. Mallory Pinterich made a nice pass, Tori made a nice steal, took a dribble and made the shot.” — Berwick head coach Bill Phillips
Cake or pie: Cake
Favorite color: Purple
Oreos or Chips Ahoy: Oreos
Krispy Kreme vs. Dunkin’ Donuts: Krispy Kreme
Favorite song right now: “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran
Favorite/Go to move? Drop step
Favorite TV show: “Friends”
Biggest fear: Heights
Superman or Batman: Superman
Trapped on a deserted island one thing you would bring: Cell phone
Kanye West, yes or no: Yes
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite ice cream: Vanilla
Favorite musician/musical act: Thomas Rhett
A place you’d like to visit: Philippines
What are you binge watching on Netflix: “Game of Thrones”
If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Invisibility
Future goals: Be successful and be happy
***
CODY PIESTRAK
School: Nanticoke
Year: Senior
Sport, position: Basketball, small forward/guard
Family: Ken, dad; Collin, brother
Last week: With his team trailing 40-28 heading into the fourth quarter, Piestrak scored 12 of the Trojans’ 30 points in final stanza to beat second-seeded Bethlehem Catholic 58-56 in the opening round of the PIAA Class 4A Tournament.
What he says: “I just thought I’d let it go since we were down so much. We had nothing to lose, it could have been our last game so might as well leave it all out there. … Our mindset by halftime was just to get it down by a couple. If we could keep it close and get them rattled, we would be in good shape towards the end of the game. … It feels amazing, no team since 2003 has made it this far. To be part of this family, this brotherhood we have here at Nanticoke is amazing.”
Coach says: “We were down and he made big shot after big shot. I haven’t seen a clutch performance like that from a Nanticoke player in a long time, maybe ever. He didn’t want his season to end, he didn’t want to lose, so now we’re marching on to the next round.” — John Beggs, Nanticoke boys basketball head coach
Favorite type of candy: Snickers
Favorite healthy snack choice: Carrots
Cats or Dogs: Dogs
Oreos or Chips Ahoy: Chips Ahoy
Favorite song right now: “Shape Of You” Ed Sheeran
Favorite/Go to move? Behind the back
Favorite chick flick: Fifty Shades of Grey
Favorite action movie: White House Down
Is a hotdog a sandwich?: No
Favorite memory from the season: Beating Bethlehem Catholic
Favorite teacher: Mrs. Jene Makarczyk, psychology
Favorite subject in school: History
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite Athlete: Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors
What do you put on your pizza: Bacon
Favorite musician/musical act: J. Cole
Outside hobbies: Hunt
Favorite animal: Zebra
A place you’d like to visit: Paris
What are you binge watching on Netflix: “The Office”
If you could have one superpower, what would it be? To fly
What’s your dream job?: Professional athlete