EXETER – Wyoming Area used its girls-boys varsity basketball doubleheader to open the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 season Dec. 21 as its annual night in support of Little Eric’s Foundation.
The games honored the memory of Eric Speicher, a Wyoming Area student who died in 2013 at age 14 from brain cancer.
Since Speicher’s death, the foundation has raised more than $400,000 for cancer research and more than $40,000 to assist families of children with cancer.
Between games, Speicher’s father, Eric, addressed the crowd, offering thanks for the continued support of the foundation.
MARSECO TOURNAMENT
OLD FORGE – Old Forge hosts the Anthony D. “Badger” Marseco boys and girls tournaments between Christmas and New Year’s.
Marseco, a 1992 Old Forge graduate, died in a motorcycle accident when he was a student at Wilkes University. He had already started his basketball coaching career at Wyoming Area.
While at Old Forge, Marseco was a member of the school’s state championship baseball team and district championship basketball team.
Old Forge, Pittston Area and Wyoming Area enter both their boys and girls basketball teams each year.
The host Blue Devils and Wyoming Area meet in a boys game to open the tournament each year, continuing their annual “Badger Games” that were in place prior to the creation of the four-team tournaments.
Funds from the tournament support sending the Old Forge boys basketball team to camps each summer.
With Wednesday’s 68-56 victory, Old Forge improved its record to 12-3 in Badger Games since the tournament format began in 2000.
Old Forge is 22-7 overall and 9-3 in tournament championship games after beating Pittston Area in Friday’s final. The Patriots fell to 4-6 in championship games.
Pittston Area has won all three titles since the girls tournament resumed in 2021 after a 10-year layoff. The Lady Patriots have won four straight overall and lead with six championships and 11 title game appearances overall. Old Forge is 4-5 in girls finals.
Both scoring records fell to Old Forge players in semifinal games.
Cameron Parker from the Blue Devils had 34 against Wyoming Area to break the 21-year-old record of 33 set by Wyoming Area’s Tyrell George.
Jewlya McCullon had 33 for the Lady Devils against Hanover Area, one more than Krista Renzi scored in 2001.
LYNETT TOURNAMENT
SCRANTON – Brycen Martin from Pittston went 6-for-8 from 3-point range for 18 points in 22 minutes for Scranton Prep Friday in a 72-36 rout of Dunmore in the third-place game of the 72nd annual Lynett Memorial Tournament at the Lackawanna College Student Union.
Martin made the all-tournament team. He had nine points and two steals in Wednesday’s 55-53 loss to eventual champion Scranton.
Brody Martin, Brycen’s younger brother, also appeared in Friday’s third-place game. He grabbed two rebounds.
Maya Jenkins, Scranton Prep’s all-state guard from Old Forge, had seven points and two steals in Wednesday’s 52-35 victory over Dunmore in the Lynett Tournament semifinals. She had six points and a game-high four assists in a 65-54, championship game loss to Scranton.