Western Wayne girls defeat Forest City and Paupack to claim Jaycees Tournament title
HONESDALE — Western Wayne’s girls varsity basketball team made an emphatic statement over the course of the Christmas break this year.
The Lady ‘Cats powered their way to a pair of decisive victories en route to the 2023 Honesdale Area Jaycees Holiday Invitational title.
Led by All-Tournament selection Brooke Kellogg and Most Valuable Player Emily Romanowski, Western Wayne routed Forest City in the semifinals then downed Wallenpaupack Area in the championship game.
“I’m very pleased with how the girls played,” said head coach Mike Judge. “One of the first goals they set for themselves this year was winning the Jaycees Tournament. I’m really happy for them that they were able to get that done.”
More: Honesdale boys, Paupack and Western Wayne girls advance to Jaycees Tournament finals
Also by Kevin Edwards: Tri-Captains Modrovsky, Taraschuk and Eisele Will Lead Hornet Basketball Team
Weather permitting, Western Wayne has a busy week on tap in regular season Lackawanna League action.
The Lady ‘Cats open up the 2023-24 campaign Wednesday at home against Honesdale. They then travel to West Scranton on Saturday for a Division I-II crossover battle with the Invaders.
“The league is very balanced this year,” Coach Judge said. “Our division is going to be tough from top to bottom and the crossover games will be challenging, too. We’re not taking anything for granted, just trying to work hard, be competitive and get a little bit better every day.”
Opening tip for all Lackawanna League games this season is 7:15 p.m.
Tournament champions
Western Wayne faced off with Forest City Tuesday night in semifinal action at the 63rd annual Honesdale Area Jaycees Holiday Tournament.
The Lady ‘Cats wasted no time in taking control against a young Forester squad, racing out to a 17-1 lead after one and enjoying a 37-4 bulge at intermission.
Coach Judge substituted liberally in the second half as his talented team cruised to an eventual 52-23 triumph.
Romanowski paced a balanced offensive attack. The senior guard tallied a game-high 12 points, dialing up one long distance trey in the process.
Raegan Palmer also cracked double digits with 10 points, while Khloe Mistishin and Kellogg chipped in with eight and seven respectively.
This decisive victory catapulted Western Wayne into the championship game versus longtime rival Paupack. The Buckhorns punched their ticket to the finals with a hard-fought 50-38 win over a scrappy Honesdale squad.
Thursday night’s much-anticipated battle saw the Lady ‘Cats carve out a 15-12 lead after one period. Paupack whittled that deficit to just 21-20 at halftime, but was held to single digit scoring in each of the final two quarters en route to a 41-33 loss.
Romanowski led the way once again, tickling the twine for 16 points and earning tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
“Emily played extremely well on both offense and defense,” Coach Judge said of his senior star who missed much of last season due to a knee injury.
“Emily doesn’t say a whole lot. She just comes to practice every day, works hard and never complains. I’m excited to see what she’ll do the rest of the year.”
Kellogg contributed eight points and seven rebounds to the cause. She also turned in a stellar defensive effort against Paupack’s standouts Ella Smith and Erika Badner.
For her efforts, Kellogg was named to the Jaycees All-Tournament Team.
“Brooke is one of those kids who just does everything you ask of her,” Coach Judge said. “She scores a little bit, plays very aggressive defense and works hard rebounding at both ends of the floor.”
Paupack was paced by All-Tourney selection Ella Smith who led the Buckhorns with 15 points. She was aided and abetted by teammate Lily Mancino who netted eight points on the night.
Electrifying comeback
Western Wayne traveled to Shenandoah Valley Monday for a non-conference game with the Blue Devils.
There, the Lady ‘Cats pulled off one of the biggest comeback wins in school history. Coach Judge’s girls trailed by as many as 25 points in this one, but roared back to post an electrifying 39-38 victory.
“That was a long ride and with no JV contest the girls pretty much had to just jump off the bus and play,” the veteran skipper said.
Western Wayne trailed 20-6 at halftime, thanks in large part to the 1-2 scoring combination of Shenandoah Valley’s Ava Menjivar and Madison Wasser, each of whom tallied 13 points.
The Lady ‘Cats were down 33-18 heading into the fourth quarter, but utterly dominated the final eight minutes. Led by Romanowski, Kellogg and Pauler, the local girls embarked on a 16-0 run to seal the deal on a remarkable win.
Romanowski rattled the rims for a game-high 15 points including one trey. Kellogg and Pauler each added seven points and connected from long range once apiece.
“We came out pretty flat and dug ourselves a big hole,” Coach Judge said. “But, after we put together a few shots and made a couple of defensive stops our energy level rose. I’m really proud of the girls. They kept fighting and never quit.”
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Western Wayne girls basketball team cops Jaycees Tournament crown
