PLAINS TWP. — George Sabatini performed his best move on Friday night.
As the time was running out, Sabatini received a clever pass from his Team Brogan teammate Evan Laybourn-Boddie off the glass.
Sabatini scored with a slam dunk, sealing the win for Team Brogan in this year’s George P. Moses Senior All-Star Classic.
The Holy Redeemer senior, named team MVP, scored 22 points as Team Brogan defeated Team Macario 120-96 at Wilkes-Barre Area High School.
“It’s really special…all the hard work I put in just to do things like that, to show it to everyone tonight, I couldn’t be more proud of myself,” Sabatini said after receiving his MVP trophy.
Team Macario’s Jaidyn Johnson, who scored 16 points, was named MVP of his team. He was able to score easily and also made two free throws despite the game featuring more trips to the free throw line than expected in an all-star game.
“This was so much fun,” Johnson said. “If I could redo it right this second, I would.”
All of the WVC’s top seniors gathered to play one final game for their high schools, creating a fast and frenzied energy from the beginning.
Team Brogan took an early lead and maintained it throughout the game, combining effective three-point shooting (the team made 13 triples) with surprisingly strong defense.
They applied pressure on the Team Macario ballhandlers, causing turnovers and allowing Team Brogan to score easily.
“The coaches wanted us to go out and compete, so that’s what we did,” Sabatini said.
Three players from Team Brogan scored 20 points: Sabatini with 22, Laybourn-Boddie with 20 (including four three-pointers) and Hazleton Area senior Joey Marshall also with 20. Chaz Wright scored 12 points for the winning side.
Dallas standout Mikey Cumbo and Wyoming Area’s Brady Noone each contributed 12 points for Team Macario, while Cumbo’s Mountaineer teammate Zach Paczewski added 10 points.
The finals of the three-point shootout at halftime featured Wyoming Area’s Dane Schutter against Liam Mullery.
Schutter won in overtime, eliminating Mullery with a full rack to spare and claiming the three-point trophy.
George P. Moses Senior All-Star Classic
Team Brogan 120, Team Macario 96
TEAM MACARIO (96) — Tyler Sciandra 1 0-0 2, Jaidyn Johnson 7 2-2 16, Ciaran Bilbow 1 0-0 2, Gavin Turak 1 0-0 2, Lael Hayward 2 0-0 5, Brady Noone 5 2-2 12, Ryan Sones 2 0-0 4, Matt Rusinchak 2 0-0 5, Will Wojciechowski 0 0-0 0, Brendon Brobst 3 0-0 7, Zach Paczewski 4 0-0 10, Dane Schutter 2 0-0 4, Jace DeGroat 2 0-0 5, Liam Mullery 0 0-0 0, Michael Cumbo 5 1-2 12, Steven Florek 2 0-0 5, Nick Williams 3 0-0 6. Totals 42 5-8 96.
TEAM BROGAN (120) — Kaprie Cottle 2 0-0 4, Melvin Egbeto 2 0-0 5, Mark Atherton 2 0-0 5, Evan Laybourn-Boddie 8 0-0 20, Matt Sklarosky 3 0-0 8, George Sabatini 11 0-0 22, Alex Aiello 2 0-0 5, Chaz Wright 5 1-2 12, Luke Gennaro 3 0-0 6, Derek Johnson 3 0-0 6, Jack Novelli 2 0-0 5, Louis Michaels 1 0-0 2, Joey Marshall 9 0-0 20. Totals 53 1-2 120.
Team Macario`40`56 — 96
Team Brogan`52`68 — 120
Three-point goals: TM 9 (Paczewski 2, Cumbo, Sones, Rusinchak, Brobst, DeGroat, Hayward, Florek); TB 13 (Laybourn-Boddie 4, Marshall 2, Sklarosky 2, Wright, Atherton, Novelli, Aiello, Egbeto).
