Agape Freedom Sports LLC

By: Jeric Yurkanin

Back in August, I landed the job I’d been chasing for the past year — a Valley View maintenance position, right inside a school building, right in the middle of a community that lives and breathes sports. I’m a Lakeland Class of 2002 grad, and yeah… I still root for the Chiefs whenever I can. That part doesn’t just disappear.

But I’ve also lived in the Valley View School District for 15 of the last 21 years. My son’s in the elementary school. My wife subs part-time in the district. So when 2024 rolled around and my kid walked into kindergarten? Let’s just say I didn’t have a choice — I jumped on the Valley View bandwagon with both feet… and I didn’t hesitate for a second. It wasn’t awkward. It was an honor.

Truth is, sports have been stitched into my life for as long as I can remember. Third grade, 1993 — that’s when I became a New York Giants fan and never looked back. By fifth grade, I was locked into Lakeland Chiefs sports: learning the names, following the stories, watching local legends turn into the guys everyone talked about on Monday morning. I remember some of my favorites — Lakeland’s Chuck Mazza, Dave Hilling, and Ben Cole — and I still remember hearing about Valley View’s Sean Fisher, John Munley, and Ryan Castellani like they were real-life superheroes. Just a small window of time… but the kind you never forget.

And here’s the part people forget: even while I bled Lakeland blue, Valley View was always in the background of my childhood — because of my dad. I can still see it clear as day in the 1990s: the Cougars on TV in the playoffs, squaring up with Berwick, and me on the couch with my old man… both of us cheering for Valley View like it was our own. That’s the funny thing about sports in NEPA — your “team” might be one thing, but respect? Respect runs deeper than a zip code. So yeah, I stayed a Lakeland fan… but even as a kid, I found myself respecting the Cougars… and that respect only grew as the years went on.

A lot of that came from my dad. He was a Blakely Bears graduate — and before he passed in 2020, he told stories that stuck with me. He’d talk about the “Papa Bear” John Henze’s days with the Blakely Bears, and the Dunmore connection with his son, Jack Henze’s — guys he genuinely respected, names that meant something in NEPA sports history. Those stories planted something in me early: appreciation, respect, and this sense that Valley View and Dunmore athletics weren’t just programs — they were tradition.

And in a way… all roads led here.

Because now I’m a Valley View employee. I’m a Valley View Cougar diehard. And I’m raising my son in the same area my dad grew up in — the same streets he walked, the same hometown pride he carried. Dad grew up at 314 Bridge Street in Peckville, and he’d share stories about walking to games and cheering on the Blakely Bears like it was yesterday.

And I’ll never forget this fall: watching my son run out of the tunnel in a Valley View uniform, helmet on, eyes forward — and thinking, man… if my dad was still here to see this. I felt it hit me all at once, and yeah… a tear slipped out. He would’ve been a proud grandpa. Life takes weird turns, doesn’t it? Out of my ten siblings, my son was my dad’s only grandson to ever put on a Valley View football uniform — this past year he suited up as a junior Cougar on the D team. And just like that, it’s not just my story anymore. It’s ours. My whole family’s Cougar fans now.

And now… funny how life works. Somewhere along the way, it all came full circle. I’m officially in Cougar country. And the best part? Running into former Lakeland athletes I graduated with at games the past couple years — the same guys I battled through school with — and hearing them laugh, “You’re a traitor,” or “Nah, you’re a Cougar now.” And honestly? They’re not wrong.

And that brings me right to the moment this story really kicked into gear.

Let this sink in: Valley View hadn’t beaten Scranton Prep in girls basketball since 1999. Decades. Generations of players. A whole lot of nights walking off the floor while Prep celebrated. Until last night — when the Lady Cougars finally snapped it with a gritty, statement-making 45–43 win.

But the seeds of that moment? They were planted months ago.

Back in October, I ran into Valley View head girls basketball coach Robbie Martin and his star player, Cora Castellani, right in the building. And I’ll be honest — I’ve known Prep’s history for years… and I’ve had a couple run-ins with people around that program that weren’t exactly warm and fuzzy. Add in a not-so-great social media moment in September — one of Scranton Prep’s girls coaches dropping a public comment on my sports page for everyone to see — and yeah… I’ll say it: it left a chip on my shoulder.

Because I’ve always been wired a certain way when someone wants to chirp.

I learned it during my slow-pitch days from 2016–2023 — eight years as a head coach in a church league, a few league championships, a few semifinal runs, and plenty of games where you find out who people really are when pressure hits. You want drama? Accusations? Games? Cool. I’m not going to argue all season.

I’m going to recruit hard.

I’m going to outwork you.

And when the playoffs come? I’m going to line it up, earn it, and make sure the scoreboard does all the talking.

That’s how it’s done in my world.

So I walked by Cora, looked her right in the eye, and asked it straight:

“You gonna beat Scranton Prep this year?”

She didn’t flinch. She didn’t laugh it off. She didn’t hesitate.

With a smile — and the kind of confidence you can’t fake — she said:

“Yes.”

And I’m not going to lie — I wanted Valley View to win so bad. I wanted it to happen. I wanted it to be real. I wanted that streak buried.

So hours before tip, I sent a motivational message to a few of the Lady Cougars starters — not as a coach, not as a player… just as someone who believes in the power of a moment, and the power of a team that’s ready to break through.

Here’s what I sent:

“You girls have Scranton Prep. It’s been a long time since the Valley View girls’ basketball team has beaten Scranton Prep. As you’re getting ready for the game tonight, here’s some motivation: Don’t fear. Focus on just this one game—only this game matters. Break down the wall. Go in there and remember this year: all those defeats and big wins, and those good teams you beat when it was least expected. Think about who you have on your team, including your starters and the teammates who step up with you. You have a very good defense—one of the best in the area. You also have players who can rebound well, shoot, and score. Just one win. One game. Know who you are, and know what you and your team can accomplish—big things. You’re not finished yet. Giants fall. Davids arise. Tonight, the giant that’s been in the Valley View girls’ basketball team’s way for many years will fall. Believe. Believe in yourself, your team, and what you can do. Believe. Faith. LET’S GET IT DONE!!”

And tonight?

They did.

The Lady Cougars didn’t tiptoe into that gym — they came out swinging.

With 6:16 left in the first quarter, Cora Castellani made her first statement of the night — stepping into a left-corner three and drilling it like she’d been waiting months to pull the trigger.

3–0, Cougars. First punch landed.

Then came Ava Gazoo, answering right back with a tough two-point bucket to make it 5–2.

And she wasn’t done.

At 4:52, Gazoo hit again — another two, another surge.

7–2 Valley View.

Then the moment that felt like the whole building woke up…

With 4:40 left in the first, Castellani jumped a pass at midcourt, stole it clean, and sprinted the other way like she had somewhere to be. One dribble. Two steps. Finish.

9–2 Lady Cougars.

“The locker room was extremely hype from start to finish. We all knew what we needed to do to win this game, and it was in our favor at the end,” said Valley View’s Cora Castellani.

“Tonight before the game, the locker room was hype. Every single one of us were ready to play and battle for the win. We all wanted this game to be ours, and that’s what we did,” said Valley View’s Sadie Cardoni.

Valley View stretched it to 11–2, and for a minute it looked like the Cougars might blow the doors off the place. But Scranton Prep doesn’t flinch. They punched back — and by the end of the first quarter, that early Valley View surge had turned into a tight one:

Cougars 14, Prep 13.

From there, it turned into exactly what everyone expected — a chess match with elbows. Possession-by-possession. Stop-for-stop. Both teams trading punches and answering buckets. And with 3:52 left in the half, Prep finally grabbed the lead at 23–21, like they’ve done to Valley View for years.

But this time… Valley View didn’t fold.

With 3:36 remaining in the second quarter, Castellani rose up straight on from deep — middle of the arc — and buried a three that felt like a refusal.

24–23, Cougars back in front.

Then, with 14 seconds left before halftime, Castellani read the play, snagged a tipped pass in the paint, and took off the other way. Coast-to-coast. Finish.

At the break?

Valley View 27, Scranton Prep 26.

And if you’ve watched enough Prep basketball over the years, you know what usually happens next: they wear you down. They make the run. They close the door.

But Valley View came out of the locker room hot.

The Lady Cougars opened the second half with a burst, stretching the lead to 32–26.

“We walked out onto our court with confidence and it never left our body,” said Castellani. “At halftime we all knew we just had to play our game — we control the tempo. We played great defense, got looks on offense, and we pulled out the win at the end.”

Castellani finished with 23 points, five steals, and four rebounds — doing damage on both ends and setting the tone all night.

By the time the fourth quarter arrived, Valley View was still standing tall:

Valley View 38, Prep 31 with about 7:00 left.

And then came the moment that will live in Valley View’s gym for a long time.

With 1:03 left, Scranton Prep’s Chloe Mamera got trapped near the baseline — off balance, suffocated — with Ava Gazoo all over her. Mamera tried to float a pass to her left, over bodies, over hands… and it got picked clean by Mady Minelli.

Minelli took off, sprinting the other way, and fed Sadie Cardoni in the paint — and Cardoni finished.

With :52 left:

Valley View 44, Scranton Prep 43.

From there, it was pure guts — and pure defense.

The Lady Cougars didn’t break. They didn’t blink. They clamped down, possession after possession, and when the clock finally hit zeros… it wasn’t just a win.

It was a wall falling.

Twenty-seven years. One buzzer. One scoreboard.

45–43, Valley View.

“During halftime we knew we had to turn the notch up on defense, limit mistakes and run the plays that Coach Martin tells us to run,” said Cardoni. “We knew they were going to come out fired up, but we just had to have more energy and be more aggressive. And we did just that.”

She continued: “This win means so much to me and the girls. We work so hard at practice and it showed tonight. Before we never got the attention that we deserved, but I know that we definitely will now. The past couple years we haven’t been able to accomplish beating Prep, and tonight doing it felt like the world.”

And for a whole lot of Valley View fans, it did feel like the world — because that last win over Prep happened back in 1999, when some of today’s players’ parents were still in school.

“We came in prepared and we all really wanted it,” said Valley View sophomore Mady Minelli. “So after the final buzzer went off we were all ecstatic and super proud to see all of the hard work and preparation we put into this game pay off.”

“Our defense makes us go,” said head coach Robbie Martin. “We knew if we defended we would be in a fight. Two very good teams battled to the final buzzer. Pregame I had to settle them down a bit — telling them to play with poise and have good energy. I got on them a bit at halftime that they were playing ahead of themselves. They needed to keep the game simple.”

Martin added: “When that final buzzer went off I was so happy for this team. Honestly I’m demanding and they put in a lot of time. They never complain. Their work ethic and drive is impressive.”

He continued: “Overall our defense wasn’t our best, but we stepped up in the big moments. When we turned it over with 19.3 and they called a timeout, I told them we are in a good spot. Our identity is our defense — and it’s only fitting our defense wins us this game.”

Castellani was the spark — and the closer.

“I tell the kids all the time: ‘Big-time players play big in big games,’” Martin said. “Cora is a big-time player. Tonight she got it done on both ends of the floor. I got on her a bit during the game and the kid just keeps delivering. She has a mindset like no other.”

And right there — loud, fearless, and finished — Valley View wasn’t just playing Scranton Prep anymore.

They were coming for them.

They had this game circled. And I did too.

I’m Valley View proud — proud of those Lady Cougars who did what it took and had no quit. Because this is how things get done in Cougar town. This is how I’ve always lived it: motivate, believe, and let the work do the talking.

And yeah… I’m going to sleep pretty good tonight.

As for that Scranton Prep coach? Who knows… and honestly, who cares. Last night wasn’t about him. It was about Valley View — a historic win, a streak buried, and a gym that finally got to exhale after 27 long years.

All I know is this:

Mission accomplished — thanks to the Valley View Lady Cougars.

A complete team effort. Real grit. Real heart. Real hard work.

And they earned every second of it. Down goes the Giant.