Agape Freedom Sports LLC

WRITTEN BY: JERIC YURKANIN

DUNMORE PENNSYLVANIA– Before Holy Cross softball became a district champion, before the dugout noise, the playoff pressure, and the big moments under the lights, the story of Coach Joe Ross started in a completely different version of the game.

Softball used to feel different around Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Back in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and even into the early 2000s, slow-pitch and modified softball were part of the heartbeat of local towns. Bars had teams. Businesses sponsored teams. Fields stayed packed on summer nights. There was always another game somewhere. You could hear bats cracking through the warm night air, cleats digging into dusty infields, players laughing in parking lots after games, and crowds lining fences just to watch local talent compete.

Over time, many of those leagues slowly faded away. Teams folded. Fewer players came out. Some fields went quiet.

But for Joe Ross, that was where everything started.

Ross first learned the game through that local softball world and eventually became one of the top modified softball players in the area. He won three state championships, earned MVP honors, and was selected all-state multiple times. Long before he was coaching from the third-base line at Holy Cross, Ross was learning the game himself through competition, pressure, repetition, toughness, and countless summer nights spent chasing another championship.

And for many people around Northeastern Pennsylvania — especially dads, uncles, and grandparents over the age of 50— the name Joe Ross is already familiar. Long before this current generation knew him as Holy Cross’ softball coach, many around the local slow-pitch and modified softball community already knew exactly who he was.

But softball was only one chapter of Ross’ story.

A graduate of the University of Scranton, Ross played baseball there from 1985 through 1987 and later earned a place on the school’s Wall of Fame in 2001 as a player. Not long after his playing career ended, coaching quickly became part of his life.

Soon after college, Ross started coaching at Bishop O’Hara as the head junior varsity baseball coach for four seasons. He also served as the junior high basketball coach and assistant varsity basketball coach during his time with the Bishop O’Hara Bruins, the school now known as Holy Cross High School.

From there, Ross was hired as Lakeland’s head varsity baseball coach beginning in 1993, leading the program for two seasons before continuing his journey at the collegiate level.

Eventually, in 1995, Ross became Marywood University’s first baseball coach, helping build the program from the ground up. By the time his career there ended in 2008, Ross had compiled 174 career wins while helping establish the foundation of Marywood baseball. He also spent time as a hitting coach at the University of Scranton and later coached at Scranton Preparatory School.

Everywhere Ross went, the game seemed to follow him.

Or maybe he simply never stopped following the game.

Then in 2016, Holy Cross hired Joe Ross as its girls softball head coach.

The beginning was not instant glory.

That first season, the Lady Crusaders finished 7-9. It was not the kind of record that creates headlines or turns programs into contenders overnight. But Ross understood something many people do not.

Building something meaningful takes time.

It happens one practice at a time.

One lesson at a time.

One player at a time.

One culture at a time.

By 2022, Holy Cross climbed to 15-5 before Elk Lake ended its season in the playoffs. In 2023, the Lady Crusaders went 14-9, only to watch Elk Lake eliminate them again. Then came 2024. Another strong season. Another playoff loss to Elk Lake.

Three straight years.

Same roadblock.

Same heartbreak.

Same lesson.

But Ross kept building.

And finally, in 2025, Holy Cross broke through.

After years of falling short, battling adversity, and continuing to trust the process, Ross led the Lady Crusaders to a District 2 championship victory over Old Forge. What began as a 7-9 rebuilding program in 2016 had turned into a championship team — not by accident, not through shortcuts, but through patience, consistency, belief, and a coach who understood that sometimes the game rewards the people willing to keep showing up long after others would have walked away.

But on Thursday night, the story carried a little extra meaning.

Joe Ross found himself coaching against first-year Dunmore High School head coach Sarah Cantarella — his niece.

“Tonight was very special to me and our family. When the Dunmore position opened up, I asked my brother Paul and sister-in-law if Sarah was going to apply. I called her and encouraged her to apply,” said Holy Cross head coach Joe Ross.

He continued: “The advice I gave her was pretty simple. First, what came easy to her may not come easy to her players, so be vocal. The second part is to always do what you think is right, no matter what. At the end of the day, you are responsible for everything in the program.”

“I have been incredibly impressed with how hard she has Dunmore playing. She brings a level of enthusiasm and quest for excellence that is admirable. She played at a high level and is very competitive. You can see those traits being embodied in the way they play,” Ross added.

“Sarah is doing a phenomenal job, and there is no doubt in my mind Dunmore has a very bright future. In closing, Sarah coaches and her players play the game the right way.”

The two had already faced each other once earlier in April, but this time felt different. The lights felt brighter. The atmosphere felt heavier. Family stood on opposite sides of the field, each dugout trying to win, yet both sharing part of the same softball bloodline.

“My Uncle Joe has been my biggest supporter since the first day I was hired. I’m really grateful for him and all of his endless advice. There are no family rivalries — just a lot of making fun of each other down the third-base line, with my mom in the dugout, him on the field, and my dad sitting in the stands next to us,” said Dunmore head coach Sarah Cantarella.

Sarah continued: “My uncle has always been there for me, first as a player and now as a coach. We’ve talked a lot about what it takes to build a program and the work that goes into it. He knows how hard it is and how much time it takes to get the girls to buy in. He has really been a sounding board for me as we’ve tried to build a new culture.”

Sarah added: “Last game, Ava held us to one hit and 15 strikeouts. We’ve changed up our hitting routine lately, and I think that showed today. We made a lot of hard contact and limited our strikeouts significantly. Unfortunately, when you play a good team, hard contact doesn’t always result in as many hits as you would like. We’re fortunate to get a high-level game like this in before the district tournament. I’m not sure there’s anything that can prepare you for a high-leverage game more than this, and today showed the girls they’re right there competing with one of the best teams around.”

Cantarella, a 2014 Dunmore graduate, was once one of the Lady Bucks’ standout players herself, earning All-Region softball honors before continuing her career collegiately at Concordia College New York, an NCAA Division II program that later closed in 2021.

After graduating in 2018, she returned home and became a sixth-grade math teacher in the Mid Valley School District while also serving as an assistant softball coach under longtime Dunmore head coach Mike Piercy for six seasons.

And like her uncle, she spent years learning the game from respected coaches around the Lackawanna Conference, quietly building her own foundation before finally getting the opportunity to lead a program herself.

She is doing a tremendous job in her first season leading Dunmore. The Lady Bucks currently sit at 13-6 after losses to Mid Valley twice, Holy Cross twice, Old Forge once, and Wallenpaupack once — with nearly every defeat coming against some of the area’s most established programs.

Not a bad first season at all.

In fact, Dunmore may very well enter the District 2 Class 2A playoffs as one of the favorites to capture a district championship. And so is Holy Cross for 1A district championship. 

But on this night, beyond the wins, losses, strikeouts, and scoreboard pressure, the game became something deeper.

It became a reminder of how softball stories in Northeastern Pennsylvania often travel through generations.

From old modified softball fields under summer lights…

To fathers teaching daughters…

To uncles mentoring nieces…

To one dugout passing knowledge to another.

And somewhere between the competition, the family jokes from the third-base line, and another meaningful game under the lights, the story of Joe Ross — and now Sarah Cantarella — continued to grow.

Here how the friendly family competition went:

Top 1st Inning — Dunmore Batting

Aubrey Mizenko grounds out to pitcher Ava Schmidt for the first out.

Emily McGowan is hit by a pitch. Rachel Walsh flies out to left fielder Claire Helring for the second out, with McGowan remaining at first.

Paige Ancherani grounds out to shortstop Jules Galella to end the inning.

Bottom 1st Inning — Holy Cross Batting

Ava Schmidt leads off with a line-drive double to center fielder Kylie Farr. Schmidt advances to third on an error by Farr.

Lila Kolcharno then hits a fly ball and reaches on an error by left fielder Rachel Walsh, allowing Schmidt to score.

Holy Cross 1, Dunmore 0

Jules Galella grounds out to second baseman Paige Ancherani, moving Kolcharno to second. Payton Graboske grounds out to shortstop Aubrey Mizenko, advancing Kolcharno to third.

Claire Helring follows with a hard ground-ball single to center fielder Farr, scoring Kolcharno.

Holy Cross 2, Dunmore 0

McKinley Griffiths pops out to shortstop Mizenko to end the inning.

Top 2nd Inning — Dunmore Batting

Ava Walsh walks to lead off the inning.

Kylie Farr strikes out swinging for the first out, with Walsh remaining at first.

Nancy Mecca strikes out for the second out.

Jackie Brown strikes out looking to end the inning.

Bottom 2nd Inning — Holy Cross Batting

Maya DeSantis strikes out swinging for the first out.

Kiera Bauman strikes out looking for the second out.

Emily Fitzpatrick pops out to second base to end the inning.

Top 3rd Inning — Dunmore Batting

Peyton Ancherani pops out in foul territory to catcher Payton Graboske for the first out.

Aubrey Mizenko pops out in foul territory to first baseman Maya DeSantis for the second out.

Emily McGowan pops out to third baseman Kiera Bauman to end the inning.

Bottom 3rd Inning — Holy Cross Batting

Ava Schmidt doubles on a line drive to left fielder Rachel Walsh.

Lila Kolcharno grounds out to third baseman Emily McGowan, moving Schmidt to third.

Jules Galella singles on a line drive to center fielder Kylie Farr, scoring Schmidt.

Holy Cross 3, Dunmore 0

Payton Graboske grounds into a double play to shortstop Aubrey Mizenko, with Galella out advancing to second to end the inning.

Top 4th Inning — Dunmore Batting

Rachel Walsh grounds out to shortstop Jules Galella for the first out.

Paige Ancherani flies out to center fielder McKinley Griffiths for the second out.

Ava Walsh singles on a line drive to center field. Kylie Farr follows with a fly-ball double to left fielder Claire Helring, scoring Walsh.

Holy Cross 3, Dunmore 1

Nancy Mecca pops out in foul territory to first baseman Maya DeSantis to end the inning.

Bottom 4th Inning — Holy Cross Batting

Claire Helring walks to lead off the inning.

McKinley Griffiths lays down a bunt, and third baseman Emily McGowan records the out at first. Helring advances to second.

Maya DeSantis strikes out looking for the second out, with Helring remaining at second.

Kiera Bauman strikes out looking to end the inning.

Top 5th Inning — Dunmore Batting

Jackie Brown strikes out looking for the first out.

Peyton Ancherani hits a line drive and reaches on an error by center fielder McKinley Griffiths.

Aubrey Mizenko flies out to center fielder Griffiths for the second out, with Ancherani remaining at first.

Emily McGowan strikes out swinging to end the inning.

Bottom 5th Inning — Holy Cross Batting

Emily Fitzpatrick strikes out swinging for the first out.

Ava Schmidt strikes out swinging for the second out.

Lila Kolcharno grounds out to third baseman Emily McGowan to end the inning.

Top 6th Inning — Dunmore Batting

Rachel Walsh strikes out looking for the first out.

Paige Ancherani pops out to second baseman Lila Kolcharno, who flips to pitcher Ava Schmidt for the second out.

Ava Walsh strikes out swinging to end the inning.

Bottom 6th Inning — Holy Cross Batting

Jules Galella doubles on a line drive to center fielder Kylie Farr.

Payton Graboske flies out to center fielder Farr for the first out, with Galella remaining at second.

Claire Helring is hit by a pitch, putting two runners on.

McKinley Griffiths hits a ground ball and reaches on an error by shortstop Aubrey Mizenko. Galella advances to third, and Helring moves to second.

Maya DeSantis grounds out to second baseman Paige Ancherani, scoring Galella. Helring advances to third, and Griffiths moves to second.

Holy Cross 4, Dunmore 1

Kiera Bauman grounds out to second baseman Ancherani to end the inning.

Top 7th Inning — Dunmore Batting

Kylie Farr strikes out swinging for the first out.

Nancy Mecca singles on a ground ball to left fielder Claire Helring.

Jackie Brown doubles on a fly ball to left fielder Helring, moving Mecca to third.

Peyton Ancherani grounds out to second baseman Lila Kolcharno, allowing Mecca to score. Brown advances to third on the play.

Holy Cross 4, Dunmore 2

Two outs, with Brown standing at third. Mizenko pops out to second baseman Kolcharno. Three outs. Ball game. 

“Going into this game I know we really wanted to get ahead early so everyone’s approach at the plate was to attack a good pitch, especially with runners on base. “ Said Holy Cross Claire Helring 

She continued: “We are fortunate enough to  have plenty of girls who are very talented, but also great friends. Having many girls that can step up at any moment gives us plenty of confidence going into the post season.”

As the mid-May sunlight slowly faded beyond the outfield fence and the pressure of another rivalry battle continued building inning by inning, Holy Cross once again showed why the Crusaders remain one of the toughest teams in District 2 softball. Ava Schmidt controlled the game in the circle, striking out eight while allowing just four hits across six and two-thirds innings, but she also helped ignite the offense with two extra-base hits and two runs scored. Jules Galella continued her clutch season with two hits and an RBI, while Claire Herling delivered an early RBI single that helped Holy Cross grab momentum from the opening inning. Maya DeSantis also drove in a run as the Crusaders finished with five hits and continued doing what great playoff-caliber teams often do best — finding different ways to win even when every inning feels tight, tense, and emotional.

“I loved how we kept staying positive not just mentally but with our teammates no matter what happened. “ Said Holy Cross catcher, Payton Graboske 

She contributed: “After catching for Ava for three years, we both are very confident in each other and developed a routine that allows us to have a solid rhythm even in tough games.”

Payton added: “I feel our consistency is the most dangerous aspect of our team. We hit one through nine and we rarely make errors, which allows Ava to pitch confidently.”

But Dunmore never stopped fighting. The Lady Bucks continued to pressure Holy Cross late into the game and showed the type of grit that could make them dangerous moving forward. Kylie Farr delivered an RBI double, Peyton Ancherani added an RBI, and Ava Walsh, Nancy Mecca, and Jackie Brown each collected hits in a game where every baserunner felt important. Rachel Walsh battled hard in the circle despite the loss, striking out six while allowing just one earned run over six innings. Even in defeat, Dunmore showed toughness, resilience, and flashes of a program continuing to grow under first-year head coach leadership. And fittingly, in a game that featured family ties between opposing dugouts, Thursday night felt bigger than just another regular season softball game. It felt like two competitive programs, two determined teams, and two generations of coaching passion all sharing the same field under the lights.

“My mindset today was to just keep it simple and to hit my pitches. I look for strikes to swing at and stay discipline. It’s important to keep a good mindset at the plate and to not overthink.” Said Holy Cross Short Stop Jules Galella 

She added: “I think our teams chemistry and relationships with one another makes the team so confident. Getting along and cheering for one another on and off the field just shows how important it is to stay together as a team especially when there is pressure.”

And maybe that was the perfect ending for a night that felt connected to something much bigger than just seven innings on a softball field.

Because long before Holy Cross was battling for district championships, long before Ava Schmidt was firing strikeouts under pressure, long before Sarah Cantarella and Joe Ross stood in opposite dugouts coaching against one another, this game already existed in another generation.

It existed on dusty modified softball fields during summer nights in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It existed in packed local leagues, in fathers teaching kids how to throw a ball, in coaches giving rides home after games, in the laughter between innings, and in the countless people who helped pass the game down one player at a time.

Thursday night felt like all of those years somehow meeting again under one set of lights — old softball stories blending into new ones.

And as the final out settled into Lila Kolcharno’s glove and Holy Cross escaped another tense late-inning battle, it was hard not to appreciate how special nights like this really are.

One dugout featured a veteran coach who spent decades building programs and chasing championships. The other featured a first-year head coach trying to build her own culture while carrying pieces of that same softball foundation with her. The scoreboard may have read Holy Cross 4, Dunmore 2, but the bigger story felt deeper than wins and losses.

It felt like the game itself continuing to move through generations — from old modified softball leagues, to college baseball dugouts, to district championship dreams, to an uncle and niece coaching against each other with family watching from both sides of the fence. And somewhere in the middle of all of it, another chapter of Northeastern Pennsylvania softball history quietly wrote itself.

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