Joe Layaou returned to a more prominent role in time for the start of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association boys basketball playoffs and helped Holy Redeemer advance with a first-round victory.
Layaou, a 6-foot-2 senior guard/forward from Tunkhannock, was one of just two players to score in double figures when the Royals defeated World Communications from Philadelphia, 64-42, in a Class 3A state tournament opener March 10 at Wilkes University. He came off the bench to score 10 points.
The day before the state tournament opened, Holy Redeemer coach Paul Guido had predicted more production from Layaou, who had played sparingly in the District 2 tournament and made only a cameo appearance in the championship game win over Mid Valley at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
“He was sick there for a little bit, but he’s ready to go know,” Guido said. “He had been under the weather, but he’s back to 100 percent.”
Throughout the season Guido learned he could count on Layaou as one of the seven players who averaged between five and 10 points per game for a balanced team, which won the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 3 title.
“He started maybe half of the season and then was the sixth man for the other half of the season,” Guido said of Layaou, who made most of his starts in the first half of the season before the emergence of sophomore Collin Cook, who became a first-team division all-star.
Anthony Khoudary, who lives in the Dallas School District, and Jake Answini, who lives in the Lake-Lehman School District, also appeared in the game for Holy Redeemer. Neither scored.
Former Dallas Mountaineer Talia Kosierowski shared scoring honors for the Holy Redeemer girls when they won their state tournament opener the next day.
Kosierowski, a starter until the district final, came off the bench to score 14 points in a 65-33 win over Bodine from Philadelphia in another game at Wilkes. She matched Irelyn Jannuzzi for the team lead.
The 5-foot-6 senior guard and Shippensburg University recruit again made a quick impact, scoring 10 points in the first half for a 33-19 lead.
Kosierowski had six points in the first quarter of the District 2 final when Holy Redeemer was handing Dunmore its first loss.
She said after that game she is intent on remaining productive in her new role and showing she can help a deep and talented team in its playoff run.
“We just know that if you’re not producing on the court, you’re not going to get time,” Kosierowski said.
Sarah Kuderka, from Tunkhannock, added two points for the Royals.
