Holy Redeemer’s Charlie Schaffer defends Holy Cross’ Adam Badyrka during the basketball game at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Redeemer’s Kaden Sepkosk moves the ball during the basketball game at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Cross’ Colin Farrell takes a shot during the basketball game at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Cross’ Colin Farrell high fives his teammates before the basketball game at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Cross’ Colin Ritterbusch competes with Holy Redeemer’s Kaden Sepkoski for the rebound during the basketball game at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Cross’ CJ Thompson controls the ball during the basketball game at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Cross’ Colin Farrell controls the ball during the basketball game at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Redeemer’s Cody Quaglia takes a shot during the basketball game at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Cross’ head coach Al Callejas Jr. calls out to his players during the basketball game at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Holy Redeemer players welcome Kaden Sepkoski back to the bench during the basketball game at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Holy Redeemer’s Charlie Schaffer defends Holy Cross’ Adam Badyrka during the basketball game at Holy Cross High School in Dunmore on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
DUNMORE — Any time Holy Cross and Holy Redeemer collide, it is an intense competition.
On the basketball court, however, the storied championship traditions make the battles a bit more fiery. Each team is motivated to gain the upper hand in the rivalry between the two Catholic schools in the Scranton Diocese.
Throw in the win-or-go-home aspect of the postseason, and it can make for a fierce, sometimes erratic, game.
CJ Thompson helped fourth-seeded Holy Cross overcome some uneasiness by scoring 20 points and contributing five rebounds and five assists. The Crusaders pulled away late to advance with a 53-42, hard-fought victory over the Royals in the steamy Holy Cross High School gymnasium Wednesday night.
Holy Cross (14-9) will play at top-seeded Riverside (21-1) in the District 2 Class 3A semifinals in a much-anticipated matchup between two teams that played five times in the last two seasons. That showdown is Saturday at 1 p.m.
“We knew coming in here that no other game mattered but this one,” Thompson said. “We came out slow, but we knew what we had to do to get the win.”
Being paired against Holy Redeemer helped keep the Crusaders from peaking ahead in the playoffs.
Then, early on, the Royals came out fired up to unnerve Holy Cross, which earned a 49-40 win the first time the two teams met Dec. 15.
Kaden Sepkoski had five points, and Kyaire McLean scored four points as Holy Redeemer jumped out to an 11-5 advantage. Holy Cross stayed within striking distance thanks to a fast start by Jack Alpert, who had five of his seven points in the first quarter.
“It is important to play hard in those situations,” Alpert said. “We weren’t shooting the ball real well. So, we had to play on the defensive end and get stops. By getting the stops, it translated into points, and we played together.”
Holy Cross started to get going when Thompson converted a three-point play late in the first quarter. The Crusaders scored the first 10 points of the second quarter, and seized a 19-12 lead.
Holy Redeemer, as rivals often do, kept fighting and finished the half strong. Logan Shrader and Jack Wasiawowski fueled the offense, and the Royals trailed, 26-20, at the break.
In the third, Holy Cross junior Adam Badyrka, who did not play in the first meeting because of his early-season injury, shook off some shooting struggles. He scored seven of his 11 points in the quarter, and the Crusaders had a 35-26 lead.
McLean gave Holy Redeemer another spark. A 7-2 run highlighted by his 3-pointer pulled the Royals to within 39-35.
Holy Redeemer (14-10) carried the momentum into the final 8 minutes. Sepkoski, Quron Drayton and McLean spearheaded a 5-1 surge to start the fourth quarter that locked the teams in a 40-40 tie. The Royals had several opportunities to take the lead, but couldn’t get over the hump.
After two free throws by Holy Cross’ Collin Farrell, coach Al Callejas Jr. called a timeout. From there, the Crusaders dialed up the defense and held Holy Redeemer scoreless for almost 3 minutes while taking control of the game.
Thompson drilled a 3-pointer and had five points.
“I told my teammates that we had to finish,” Thompson said. “We knew the situation. We all played our roles, and that’s how we got the win.”
Colin Ritterbusch, a 6-foot-5 center, became physical in the paint and had four points, and Alpert finished the game with two free throws.
“That was big for us,” said Ritterbusch, who finished with eight points and 10 rebounds. “We had to stay poised even when things weren’t going our way. It was a sloppy win, but we got the job done.
“I fought for my team, and we all had to come together to get this win.”