Western Wayne standout excels on the hardwood and in the classroom

HONESDALE — Wins have been tough to come by this season for Western Wayne’s boys varsity basketball team.

Heading into this week’s action, the Wildcats have struggled to an overall record of 0-17. In addition, the local lads are still in search of that elusive first Lackawanna League victory.

Despite being 0-9 in Division II action, Coach Adam Holtzer is starting to see positive things from his scrappy squad.

“We're definitely moving in the right direction,” the veteran skipper said. “The kids give everything they have every day and every night. As a coach, that’s all I can ask.”

Weather and pandemic permitting, the ‘Cats will be back on the hardwood Thursday evening against Scranton High. Opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the venerable Varden Garden.

More: Western Wayne girls basketball team has won eight straight games

More: Natasha Hessling and Stacey Hart represent the next generation of coaches

More: Honesdale boys basketball captain has overcome tremendous adversity

Coming of Age

Barring an epic late-season rally, Western Wayne won’t be be vying for a district title this year.

However, local fans have had the privilege of watching one of the area’s best players week-in and week-out.

Ryan Vinton is a senior power forward who brings athleticism and an intimidating physical presence to the paint. A multi-sport standout fresh off a stellar soccer season, Vinton is putting up impressive numbers on the basketball court.

Through 17 regular season contests, Vinton is leading the team in both scoring and rebounding. Ryan is among the division’s top five with 13.4 points and 8.5 boards per game.

“Ryan is having a great season!” Coach Holtzer exclaimed. “He comes in every single day with a positive attitude and is ready to be coached. Ryan gives 100 percent on the court whether it’s at practice or during games.”

Vinton began playing organized basketball in the second grade. He participated all through elementary school and junior high before taking a break as a freshman. That hiatus didn’t last long, though.

“I definitely realized that I missed playing, so I came back sophomore year,” he said.

Ryan played the majority of that season on the JV team. However, he also cracked the varsity line-up several times and helped the ‘Cats to a respectable 9-14 record.

Vinton began coming into his own as a junior, despite all the craziness associated with the pandemic-shortened season. He was the team’s third leading scorer behind Matt Henneforth and Mark Christina.

“Ryan was great in low post area,” Coach Holtzer said. “He also started to expand to the high post and even three-point range.”

Vinton entered his senior season with high expectations for his team and himself. And, while the Wildcats are currently ensconced in the Division II cellar, Ryan has emerged as a bona fide All-Star.

Leadership

Western Wayne tipped-off the current campaign with a pair of non-league tournament losses.

Not surprisingly, though, it quickly became clear that Vinton would be a formidable foe for every opponent. Ryan was consistently the team’s high scorer, pouring in points and ripping down rebounds.

That trend has continued to this day.

“Ryan’s best qualities are leadership, effort, finishing and rebounding,” said Coach Holtzer. “He is just a tenacious player. Ryan has really learned to harness his aggressiveness and to use it for good during games.”

For his part, Vinton believes that there are several reasons for his success as a senior.

“Honestly what’s been working for has been my post moves and playing with my back to the basket,” Ryan said. “I have a height advantage on a good amount of kids I play against so that helps, too.”

Western Wayne struggles to be competitive most nights in the always-rugged Lackawanna League. However, Vinton continues to impress at both ends of the floor.

The Wildcats came within a whisker of beating Delaware Valley last week before falling 65-60. Vinton led the way with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Four days later, Ryan turned in a monster performance against Wallenpaupack Area.

Vinton erupted for another double-double, powering his way to a game-high 25 points and 13 boards. Incredibly, Ryan scored all of his team’s 19 points by halftime.

“That was probably the most fun I’ve had playing basketball in a long time because it felt like I could’t miss,” he said.

In Western Wayne’s most recent game, Vinton was once again his usual dominant self. Ryan rattled the rims for a team-best 18 points during a 56-38 non-league loss to Lake Lehman.”

Moving Forward

Ryan is the son of Kelly and Ryan Vinton of Waymart. In addition to being a star athlete, Vinton is also a standout in the classroom.

Ryan is an Honor Roll student and a member of the National Honor Society. He’s ranked 14th in his class academically, boasting a GPA of 98.15.

“I’ve known Ryan as a little kid and now as young man,” said soccer coach Matt Fitzsimmons. “He’s genuinely a nice person. and an excellent student. The growth he’s exhibited over the years is beyond impressive.“

Coach Holtzer concurs.

“Ryan’s a straight-A student,” the veteran skipper said. “He’s always respectful, never in trouble and has a great work ethic. Ryan is the first one on the court and the last one off. He comes from a great family.”

Vinton is a passionate fan of both college and professional basketball. He roots for the New York Knicks and Syracuse Orange. His favorite player of all time is Carmelo Anthony.

Ryan’s future plans include attending college where he hopes to major in civil engineering. At this point in time, he isn’t planning to play either basketball or soccer, but rather focus on his studies.

Vinton is realistic about the Wildcats’ slim playoff hopes this season. However, he is opting about the future of this program.

“I love playing with my team and coaches," Ryan said. "We’re all really close and we’re like family.

“Although we don’t have the best record this year, I see flashes of talent on the JV squad and some of the varsity bench. If the team sticks together, I think they’ll surprise a lot of people in coming years.”

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Lackawanna League boys basketball Western Wayne Wildcats Vinton