PAXINOS -- Eli Manning may have been the Super Bowl's Most Valuble Player, but Henry Hynoski was the name on everyone's tongue at the Wayside Inn on Sunday night.
Patrons gathered in blue Giants jerseys to support Hynoski, the 23-year-old Elysburg native and Southern Columbia High School graduate who is now the proud owner of a Super Bowl championship ring.
"For everybody, it's just amazing," said Ed Markowski, of Coal Township, taking a break to chat during the third quarter. Hynoski is an "inspiration to the area," he said. "I couldn't be more proud to be from the Coal Region."
Wayside regular Jose Brito, of Shamokin, said it was awesome to see so many people rooting for the Giants. A long-time New York fan, Brito said he's used to people cheering for Philadelphia teams.
Hynoski's parents were with him at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, but he had other family members watching him locally.
Barbara Bobkoskie, a cousin of Hynoski's mother, traveled from her home in Trenton, N.J., to be at the Wayside for the game.
"I don't really know much about football, but I came here to cheer Henry," she said.
Bobkoskie and boyfriend Tony Caprio were both sporting Hynoski jerseys.
A rookie like him making it to the Super Bowl "makes him a winner no matter what," Caprio said.
A private party was held in the back of Wayside for friends and families of the owners, including state Rep. Kurt Masser, R-107 of Elysburg. After the Giants won, the place "just went crazy," said Masser. "It's an incredible feeling. We're so proud of Henry."
"It's a positive win for everybody in the area that was following him and supporting him," said Jim Roth, Hynoski's former coach at Southern Columbia, in a phone conversation.
"He did a good job throughout the game," said Roth, including "a couple key catches in the first half."
As for Hynoski's third quarter recovery of a Giants fumble, that "could have been huge," said Roth. "It could have been a key point in the game."
Also at Wayside was Mary Ann Waskakoski of Elysburg, a nurse who used to treat Hynoski when he was younger.
"I've known him since he was born, he was a great kid, always," she said.
She remembers that when the doctor, Pat Bruno, used to tell a Hynoski that he was too young to play sports, he would respond, "but I was born to play football!"
Email comments to rstoneback@dailyitem.com.
