Pittsburg, PA
Cheswick Christian boys edge Pittsburgh Christian Academy for SWCAC title | Trib HSSN
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Saturday, February 24, 2024 | 8:49 PM
The Cheswick Christian Academy boys basketball team defeated Pittsburgh Christian Academy, 42-39, on Saturday at a packed Steve Warden Gymnasium to take home its first SWCAC title since 2015.
Grant Rochkind, the league MVP, finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for Cheswick Christian.
The game featured eight lead changes. Pittsburgh Christian, in its second season, took a 26-25 lead in the third quarter.
But the Chargers responded with an 11-0 run, which was fueled by Joseph Rosio, who knocked down a 3-pointer. A layup from Sean Louis put Cheswick up 36-26, but the River Hawks rallied with an 11-0 run capped by a 3-pointer from Aaron Powers to give Pittsburgh Christian a 37-36 lead.
The Chargers got their first points in the fourth quarter when Grant Rochkind was fouled and made both free throws with 1 minute, 46 seconds remaining to make it 38-37. Powers fouled out on the play.
Tim Nicklas then drove for a layup to give Pittsburgh Christian back a 39-38 lead.
Then came the biggest play of the game. Rochkind was forced left on an isolation and hit a fadeaway for a 40-39 lead.
“I knew we had to get a bucket,” Rochkind said. “I knew if we were going out, I had to take my best shot at it and it went in.”
The Chargers forced a stop, and after reaching the bonus, Brian Kazmer hit both free throws to go up 42-39.
The River Hawks chucked up a final shot as time expired, but it went long.
“The crowd was electric,” Rochkind said. “It was amazing tonight. I love their support. They’re great.”
Rosio, who scored 14 points and buried three 3s, marveled at his teammate.
“He’s clutch, man,” Rosio said of Rochkind. “That’s the reason he’s MVP.”
Rosio contributed several key baskets, including an and-one 3 early in the game to energize the crowd.
“Joseph man, he’s a sniper,” Rochkind said. “He’s great. He’s been huge for us all year, and it continued tonight.”
Rosio also appreciated the atmosphere.
“I love these fans man,” Rosio said. “I love this crowd.”
“My team puts that trust in me. They trust me to get the ball. They trust me to knock down those shots, and I do my best to knock them down.”
Kazmer said the team is peaking at the right time.
“I’m super proud of the team,” Kazmer said. “We’ve been playing good defense all year. Our offense has been getting better and better as we went on. Playing WPIAL teams made us better as a team. Our team chemistry, we’ve been playing since middle school, so it’s just through the roof.”
Pittsburgh Christian dominated much of the fourth quarter until Cheswick Christian’s late rally.
“They worked really hard, and they had a goal to get here,” River Hawks coach Chadd Schafer said of his team. “Obviously we wanted to win, but we’re really proud of how they played. They battled a lot of things this season. I’m super proud of them.”
Nicklas finished with 15 points and four rebounds, and Powers had 12 points and five rebounds.
Tags: Cheswick Christian
Pittsburg, PA
Radio host says Pittsburgh Steelers should make this shocking move: ‘They need to start over’
The Pittsburgh Steelers are 10-6 and have now lost control of the AFC North as they head into the postseason. Their postseason berth is already clinched, so they have nothing to worry about there, but if they want to win their first playoff game in over a decade, many things need to be fixed.
Yet, one analyst says this recent stretch proves it’s time for the Steelers to blow it up entirely. Jason McIntyre says the Steelers should trade T.J. Watt and hit the reset button because it is what the team needs.
“I took a lot of heat when I said over the offseason the Steelers should trade T.J. Watt and start over, but I wasn’t wrong,” McIntyre said. “I was just early. I looked for nine or 10 weeks, but this team needs to start over.”
When McIntyre suggested the offseason, it was to the tune of the Steelers landing multiple first-round picks that would allow them to cobble together enough capital to land a franchise quarterback in the draft.
That is what McIntyre believes is ultimately holding the Steelers back from contention, placing much of the blame at the feet of Russell Wilson. Even still, the Steelers are not going to trade Watt and believe they can win a Super Bowl with him.
- BETTING: Check out our guide to the best PA sportsbooks, where our team of sports betting experts has reviewed the experience, payout speed, parlay options and quality of odds for multiple sportsbooks.
Pittsburg, PA
Pirates Star Was Nearly Two-Sport Athlete In College
Life nearly took a very different turn for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Andrew McCutchen.
McCutchen went on Mookie Betts’ podcast on Bleacher Report, On Base With Mookie Betts. In the episode, the Pirates star revealed that he had an offer from the University of Miami to play football and baseball on a full-ride scholarship. McCutchen said he hadn’t played football since his sophomore season after he suffered a torn ACL in his sophomore year of high school playing the sport.
McCutchen said he considered the offer from Miami but eventually decided to stick with baseball knowing that was a strong chance he’d be drafted in the first round of the MLB Draft. That eventually came to fruition when the Pirates drafted him with the No. 11 overall pick in the first round of the 2005 MLB Draft out of Fort Meade High School in FL.
“I get a phone call from the head coach for our high school football team,” McCutchen said. “He calls me [and] he goes, ‘Hey, congratulations. Miami called [and] they want to give you an offer. They want to offer you. I’m like, ‘What?’ [He said] they you want to give a full ride to play football. And I sat there and I’m like I ain’t played football in two years. I was kind of in shock, and I was like, ‘Nah, man, I’m getting drafted.’”
Had McCutchen not been taken in the first round of the MLB Draft, he said he would have gone to college and likely would have tried to play football and baseball collegiately. McCutchen had signed a Letter of Intent to play at the University of Florida before he was drafted by Pittsburgh.
Drafting McCutchen has proven to be one of the Pirates’ best decisions in franchise history. McCutchen, 38, has amassed a 42.7 Wins Above Replacement and has batted .284/.375/.475 with 235 home runs and 818 RBIs over his 11 seasons in Pittsburgh. McCutchen ranks among the franchise’s all-time great players, ranking in the top 10 in Wins Above Replacement, games played, at-bats, home runs, RBIs, hits, doubles and total bases.
McCutchen is also a former MVP, five-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger, Gold Glove winner, and winner of the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award in 2015. The Pirates legend is set to return for a 12th season with the franchise after agreeing to a one-year, $5 million deal on Monday.
Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburg, PA
Ireland Contracting Nightly Sports Call: Dec. 25, 2024
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