Former Cager Classic MVP Corey Smith now coaching in all-star basketball game
Kiski Area coach Corey Smith has come full circle with the Cager Classic. He was the East MVP in 2002, an assistant under Greg Hutcherson and now the head coach for the East as the Cager Classic returns after a two-year hiatus brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The event...
A-K Valley athletes of the week: Freeport’s Vinnie Clark, Cheswick Christian’s Olivia Rochkind
Vinnie Clark Class: Senior School: Freeport Sport: Basketball Report card: Clark had a game-high 22 points to lead Freeport to a Section 1-4A victory over Keystone Oaks. He is one of four seniors in the Yellowjackets’ starting lineup who have helped the team achieve more wins this year (seven) than...
Cheswick Christian boys basketball team motivated to make mark
At the elementary and middle school levels, the current group of Cheswick Christian basketball players experienced success, which has given them some confidence coming into the season. Now they hope they can translate those winning ways to the high school level. “They’re eager to break back through at the high...
Full schedule breeds enthusiasm inside Cheswick Christian girls basketball program
After a covid-shortened 2020-21 season in which the Cheswick Christian girls basketball team played only nine games, signs are pointing towards a return to a more normal slate this winter. That’s a welcomed proposition for Chargers coach Jacque Willis and her team. Cheswick Christian returns three starters from last year’s...
Girls basketball preview: After successful run, high expectations remain for Cheswick Christian
Cheswick Christian Academy girls basketball coach Jacque Willis said it was hard to put into words how special last season was for the program. “The girls were in the situation where their beloved head coach (Clinton Blazevich) was going through a very serious condition where he needed a heart transplant,...
Boys basketball preview: Large senior class set to guide Cheswick Christian
When veteran Cheswick Christian Academy boys basketball coach Todd Rosio assessed his team’s 2019-20 season, he saw improvement from the players but knew they were not satisfied with their record. “The team is looking to take a step forward this year,” said Rosio, who enters his 27th season at the...
Cheswick Christian Academy pastor and ex-basketball coach ‘doing well’ after heart transplant
Clinton Blazevich returned to Allegheny General Hospital on Thursday for a test to see how everything is progressing with his new heart. His numbers, he said, continue to move in the right direction. It has been a month and a half since the April 22 transplant, and the pastor at...
Organizers cancel A-K Cager Classic all-star game over coronavirus concerns
One of the Alle-Kiski Valley’s most popular sports events has become a victim of coronavirus concerns. The A-K Cager Classic, pitting senior high school basketball players from both sides of the Allegheny River, has been canceled, co-founder Glenn Mills said Thursday morning. The 24th annual all-star boys and girls event...
Cheswick Christian girls playing inspired basketballVideo
Veteran experience, team balance and ongoing inspiration from its former coach are just a few things, first-year Cheswick Christian Academy girls basketball coach Jacque Willis said, that have contributed to the team’s strong performance. The Chargers entered the week 8-4 overall and 3-1 in the Southwest Christian Athletic Conference, and...
Rebuilding plan has Cheswick Christian boys ready to contend again
When 6-foot-10 Ben Pollock finished his Cheswick Christian Academy boys basketball career in 2016-17 after rewriting much of the school’s record book, longtime Chargers coach Todd Rosio had a three-year plan to build the team back up to contending status. The Chargers have arrived at Year 3 of that plan....
Cheswick Christian girls dedicate season to former coach in need of heart transplant
Jacque Willis thought she might become a basketball coach someday, but she never expected it to be just a few months after she graduated college. But when Clinton Blazevich had to step down for health reasons, Willis, 22, was elevated from assistant status to head coach of the Cheswick Christian...
Recchia hits another winner as East boys best West at Cager Classic
Mars senior Andrew Recchia is getting accustomed to winning shots. Earlier this month, Recchia fired in a 3-pointer to lift the Planets to their second consecutive WPIAL Class 5A basketball title. On Saturday night at Highlands, Recchia took a pass from teammate Brandon Caruso and hit the winning shot with...
A-K Valley high school notes: Walker to build Leechburg boys soccer team
Brad Walker knows about rebuilding. Now he will just be building. The former Highlands boys soccer coach was hired last week for the same job at Leechburg, which is fielding a boys soccer team for the first time. The Blue Devils formed a cooperative agreement with Apollo-Ridge and will play...
Rosters released for 23rd annual Cager Classic
Organizers for the Cager Classic All-Star basketball game released the rosters for the 23rd annual event, which will take place March 22-23 at Highlands High School. The event features senior players from the Alle-Kiski Valley and surrounding schools. For the first time, the game will include players from Butler and...
A-K Valley lookahead for Week of Feb. 18, 2019
MONDAY Girls basketball: Freeport makes its third consecutive appearance in the WPIAL playoffs as the No. 4 Yellowjackets (18-4) take on No. 13 Quaker Valley in the Class 4A first round at 6:30 p.m. at North Allegheny. TUESDAY Boys basketball: A first-round bye didn’t help Fox Chapel in the WPIAL...
