The best older players in the Alle-Kiski Valley and nearby areas met at Highlands on Friday to compete in a shooting contest that marked the beginning of the two-day Cager Classic all-star event.
Kalleigh Nerone, who has committed to Bloomsburg and is part of the West girls' team representing Highlands along with teammates Shelby Wojcik, Kate Myers, and Jocelyn Bielak, found the 3-point and hot-shot events to be an enjoyable display of talent in front of an enthusiastic crowd in their home gym.
She commented, “It's really cool to see everyone here showcasing their skills without the usual pressures of regular season games. It's all quite relaxed and lively with the music playing. Everyone wants to win, but we're out there cheering on our teammates as well as those from other teams.”
In the solo and co-ed hot-shot events, participants took shots from specific spots on the court, earning varying points depending on the distance and success of their shots.
Each shooter had one minute to score as many points as possible.
Isaiah Gonzalez from Kiski Area emerged as the winner of the boys' solo hot shot with 49 points in the finals against Hampton’s Peter Kramer. He narrowly defeated Kramer, a Trib HSSN boys all-star, by three points.
“I shot better than I expected,” Gonzalez stated. “I thought the Wilson ball might cause some issues, but it turned out fine. Peter is a great shooter, so I knew I had to perform well to beat him.”
Julie Spinelli from St. Joseph’s, the Valley News Dispatch Girls Player of the Year and a Frostburg State commit, clinched the girls' solo hot shot title. She outperformed Kiski Area’s Abbie Johns, with a score of 30-20, in the head-to-head finals.
Spinelli mentioned, “Even though it's a lighthearted event, I still aimed to be competitive and win. It's no surprise that Abbie made it to the finals. She's an exceptional shooter and a great player throughout our high school careers. It was fun to compete against her.”
Armstrong's Sarai Weaver and Burrell's Joey Discello from the East secured the co-ed hot shot title with 65 points in the finals. They outperformed Hampton’s Emma Rick and Cheswick Christian Academy’s Grant Rochkind.
“We just went out there and tried to make some shots. That’s all you really can do,” Discello remarked. “When the first one goes down, it calms you a little bit and you can keep shooting. We were both making them and really getting into a groove. It was fun.”
Burrell’s Macky Bennis, from the East boys, encountered a shoe mishap early in his minute of hot-shot shooting. His right shoe came off, and he ended up taking the rest of his shots in one shoe and one sock.
Bennis was able to brush off the misfortune with many of the other players.
“They gave us some socks, and they’re a little slippy on the bottom,” said Bennis, who finished his one minute with 13 points. “My shoes weren’t tied too tight, and one of them came off. I was slipping a little on the court. It definitely affected the way I was shooting. But things happen, and this is all about having fun, so it wasn’t a big deal.”
Players shot from five specific spots around the 3-point line in the 3-point contest.
Every player had one minute to shoot three balls worth one point and a special ball worth two points from each of the five racks. The most points a player could get was 25.
Skye Barnes from Fox Chapel and Kathleen Milon from Hampton ended up with the same score after two final rounds. They each took a total of 40 shots in both rounds, and then they shot the five special balls.
Milon defeated Barnes 2-1.
Milon, who hadn't practiced in a while, managed to hold on and win. She expressed, “I knew I had to give my best, despite the season being over. I've known Skye for a long time, and she's a great shooter.”
Rochkind performed well in the boys finals. He beat out Nate Sprajcar from Riverview and Jack Valasek from Armstrong. Sprajcar and Valasek tied in the first round and both made it to the finals.
Rochkind, who hadn't competed much against WPIAL teams during high school, was happy to demonstrate his skills.
Rochkind expressed his gratitude for the chance to compete in the contest, saying, “I felt really good during all the rounds. I got into a rhythm and it was amazing to see the crowd getting excited and cheering. Their support kept me going.”
