Senior Neah Ewing was happy to add another bullet point to the long list of accolades the Knoch basketball programs achieved this winter.
Ewing watched the boys team go on a program-best ride that ended with its first WPIAL Class 4A title and a spot in the PIAA quarterfinals.
While the girls team missed out on the playoffs, Ewing provided the Knights with a few more highlights during the 29th annual Cager Classic skills competition Friday at Highlands High School. Ewing won the 3-point shooting and individual hotshot competitions.
Knoch senior Vinnie DeFelice also won the boys individual hotshot competition, beating Kiski Area’s Amaree Gonzalez in the final.
“It was a lot of fun,” Ewing said. “I’m very competitive. Winning felt great. I wanted to make at least the finals. I was surprised I won both.”
Ewing’s fire to compete saw her strategizing during the hotshots final, as she studied how Kiski Area’s Alison Pencak was trying to score. Competitors got points for each made shot at eight spots around the court.
Ewing beat Butler’s Emily Hoffer in the final of the 3-point shooting competition.
“I was thinking about how many she made, and I just wanted to beat her amount,” Ewing said. “I didn’t go for the super-high-scoring shots the second time. I just wanted to get enough to beat hers.”
In addition to beating some of the best boys players from the Alle-Kiski Valley, DeFelice won in a field that included the Knights’ all-time leading scorer, Teegan Finucan. After beating Gonzalez in the final, DeFelice said he felt the bragging rights he earned would be temporary.
“Yeah, for a little bit,” DeFelice said. “I was most looking forward to the 3-point competition. I didn’t think I would win the hotshot, but that was a fun one. Now, it’s probably my favorite.”
Central Catholic’s Ryan Hower, who lives in Oakmont, won the boys 3-point shooting competition over Cheswick Christian Academy’s Joseph Rosio.
Burrell’s Casey Brancato teamed with Leechburg’s Mason Scitticatt to win the team hotshot competition. The partners had 10 minutes to prepare before they played together.
“There was really no thinking,” Brancato said. “You just had to do what you had to do.”
They beat Highlands Carmine Lacava and Springdale’s Maggie Simonetti in the final.
Scitticatt said he didn’t know Brancato before they teamed up. Scitticatt bombed 3s in the finals, and Brancato was able to add layups to help get their total up.
“We did a strategy on the fly,” Scitticatt said. “We just did what we had to do.”
Everyone took the necessary steps to close out the friendly competition.
While DeFelice didn’t win the 3-point shootout, he was happy to have a chance to compete against friends and rivals.
“I know most of the guys,” DeFelice said. “It’s just fun competing with a bunch of my friends from other schools and even with Derek (Lang) and Teegan from my own school.”