Fort Cherry takes care of business vs. Jeannette, reaches PIAA semis

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Saturday, March 16, 2024 | 5:48 PM

Previous Next

Emotions ran high during some tense moments Saturday in a PIAA Class 2A boys basketball quarterfinal, but Fort Cherry didn’t get caught up in the commotion.

The Rangers were too immersed in their long-awaited run through the state tournament.

Fort Cherry advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1961, building a 16-point lead before holding off underdog Jeannette for a 70-60 victory at AHN Arena in Peters Township.

Fort Cherry’s football team made the PIAA finals in the fall and went 15-1. Now, the basketball team is a win away from playing in Hershey for a state title.

The Rangers (23-6) will face WPIAL champion Aliquippa (24-5) on Tuesday.

“These guys expect to do this,” Rangers coach Eugene Briggs said. “They’re not nervous or overly excited. They just want to play. To make it this far, you can’t be too overwhelmed by it.”

Jeannette ends a season that came with a bonus — a young but talented team reaching the state quarters, perhaps ahead of schedule — at 19-10.

The Jayhawks, who stunned WPIAL runner-up Greensburg Central Catholic in the second round, hadn’t been to the quarters since 2018.

Senior Derek Errett had 25 points, 16 in the second half, for Fort Cherry. Junior Shane Cornali added 20 for the Rangers, and 13 of sophomore Blake Sweder’s 16 also came after halftime.

Jeannette played without freshman starting guard Jayce Powell, who turned his ankle at the end of practice Friday.

“They’re big and physical, tough kids,” Jeannette coach Adrian Batts said of Fort Cherry. “They have good football kids. Who does that remind you of? They played for a football championship. Nothing is going to rattle them.”

But both teams did look rattled, flustered at least, early in the fourth.

An intentional foul was called on Jeannette senior Isaiah Mallich as sophomore Blake Sweder drove the lane. Players confronted each other near midcourt, and there were words exchanged and some pushing before officials and security defused the situation.

“It’s more important to win the game than to win the fight,” Briggs said. “Once it started to get out of control, you rein it in.”

Play resumed, and Fort Cherry pressed on the gas pedal. Errett scored on a tough drive to make it 52-36 with just over six minutes left.

“I don’t like to make excuses,” Batts said. “We didn’t make some shots. (Fort Cherry) didn’t get out of that zone. Our guys showed some resilience. I told them, ‘Look at those letters on your chest. You’re playing for your city and all these fans. Don’t let the little things bother you.’ ”

Despite trailing by 16 two more times during a high-scoring fourth, Jeannette filed the deficit down to 69-60 with a minute left.

Free throws helped the Rangers stay in control. They made 12 of 19 foul shots in the fourth quarter and 18 of 28 for the game.

With 1:53 remaining, there was more tension.

Jeannette sophomore Kymone Brown and Errett were whistled for technical fouls.

Brown stepped over Errett, who was down on the court. Errett took offense and threw the ball at Brown, hitting him in the back.

Errett fouled out.

Again, there were words exchanged and players were sent to their bench.

Mallich hit two 3s, and freshman Markus McGowan made another to get the Jayhawks to within 69-58.

Jeannette outscored the Rangers, 26-24, in the fourth.

Jeannette never led but stayed within earshot of the Rangers for two-plus quarters. Sophomore Noah Sunder’s basket got Jeannette to within 36-32 late in the third, but the Rangers ended the quarter with a 10-2 run to carry a 46-34 lead to the fourth.

Mallich made the best of his time in his final high school game, scoring 19 points and making five 3-pointers. Brown added 14, nine in the fourth, and McGowan had 11, including three 3s for the Jayhawks.

Jeannette made 11 of 17 free throws.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our guys,” Batts said. “We were a game away from the west final. I love my group.

“They have a chance to be special. They can’t just be special in the newspaper. They need to be special on the floor.”

Fort Cherry won its only state title in boys basketball in 1961 with a 51-41 win over Saint Clair to take Class B (2A).

“We made the second round two years ago,” Briggs said. “We have had success in other sports, too. We have a lot of good kids who take to coaching well.”

Briggs is a 1976 Fort Cherry grad and the first player in program history to score 1,000 points.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Fort Cherry, Jeannette