johnjayhoops

John Jay Cross River High School Boy’s Varstiy Basketball. Not officially endorsed or sponsored by the Katonah-Lewisboro Union Free School District.

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

@BillSniffen 100%!

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

Lunch time viewing at John Jay summer hoops camp. Upset playoff win on the road circa 2023

[Timmy Pastore @TimmyPastore]

Had a great past 2 weekends with my Middlesex Magic CT team going 2-1 at Gym Ratz on 5/23 and at Hoop Group New England Jam Fest on 5/9 and 5/10.
@MiddlesexMagic @DylanThayer0 @TheHoopGroup @johnjayhoops

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

Congrats to our boys 7th grade team! Spring Super League Champions at the Carmel Sports Club.

[Kevin Devaney Jr. @KDJmedia1]

In all my years of broadcasting, I'd never gotten emotional on air until tonight. It was impossible to hold back the tears.

Jack Piccione of Tappan Zee lost his father suddenly last Sept. 1. Matthew Piccione died of a heart attack minutes after playing pickleball with friends. He was 51.

Over the last three years, I got to know Matthew Piccione fairly well. One day back in 2023, he asked coach George Gaine for my number so he could call me just to say thank you for calling out Jack's contributions during Tappan Zee's championship run.

Jack was a role player who averaged maybe 5 points a game as a freshman. But he started and never came off the court.

"I know he doesn't score a lot of points," Matthew Piccione said. "But you are one of the only people who appreciates what he does for the team."

Matthew Piccione kept a very low profile at games and reinforced in his son to be the emodiment of all the things that make Tappan Zee basketball different than any other program in the state.

Play unselfish. Defend. Be coachable. Defend. Draw charges. Pass. Sacrifice for your teammates. And, of course, defend some more.

Nobody in the history of Tappan Zee basketball since I have been covering has ever played that role better than Jack Piccione. He's the best best defensive player in the program and is on an elite level of players I've been around in Section 1.

When Matthew died in September, I worried about Jack. I wondered what his senior season might be like. The person most responsible for instilling and reinforcing the values that made Jack great was now tragically gone.

Tonight, Jack Piccione scored 5 points in the Section 1 Championship game. FIVE. Yet not only did his team because of his performance, I had the honor of handing him the MVP Trophy to prove it.

In the final 90 seconds of the game, I shared the story of Matthew Piccione and his passing. You will hear the emotion in my voice. It's genuine, not because of any relationship I had with him. You just can't be a sports parent and not relate to loving your child and always wanting what's best for them.

Because here's what I am going to tell you. And I really want all parents to read this and remember it:

Your kids' youth - not just athletics, but all of it - is short and it's precious. You don't get this time back when it's over. It goes way too quick. And some don't even get to see it to the end.

You have a choice: You can spend this period of their lives stressing about how many points they score, what awards or accolades they receive, begging people to vote in the online poll for Player of the Week, emailing the coach and complaining about playing time or lamenting the number of shots they get in a game. Go ahead. You can make all of that important for yourself and your child. Trust me, you won't be alone in doing so.

Or you can do what Matthew Piccione did. Sit in the stands and enjoy watching your children compete. Teach them that it's team above all else, stress what it means to sacrifice and ensure them that, when you do those things and have success, the feeling of hanging a banner will far exceed any of the personal accolades think are important.

And, sadly, God might choose that you won't be around to see it all anyway.

Matthew didn't get to give his son a hug after he won tonight. And Jack didn't get to see the pride in his father's face. Think about that. If you are a parent, try to put your child in Jack's shoes. If God forbid your child was confronted with the same tragedy, you'd want them looking back on this sacred period of their lives the way Jack will forever recall them with his dad.

Tonight was complete validation for Jack Piccione and all of the things his father always told him.

Jack scored 5 points and won the MVP on his way to becoming the most decorated basketball player in Tappan Zee history.

Nobody has ever won more in a TZ uniform than the most unselfish player they've ever had. He wouldn't trade his career with anyone, either.

Take a moment to listen to myself and Pleasantville coach Nick Bonura from tonight's @SportsEngine broadcast of @TZeeAthletics @TZhoops

[LHBCA @LowerHudsonHoop]

Congratulations to our 2025-2026 A All-Section and All-Class Recipients! @KDJmedia1 @lohudhoopsmbd @DirectRays

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

Congrats to our 3 award winners this year:

Braydon Gates - All-League
Alex Palacio - All-League
Nate Summer - All-League and All-Class A

Great seasons for each of them and great representatives of our program.

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

Westlake 59 - JJCR 51

Wolves run out of gas down the stretch of a great HS playoff game.

Jackette leads all scorers with 21.

Braydon Gates and Nate Summer 15 a piece for JJ. Alex Palacio 10 pts 7 rebs

@lohudhoopsmbd @KDJmedia1

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

PLAYOFF SEASON

🎟️ JJCR at Westlake
🕰️ 6:45 PM Tip
📺 https://t.co/QEJJGnWlid

Winner advances to quarterfinals, Tuesday 2/24 #GoWolves

@KDJmedia1 @lohudhoopsmbd

[Section I Athletics @SecOneAthletics]

🏆🏀 The 2026 Section One Boys Basketball Tournament brackets were finalized today. Attached are the Class AAA, AA and A boys playoff matchups.

(1 of 2)

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

Fox Lane 56 - JJCR 31

Shevick leads all scorers with 18 for Fox Lane.

Braydon Gates 11 pts, Nate Summer 9 pts.

@lohudhoopsmbd @KDJmedia1

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

Lakeland 63 - JJCR 53

Mateo Lugo leads all scorers with 25.

Nate Summer 19 pts, Braydon Gates 12 pts, Alex Palacio 6 pts 7 rebs

JJ wraps up the regular season Friday night, home vs Fox Lane.

@lohudhoopsmbd @KDJmedia1

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

JJCR 72 - Hen Hud 59

Braydon Gates 22 pts, Marc Fein 21 pts 7 rebs 6 asts. Alex Palacio double double 12 pts 11 rebs.

Freshman Kane Wamack leads all scorers with 24 for HH.

@lohudhoopsmbd @KDJmedia1

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

JJCR 67 - North Salem 58

Freshman Nate Summer leads JJ with 32. Will Green 9 pts, Marc Fein 8 pts 6 asts.

Bryce Bryant leads NS with 15.

@lohudhoopsmbd @KDJmedia1

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

Pelham 48 - JJCR 43

Grubert leads all scorers with 18 for Pelham, 10 in 4th quarter.

For Jay - Nate Summer 13 pts, Timmy Pastore 10 pts, 9 rebs

Senior night at JJ next week, Monday 6:45 PM vs. Brewster

@lohudhoopsmbd @KDJmedia1

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

JJCR 44 - Ardsley 34

Braydon Gates 11 pts, Alex Palacio 9 pts 7 rebs, Will Green 7 pts 6 asts.

Ryan Chen leads Ardsley with 14.

@KDJmedia1 @lohudhoopsmbd

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

JJCR 65 - Pawling 53

Timmy Pastore 23 points off the bench, Braydon Gates 20 pts with six 3s in his first varsity start. Will Green 9 pts 5 asts

Carrozza great game for Pawling with 27 pts.

JJ heads next to Ardsley Friday at 5 PM.

@KDJmedia1 @lohudhoopsmbd

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

Nice honor for Alex Palacio on the list of top ‘glue guys’ in Section 1.

He sets the tone for us physically, defensively and on the glass. Proud of the way he plays.

@JohnJayBoosters

[lohud sports @lohudsports]

These are the 2025-26 lohud Boys Basketball Glue Guys https://t.co/rGjbBHtGe9

[Kevin Devaney Jr. @KDJmedia1]

Terrance "Munch" Williams of @PSACardinals was on this week's Inside Stepinac Basketball Podcast. Among the many insightful things he shared, one stood out: Dream big, but work harder. @step_basketball

[johnjayhoops @johnjayhoops]

Byram Hills 52 - JJCR 36

Good defensive efforts for the Wolves but couldn’t get shots to fall. Back in action at Put Valley Friday night.

Kendall leads all scorers with 19.

For JJ - Marc Fein 12 pts 6 rbs 5 asts, Will Green 7, Owen Gitelson 6.

@KDJmedia1 @lohudhoopsmbd