Ryan O'Rourke

Team USA has arrived to the World Baseball Classic Final in GAME-USED United States Men's National Hockey Team jerseys.

Section 1 is sending FIVE girls basketball teams to the state final four in Troy this week - Albertus, Nyack, Tappan Zee, YMA and Tuckahoe. Four boys teams - Mamaroneck. Rye, Tappan Zee and North Salem - are headed to the final four in Binghamton. Section 1, due to the new regional rotation system, had to win two regional games in all but Class C (most sections only had to win one) and needed to go through Long Island - the largest population area of the state - to get there. The fact that 9 of 10 teams are still standing is pretty remarkable.

Final: Tappan Zee 49, Beacon 33 in @NYSPHSAA Class A Boys Regional Semi. TZ held Beacon to 20 points lower than any game this season. Isaiah Leveille 19p. Jack Piccione 6p 8blocks. Joe Linehan and Tim Alexandre 9p. We are witnessing a phenomenon in high school sports.

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

Jack Hughes brought out Tage Thompson and spoke to the New Jersey crowd in his return to the NHL after they brought home the gold medal 👏

Team USA brought out Johnny Gaudreau’s children for the picture. ❤️🥹

For Johnny

🇺🇸 Megan Keller. The goal of a lifetime. For Olympic gold. 🥇 x.com/SportsMedi2918…

Daytona 500 titles Michael Jordan: 1 LeBron James: 0

Clemson gifted the Army baseball team an American flag made out of bats that reads: “To Army Baseball, As the future leaders, warriors, and protectors of our great country, it is an honor to compete against you this weekend. Thank you for making the USA the greatest country in the world! God bless, Clemson Baseball.” It just means more! 🇺🇸

In the 4th inning of ever home game, Clemson has a tradition where the players go into the stands and shake the hands of a veteran This weekend, while Army is in town, The Black Knights took part in the tradition as well

Iconic scene

HELLL YEAH AMERICA 🇺🇸🇺🇸 #PMSBigCollegeGame

Damn, USC

Got mad all over again about the Notre Dame-USC rivalry being interrupted after watching this Mike Denbrock speech in this week's episode of Here Come The Irish.

Rich coming from the guy who’d didn’t want to play ND at all.

2026…run it back Go Irish ☘️

1,123 days since USC’s last win over Notre Dame in football

This Lee Trevino interview is worth watching every second. 🥹🙌 📺 NBC & Peacock | @PNCChampionship

One wish at a time, John Cena has left an incredible mark by granting more than 650 with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Here's a look at the 17-time World Champion’s unmatched impact outside the ring. Don't miss John Cena's last match TOMORROW at #SNME, 8e/5p on @peacock!