>> Local Ties to NBA Finals
The head coach of the NBA Finals champion Denver Nuggets is Michael Malone, whose father is Brendan Malone. Brendan’s local Catholic Youth Organization roots tie him to Most Precious Blood, Astoria. The championship title is the first in Nuggets’ history.
>> SJP Sweep
For the St. John’s Prep, Astoria, baseball program, it was a clean sweep of the ‘A’ division city championships.
The varsity team earned its second-straight city championship title with a 4-0 victory over Christ the King H.S., Middle Village, with junior starting pitcher JoseDavid Rodriguez throwing a complete- game one-hitter.
The junior varsity Red Storm team also won their respective city championship.
>> On for ‘Ol St. Francis
On the day of the Terriers’ city championship victory, former teammates Ray Nash (left) and Peter Callahan (right) each threw out a ceremonial first pitch. They played together on the 1959 city championship team, which was the first in program history.
Nash is the president of the Brooklyn-Queens CHSAA, while Callahan is a racehorse owner. His filly Swiss Skydiver won the 2020 Preakness Stakes.