kaden cassidy to chestnut ridge
Posted: August 25th, 2017, 7:27 am
www.tribdem.com/sports/after-year-at-bishop-mccort-wrestling-standout-cassidy-enrolls-at/article_138c6ca6-887c-11e7-966d-6be72be6bd3c.html
A number of new students attended Chestnut Ridge High School for the first time on Wednesday, including one who could help make the Lions one of the top wrestling teams in the state again this season.
Kaden Cassidy, who won District 6 and Southwest Regional titles before finishing third in PIAA Class AA at 106 pounds last season at Bishop McCort Catholic, began his sophomore year at the Bedford County school.
“It’s been weird, but I think Chestnut Ridge is the right fit for me,” he said in a phone interview last week.
Cassidy has been to four schools in the past three years. He attended Bedford in junior high – where he won a Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling championship – before enrolling at Bishop McCort for his freshman year of high school. He and his father moved to Florida after the wrestling season ended, while his mother, Heather, and younger brother, Kross, stayed in Bedford County.
“We were considering a relocation down there,” Darren Cassidy said.
“He hated it. I wanted to – and I still do – want to be down there. Probably, when he’s done (at Chestnut Ridge), we’ll go there.”
Kaden didn’t mince words when it came to his time in the Sunshine State.
“I hated Florida,” he said. “I thought I was going to like it, but I hated it and wanted to come back to Pennsylvania.”
Kaden Cassidy said he enjoyed his time at Bishop McCort, but attending the Johnstown school while his family was in Bedford County was difficult. He lived with Sebastian Kekich, who wrestled for the Crimson Crushers last season, but after the wrestling season, Kekich transferred to Greater Johnstown.
“It took a toll on my parents,” Kaden said. “With Sebastian leaving, I didn’t have anywhere to live. We don’t want to put that pressure on my parents.”
Kaden said he’ll miss wrestling for Shad Benton, who led the start-up program at Bishop McCort.
“I love Shad. I love his program,” Kaden said. “The hour drive to get my stuff (was too much). I have so many friends on the team. I think I learned a lot, and I think I grew up in the sport of wrestling over my ninth-grade year.”
Darren and Heather Cassidy purchased a farm in the Chestnut Ridge school district over the summer. While there have been grumblings from some in the wrestling community about the Cassidys’ move, Lions coach Greg Lazor said the family had previously lived in the Chestnut Ridge district. In fact, he said, he purchased the Cassidys’ home long before there was any thought about where Kaden might wrestle one day.
“The boys were at Chestnut Ridge to begin with,” Lazor said. “I actually bought his dad’s house when I moved here 10 years ago. He grew up here. He moved to Bedford. Kaden was only about 5 years old at that point.”
Kaden Cassidy downplayed any potential animosity now that he’s at Chestnut Ridge as opposed to Bedford.
“I actually have more friends in Chestnut Ridge,” he said. “I still talk to Bedford people. Obviously, it’s going to be different. I’m still going to talk to my Bedford and McCort friends.
“The rivalry isn’t even that bad anymore. It’s different than it was a long time ago.”
Kaden Cassidy will join a Chestnut Ridge team that includes Justin McCoy, who won a state title at 145 pounds last year, and Jared McGill, who finished fourth at 170. The Lions finished 11th in the PIAA tournament last season – eight spots behind Bishop McCort – and were again among the top dual-meet teams in the state.
They didn’t place in the team tournament last season but were runners-up in 2015.
Lazor expects his team to be among the best in the state again, and Cassidy’s presence can only help.
“We’re obviously very excited to have him in the program,” Lazor said. “We’ll keep striving to get better and better with him and see what we can do for him.”
Eric Knopsnyder is the digital editor of Tribune-Democrat.com. He can be reached at (814) 532-5069. Follow him on Twitter @eric_Knopsnyder.
A number of new students attended Chestnut Ridge High School for the first time on Wednesday, including one who could help make the Lions one of the top wrestling teams in the state again this season.
Kaden Cassidy, who won District 6 and Southwest Regional titles before finishing third in PIAA Class AA at 106 pounds last season at Bishop McCort Catholic, began his sophomore year at the Bedford County school.
“It’s been weird, but I think Chestnut Ridge is the right fit for me,” he said in a phone interview last week.
Cassidy has been to four schools in the past three years. He attended Bedford in junior high – where he won a Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling championship – before enrolling at Bishop McCort for his freshman year of high school. He and his father moved to Florida after the wrestling season ended, while his mother, Heather, and younger brother, Kross, stayed in Bedford County.
“We were considering a relocation down there,” Darren Cassidy said.
“He hated it. I wanted to – and I still do – want to be down there. Probably, when he’s done (at Chestnut Ridge), we’ll go there.”
Kaden didn’t mince words when it came to his time in the Sunshine State.
“I hated Florida,” he said. “I thought I was going to like it, but I hated it and wanted to come back to Pennsylvania.”
Kaden Cassidy said he enjoyed his time at Bishop McCort, but attending the Johnstown school while his family was in Bedford County was difficult. He lived with Sebastian Kekich, who wrestled for the Crimson Crushers last season, but after the wrestling season, Kekich transferred to Greater Johnstown.
“It took a toll on my parents,” Kaden said. “With Sebastian leaving, I didn’t have anywhere to live. We don’t want to put that pressure on my parents.”
Kaden said he’ll miss wrestling for Shad Benton, who led the start-up program at Bishop McCort.
“I love Shad. I love his program,” Kaden said. “The hour drive to get my stuff (was too much). I have so many friends on the team. I think I learned a lot, and I think I grew up in the sport of wrestling over my ninth-grade year.”
Darren and Heather Cassidy purchased a farm in the Chestnut Ridge school district over the summer. While there have been grumblings from some in the wrestling community about the Cassidys’ move, Lions coach Greg Lazor said the family had previously lived in the Chestnut Ridge district. In fact, he said, he purchased the Cassidys’ home long before there was any thought about where Kaden might wrestle one day.
“The boys were at Chestnut Ridge to begin with,” Lazor said. “I actually bought his dad’s house when I moved here 10 years ago. He grew up here. He moved to Bedford. Kaden was only about 5 years old at that point.”
Kaden Cassidy downplayed any potential animosity now that he’s at Chestnut Ridge as opposed to Bedford.
“I actually have more friends in Chestnut Ridge,” he said. “I still talk to Bedford people. Obviously, it’s going to be different. I’m still going to talk to my Bedford and McCort friends.
“The rivalry isn’t even that bad anymore. It’s different than it was a long time ago.”
Kaden Cassidy will join a Chestnut Ridge team that includes Justin McCoy, who won a state title at 145 pounds last year, and Jared McGill, who finished fourth at 170. The Lions finished 11th in the PIAA tournament last season – eight spots behind Bishop McCort – and were again among the top dual-meet teams in the state.
They didn’t place in the team tournament last season but were runners-up in 2015.
Lazor expects his team to be among the best in the state again, and Cassidy’s presence can only help.
“We’re obviously very excited to have him in the program,” Lazor said. “We’ll keep striving to get better and better with him and see what we can do for him.”
Eric Knopsnyder is the digital editor of Tribune-Democrat.com. He can be reached at (814) 532-5069. Follow him on Twitter @eric_Knopsnyder.