Hopewell Boys HS Basketball

The Hopewell HS Boys basketball team has been playing well lately, winning 8 of their last 9 games heading into their matchup last night against 1st place Quaker Valley.

For the second time this season, the Quakers got the best of Hopewell, this time by the score of 77-61. Earlier this season, Quaker Valley won, 73-56.

Quaker Valley for much of the game by double-digits but Hopewell made a run in the 2nd half and got within 6 points (56-50) but QV’s scoring ability as well as their balanced scoring was too much.

In terms of scoring by quarters, QV led after the 1st quarter 13-4 and then at halftime 36-23. The Vikings made up some ground in the 3rd quarter and trailed 56-46 after 3 periods.

Here’s a look at Hopewell’s box score:
James Armstrong 16 points
Justin Shegog 11 points
Jack Biega 8 points
Brody Rock 7 points
Jeremy Benninghoff 7 points
Tre Cameron 7 points
Avery Bokor 3 points
Nick Adams 2 points 

Prior to this game, the Hopewell JV team defeated Quaker Valley in overtime, 61-54. Nice job Vikings!

Big picture, this loss really doesn’t change much for Hopewell as they still stand in 3rd place in their section.

CLASS 4A SECTION 2:
Quaker Valley: 7-0
Central Valley: 5-2
Hopewell: 4-4
Avonworth: 3-4
Ambridge: 1-5
Beaver: 1-6

Next week will conclude the regular season for Hopewell and they’ll have 2 very meaningful games at home as they’ll host Central Valley and then Ambridge.

What’s at Stake: If Hopewell is able to win their last 2 games AND if Quaker Valley defeats Central Valley, Hopewell would finish the season in 2nd place. That means, the game on Tuesday against Central Valley is one of the most meaningful boys home games in a long, long time. It would be nice to see a jampacked Hopewell HS to cheer this team on and give Coach Biega’s squad a true home court advantage against a very good CV team who will be looking for revenge.

Winning isn’t always pretty but regardless of how it looks, a win is a win, and it goes without saying that ‘Winning is Fun’.

The Hopewell HS boys’ basketball team traveled to Beaver last night and had to battle for four quarters but in the end the Vikings came away with a 63-54 win.

It’s pretty simple, Hopewell won the game because of their toughness, both offensively and defensively. They were led in that category by sophomore Justin Shegog, who was a beast in the paint. If there was a loose ball to be had, Shegog fought to get it.

Another key element to the win was the balanced score sheet as 4 Hopewell players reached double-digits in scoring: James Armstong, Brody Rock, Jusin Shegog and Tre Cameron.

Defense and intangibles don’t show up in the score sheet but if they did, Nick Adams and Jack Biega would be near the top of the list. Biega played a tremendous defensive game as he was assigned the task of guarding Beaver’s top shooter. Adams did his usual job of doing all of the little things really, really well, whether that was making the extra pass, setting the screen, fighting for a loose ball or grabbing a rebound.

As mentioned earlier, this was a battle for the entire game but after trailing by 3 points heading to the 4th quarter, Hopewell used a strong final period to come away with the win and improve their record to 12-7 and 4-3 in the section.

In terms of their playoff situation, if Ambridge loses just 1 of their remaining 4 sections games, Hopewell clinches a spot in the playoffs. The Bridgers finish the season with games against Central Valley (tonight), Beaver, Avonworth and Hopewell.

With this scenario, it’s very, very likely that Hopewell will be going to the playoffs for the first time in 16 seasons, but we’ll wait to hand out any congratulations or make anything official.

HOPEWELL/BEAVER GAME RECAP:

1st Quarter:
*Loose ball in the paint, Armstrong grabs it and puts it up for 2, Hopewell 2-0.
*After grabbing a defensive rebound, Hopewell gets in transition and it ends with a strong take, layup by Biega, Hopewell 4-0.
*Hopewell comes up with a steal, and it ends with a floater in the lane by Cameron, Hopewell 6-1.
*Passing at the top of the key and ball is eventually tossed in the paint to Armstrong, who muscles his way for 2, Hopewell 8-5.
*Rock is fouled driving to the rim and would make 2 shots at the line, Hopewell 10-5.
*Nice out of bounds play results in a 3-pointer by Jeremy Benninghoff, Hopewell 13-8.
*:20 seconds left in the quarter, Shegog hits a 3-pointer from the wing, Hopewell 16-8.

END OF 1ST QUARTER: HOPEWELL 16 BEAVER 11

2nd Quarter:
*Shegog pulls down 2 offensive rebounds and after the second one, powers it up for a layup, Hopewell 18-11.
*Benninghoff pulls down the defensive rebound, passes up to Cameron, who dribbles up and hits a 3-pointer and is fouled, Hopewell 21-13.
*Another 3 pointer, this one from Rock at the top of the key, Hopewell 24-15
*Shegog battles 2 guys for an offensive rebound, puts it up and is fouled, Shegog goes 1/2 from the line, Hopewell 25-17.
*:55 seconds left, once again, Shegog pulls down 2 offensive rebounds and eventually makes a layup, Hopewell 28-22.

HALFTIME: HOPEWELL 28 BEAVER 22

3rd Quarter:
*Following a Beaver 3 pointer to open the 2nd half, Rock counters with a 3-pointer of his own from the corner, Hopewell 31-25
*Biega with a strong take from the wing for a layup, Hopewell 33-25
*Biega gets his shot blocked but Armstrong gets the offensive rebound and layup, Hopewell 35-25
*Cameron with an aggressive drive for a layup and is fouled, makes 1 of 2, Hopewell 36-29
*Cameron with a nice cross court bounce pass to Armstrong for a layup, Hopewell 38-32
*In the blocks, Armstrong muscles in for a contest layup, Hopewell 40-38

END OF 3RD QUARTER: BEAVER 43 HOPEWELL 40

4th Quarter:
*Hopewell breaks the press and it results in a contest layup by Armstrong, Beaver 43-42
*Armstrong with a steal at midcourt and a layup, Hopewell 44-43
*Loose ball, Hopewell gets it and results in another 3 by Rock, Hopewell 47-43
*Another steal by Hopewell, as Cameron picks it off and drives in for layup, Hopewell 49-43
*Shegog gets shot blocked, but Armstrong gets rebound and layup plus foul, Hopewell 52-46
*Nice give and go, Rock to Armstrong for 2, Hopewell 54-48.
*2:08 left, Armstrong fouled shooting, makes 1 of 2 at the line, Hopewell 55-52.
*Armstrong gets defensive rebound and is fouled, makes 1 of 2 at the line, Hopewell 56-52.
*Armstrong with defensive rebound, leads the transition and passes off to Cameron, who finishes layup, Hopewell 58-52.
*:30 seconds left, Armstrong at the top of the key, finds Shegog underneath for a layup, Hopewell 60-52.

FINAL SCORE: HOPEWELL 63 BEAVER 54

Next Up: Hopewell returns to action on Friday as they travel to take on 1st place Quaker Valley.

What a scene last night at Hopewell High School as the boys’ basketball team came away with an important 51-49 win over Avonworth.

Trailing 49-48 with 31 seconds left in the game, sophomore Brody Rock took a pass from Tre Cameron and converted a layup to give Hopewell a 50-49 lead.

That was the play of the game and fortunately, we have a great shot of the play.

Credit to Viking Sports Now’s Lillian Otto for getting this picture of the game-winning play. But the thing to really zero in on is the reaction of the faces of the students in the student section.

This is just a tremendous shot, especially seeing these students as they’re on the edge of their seats watching to see if Rock converts the layup.

Awesome, awesome stuff and great job to VSN’s student reporter Lillian Otto.

The Hopewell HS Boys basketball program hasn’t recorded many meaningful wins over the last decade but in the last couple of weeks, this 2025-26 team has picked up two in consecutive weeks.

The first one took place on the road at Central Valley and then last night, the Vikings fought for a last-second win over Avonworth. Because of this Hopewell has put themselves in position to possibly qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 16 years.

Last night, Hopewell battled in an intense game through four hard-fought quarters and came up with a clutch 51–49 victory, leaning on timely scoring, toughness in the paint, and big plays down the stretch to seal the win.

Hopewell got off to a steady start in the opening quarter, with James Armstrong scoring inside off a nice feed from Brody Rock and later attacking the rim again to keep things close. Rock knocked down a big three to spark the offense, while Justin Shegog added points at the free-throw line. Armstrong continued to be aggressive, earning trips to the line as Hopewell stayed right with their opponent heading into the end of the first.

The Vikings found their rhythm in the second quarter, highlighted by Shegog finishing a strong inbounds play for an and-one and Tre Cameron attacking the baseline for a floater and a foul. Cameron stayed active on the glass, scoring off a put-back, while Rock calmly converted at the free-throw line. Hopewell’s balanced scoring and physical play helped them take a 23–20 lead into halftime.

Hopewell came out of the locker room with energy, as Rock set up Shegog for another and-one before drilling a deep three of his own. Armstrong continued to dominate inside, scoring through contact and getting to the line, while Jack added a key layup late in the quarter. The game stayed tight throughout, but Hopewell edged ahead 38–37 heading into the final frame.

In a tense fourth quarter, Hopewell delivered when it mattered most. Shegog opened the scoring with a strong one-handed floater, and Cameron knocked down a jumper to keep the momentum going. Armstrong battled underneath for multiple tough baskets, and Rock came up with the play of the night, turning a steal into a clutch layup. Armstrong sealed it at the line, and Hopewell’s defense held strong in the final moments to secure the 51–49 win.

With contributions up and down the lineup and poise in the closing minutes, Hopewell showed grit and composure in a hard-earned victory that could serve as a momentum-builder moving forward.

One thing to keep in mind, is this team is starting five sophomores. Senior Nick Adams, who’s been a regular starter all season, has been out with a hand injury and he’s still recovering from it. Last night, Adams was able to contribute some minutes off the bench.

1ST QUARTER:

2-4 James Armstrong scores on a nice feed from Brody Rock

4-6 Justin Shegog makes 2 of 2 free throws

6-11 Armstrong scored on a take to the hoop

9-11 Rock splashes a three

10-11 Armstrong makes 1 of 2 free throws

End of 1st Quarter: Avonworth 11 Hopewell 10

2ND QUARTER:

12-11 Shegog scores on a nice inbounds pass plus the foul

13-11 Shegog makes 1 of 1 free throw

15-14 Tre Cameron takes the base line for a floater plus the foul

16-14 Cameron makes 1 of 1 free throw

18-14 Shegog gets two plus the foul with a nice take to the basket

19-20 Armstrong makes 1 of 2 free throws

21-20 Rock makes 2 of 2 free throws

23-20 Cameron scores on a put-back floater

Halftime: Hopewell 23 Avonworth 20

3RD QUARTER:

25-22 Rock to Shegog for two plus the foul

28-24 Big three pointer for Rock

29-28 Armstrong makes 1 of 2 free throws

33-31 Armstrong takes it to the rim for two

34-33 Shegog makes 1 of 2 free throws

36-35 Armstrong goes in strong for a floater

38-37 Jack drives down the court for a layup

End of 3rd Quarter: Hopewell 38 Avonworth 37

4TH QUARTER:

40-37 Shegog goes in strong for the one-handed floater

42-40 Cameron hits a jumper from the line

44-46 A hook shot for Armstrong drops in for two

46-48 Armstrong works hard underneath to score off a put-back

48-48 Shegog hits a baseline jumper

50-49 Rock coverts a steal to a clutch layup

51-49 Armstrong makes 1 of 2 free throws

Avonworth was fouled with .06 seconds left and went to the free throw line with 2 shots to potentially tie the game. After missing the first one, the shooter intentionally missed the second one with the hopes of one of his teammates tipping it in for the tying basket. That didn’t work.

FINAL: HOPEWELLL 51 AVONWORTH 50

Points (Unofficial):
Armstrong: 16 points

Shegog: 14 points

Rock: 10 points

Cameron: 7 points

Biega: 2 points

Before the Varsity team played, the JV team played in another intense game. Although the final score may not show it, the boys fought hard, led by Avery Bokor who had a whopping 28 points.

1ST QUARTER

2-6 Avery Bokor takes it to the basket for a layup plus the foul

3-6 Bokor makes 1 of 1 free throw

5-8 Zack Sampson hits a nice floater

7-8 Bokor makes 2 of 2 free throws

10-8 A deep three slashes for Bokor

12-10 Bokor scores again on a take to the rim

14-10 Jayvion Lindsay gets two on a fast break layup after a steal

End of 1st Quarter Hopewell 16 Avonworth 15

2ND QUARTER

18-15 A floater drops for Lindsay

20-20 Lindsay turns a steal from Bokor into two points

22-21 Bokor hits an elbow jumper

Halftime: Avonworth 30 Hopewell 24

3RD QUARTER

25-30 Lindsay makes 1 of 2 free throws

26-36 Sampson makes 1 of 2 free throws

29-41 Bokor swishes another long three

32-45 A jump shot goes in for Sampson

34-50 Lindsay makes 2 of 2 free throws

36-50 Sampson scores off a put-back

 End of 3rd Quarter: Avonworth 50 Hopewell 36

4TH QUARTER

37-53 Lindsay makes 1 of 2 free throws

40-55 Bokor hits another three, his third of the night

42-55 Bokor turns a steal into a fast break layup

44-57 Bokor scores again with a two pointer

46-57 Another layup converts for Bokor

47-63 Bokor makes 1 of 2 free throws

49-65 Bokor gets a layup to fall plus the foul

50-65 Bokor makes 1 of 1 free throw

51-70 Lindsay makes 1 of 2 free throws

 Final: Avonworth 70 Hopewell 51

Points (Unofficial):
Bokor: 28 points

Lindsay: 11 points

Sampson: 7 points

The Vikings play in the Boys Hall of Fame Classic Tournament tomorrow, Saturday January 24 at North Hills High School at 12:30. Then they play at Beaver on Tuesday January 27. JV at 6:00, Varsity at 7:30.

Our Hopewell Vikings faced off against Sto Rox. They came out strong and never looked back, pulling away in a hard-fought game to secure a well-earned win.

Hopewell opened the game with strong energy, taking an early lead in the first quarter. James Armstrong powered inside for a layup, setting the tone for the team, and Jack Biega added a smooth three-pointer to extend the advantage. While Sto Rox stayed close, Justin Shegog and Armstrong kept the scoring balanced with efficient inside plays, and Rock contributed with a deep three. Hopewell maintained a slight edge, ending the quarter ahead 22-20 after a series of clutch baskets from Benninghoff and Rock.

In the second quarter, Hopewell started to pull away with aggressive defense and smart offensive execution. Rock knocked down another three, while Shegog’s hustle on the boards led to multiple put backs. Armstrong ignited a fast break layup after a steal, and the team continued feeding off his energy. Freshman Zack Sampson made an immediate impact off the bench with a layup, and Biega’s drive to the basket widened the margin. Hopewell went into halftime leading 39-33, thanks to their balanced scoring and tenacious effort on both ends.

The third quarter saw Hopewell extend their lead with a combination of perimeter shooting and precise passing. Biega drained a corner three, and Rock added an elbow jumper to keep the offense flowing. Avery Bokor contributed with multiple layups and a smooth floater, while Armstrong dominated inside, drawing fouls and converting crucial free throws. The team’s cohesive movement and smart shot selection pushed the lead to 61-49 by the end of the quarter, giving Hopewell a comfortable cushion heading into the final period.

Hopewell closed out the game in the fourth quarter with poise and determination. Armstrong continued to draw fouls and convert from the line, while Bokor showed off his scoring versatility with fast break layups, floaters, and consistent free throws. Rock and Shegog connected on several key plays, including a textbook quarterback-style assist from the other side of the court to Shegog for an easy basket. Hopewell’s energy never wavered, and their disciplined execution allowed them to finish strong, claiming an 80-67 victory and capping off a dominant team performance.

This nice win should give the Vikings momentum going into their next games.

1ST QUARTER

2-0 James Armstrong strong underneath for a layup

5-2 Jack Biega swishes a three-pointer

7-5 Justin Shegog inside to Tre Cameron for two

9-8 Armstrong gets the basket plus the foul

12-8 Rock for three

14-15 Shegog gets a layup to go through

16-15 Armstrong battles for a nice take to the basket for two

18-17 Benninghoff with an easy lay by a nice pass from Armstrong

20-17 Rock inside for two

22-20 Benninghoff with a put-back for two

22-20 End of first quarter

2ND QUARTER

25-23 Three pointer for Rock

27-23 Nice rebounding by Shegog leads to a put-back

29-23 Armstrong has a fast break layup off a steal

31-26 Shegog for two off a fast break layup

33-26 Feed from Armstrong gives Shegog another two

35-28 Zack Sampson fresh off the bench with a layup

37-28 Biega goes all the way in for two

39-33 A steak turns into to two for Shegog

39-33 Halftime

3RD QUARTER

44-34 Biega swishes a corner three

46-34 Elbow jumper for Rock

48-35 A gorgeous feed from Rock leads to an Avery Bokor layup

49-37 Shegog makes 1 of 2 free throws

51-37 Biega powers through for a nice layup

53-40 Hook shot for Armstrong plus the foul

54-40 Armstrong makes 1 of 1 free throws

56-42 Armstrong makes 2 of 2 free throws

58-45 Bokor with a floater for two

61-45 Nice three pointer for Bokor

61-49 End of third quarter

4TH QUARTER

62-51 Armstrong makes 1 of 2 free throws

64-51 Fast break layup for Bokor

65-51 Bokor makes 1 of 2 free throws

67-51 Bokor makes a nice floater over a defender

68-53 Armstrong makes 1 of 2 free throws

72-55 Shegog to Armstrong for two

74-55 Rock with a put-back for two

76-61 Quarterback throw from Rock sets Shegog up for an easy layup

78-65 Rock makes 2 of 2 free throws

80-67 Shegog to Armstrong for two

Unofficial Numbers:
Armstrong 20 points
Justin Shegog 13 points
Brody Rock 14 points
Jack Biega 10 points
Avery Bokor 12 points