Fuscia's late heroics lift Cherokee past Williamstown in South Jersey Group 4 opener

Cherokee High School senior Tony Fuscia hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 27 seconds left to help lift his team to a 45-43 win over Williamstown in the South Jersey Group 4 playoff game played at Cherokee High School in Marlton, New Jersey on Thursday, February 26, 2026. Kevin Emmons/South Jersey Sports Zone

MARLTON — Cherokee High School senior Louis Galasso was nearly unstoppable from beyond the arc.

Galasso had drained seven 3-pointers, with a few contested and through contact, for a game-high 21 points in the Chiefs' latest outing.

Until he fouled out late in the fourth quarter in a back-and-forth affair.

Tony Fuscia made sure Cherokee lived to see another day.

Following a timeout, Fuscia buried a 3-pointer on a kick out pass from John Comito to give the Chiefs a 44-43 lead over Williamstown with 27 seconds left. Tom Cieslik drained a free throw and Cherokee held on for a 45-43 triumph in the first round of the South Jersey Group 4 playoffs.

The hosts prevailed without their leading scorer in a contest that saw six lead changes in the fourth quarter.

"We gave it to Johnny," Fuscia said. "He's a good penetrator. We knew the defense would collapse on him and leave us open for a three."

Fuscia was one of the first players to celebrate with the Chiefs' student section following the thrilling victory.

"The adrenaline was crazy," he said. "The environment was crazy. It's something I'll never forget. It was awesome."

Galasso picked up his fifth foul with 4:01 left. Sophomore Tyson Forman made a pair of free throws to give the Braves a 40-39 lead. Cieslik responded with two free throws to put Cherokee ahead before Forman's 3-pointer with 50.8 seconds left.

With Galasso sidelined, Fuscia and Cieslik ensured the Chiefs would advance to the next round.

"I was frustrated at first," Galasso said. "Once I realized we still had four minutes left, I trusted my guys. I wouldn't want anyone else out there besides our team."

Williamstown opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run that created a 16-7 advantage and forced a Cherokee timeout. Galasso responded with a pair of triples to help ignite a 15-4 run. Chris Walters gave the Chiefs a 22-20 advantage at halftime and Galasso's timely shots helped build a lead as large as 11 points in the third quarter.

"It was just the energy of my team," Galasso said. "My teammates were setting great screens. They were running plays to the max. 100 percent. They were giving me open looks."

Brayden Covington led the Braves with a team-high 11 points. Jameer Gordon and Clinton Suggs each added 10. Williamstown concluded its campaign with a 16-11 record. The Monroe Township program lost eight of its first 11 games before an 11-game win streak and victories in 13 of its next 14 games. The Braves reached the Tri-County Conference semifinals and celebrated their first winning season since 2022-23.

“Williamstown is a good team and well coached,” Cherokee coach Eric Cassidy said. “We had to weather the storm. I think senior leadership helped a lot today.”

Cherokee advanced to the South Jersey Group 4 quarterfinals against Cherry Hill East. The eighth-seeded Chiefs will visit the top-seeded Cougars on Saturday morning at 11:30 am. It marks the third meeting between the two Olympic Conference American Division rivals this season.

“(Cherry Hill East coach) Dave (Allen) is a great coach,” Cassidy said. “That’s my buddy. We’ve been battling throughout the years. It’s going to be a war. We told the guys to enjoy the win tonight. It's hard to win in the playoffs especially in Group 4. We have a really good opponent waiting Saturday morning. I told them just bring your best. Give me your best. If we have to go to war, I want to go with these guys right here."

Thursday's win will surely be enjoyed for the next 36 hours. The victory was Cassidy's 321st overall and his 200th on the sidelines at Cherokee.

"The culture at Cherokee is fantastic every year," he said. "I told the underclassmen sitting on the bench to watch these seniors. Those seniors were freshmen watching the other guys. That's just how it is here. It's one big circle in terms of the culture aspect. We don't have the most talent in the world, but we have the most heart. Basketball is a team sport. These kids buy into it. As a coach, it helps me a lot."