Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League

 
Anthony Chiccitt overcame cancer with the same focus that made him successful in football, basketball and baseball. Chiccitt didn’t talk a lot about his illness. Instead, he attacked it. The three-sport Bethel Park standout was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in February 2019, a cancer that spread to his neck, chest, stomach and pelvis. The State 4 diagnosis and subsequent treatment interrupted his junior season of basketball. But by spring, Chiccitt was already back on the baseball field making a courageous return as a starting infielder for the Black Hawks. He batted .286 with a .485 on-base percentage for a team that won the section title and reached the WPIAL Class 6A semifinals. As a senior, Chiccitt’s story became even more remarkable. He passed for more than 1,000 yards as Bethel Park’s starting quarterback and then helped the basketball team reach the WPIAL quarterfinals. “In whatever sport he is playing, Anthony is always prepared,” former Bethel Park football coach Jeff Metheny said in an interview with The Almanac. “He knows his competition and how to attack and win. With his cancer, he read up on the disease and the treatment. He readied himself for the fight and confidently set out to beat it.” Chiccitt underwent four rounds of treatment, each lasting 21 days, with his final session of chemotherapy in April 2019. His recovery also required surgery to remove a lymph node. He lost weight and his hair, but all the while, Chiccitt always stayed focused and never complained, said those around him. “Anthony’s an inspiration,” former Bethel Park baseball coach Tony Fisher told The Almanac. “He went about his business and did whatever he could to help his team win. I’m not sure how many other kids would have played a sport under those circumstances. That’s how tough and absolutely dedicated he is. He could’ve easily bowed out…but that’s not his style.” For his basketball performances, Chiccitt was selected to play in the Round-Ball Classic his senior year and committed in January to continue his football career at Robert Morris University.