The Lions’ Den at Roselle Catholic High School has seen many big shots made in basketball seasons past.
The next big shot in The Den promises to be the loudest one.
Mike DelGuidice and Big Shot – a Long Island-based tribute band celebrating the music of Billy Joel – will perform at Roselle Catholic on April 22. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Roselle Catholic girls’ basketball program.
“When I think of RC girls’ basketball I always think of family, laughter and pulling together to help each other out,” said RC Campus Minister and assistant coach Tim Hagan. “I am very confident that April 22nd with Big Shot will be all of those things and more.”
Eight nights before DelGuidice plays piano and leads the Big Shot band on the stage in the Lions’ Den, he’ll be playing guitar and standing to the left of Billy Joel on the stage at Madison Square Garden in front of nearly 20,000 fans.
DelGuidice, who launched Big Shot 16 years ago, became a member of Joel’s band in 2013, traveling around the world with his musical idol and playing with him on a monthly basis at the World’s Most Famous Arena.
“Playing large famous venues and playing small clubs are both exciting to me,” DelGuidice said. “I love both. Every venue has its own perks. I do my best to entertain the audience at every gig and venue.
“If people love the music of Billy Joel and want to hear it done with passion, I think they’ll have a good time at one of our Big Shot shows. We’ve been doing this a long time and I don’t think we’ve had an audience leave disappointed.”
The Roselle Catholic girls’ basketball team enjoyed another successful season in 2016-17, winning 19 games and the Roselle Catholic Holiday Tournament.
The Lions’ girls basketball program is one of the most successful and consistent at Roselle Catholic and in Union County. Some recent accomplishments of the Roselle Catholic girls’ basketball program includes:
* Union County Tournament championships in 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014. RC reached the UCT final in 2016.
* Winning at least 20 games and a division championship in six consecutive seasons, 2010 to 2015.
* A 33-game home winning streak that was snapped during the RC Holiday Tournament in 2015. During a nearly three-year stretch – from February, 2013 to the end of December, 2015 – RC won 48 of 49 games in The Lions’ Den.
“Come see Big Shot on April 22 to help RC girls basketball continue making Big Shots in the future,” said RC alum and assistant coach Charlie Wischusen, who completed his 10thseason on the bench.
“Big Shot in the RC gym represents a lot of what Roselle Catholic, and especially RC athletics, is all about,” Hagan said. “It’s a chance to get together with family and friends in a place that we recognize as being a second home to celebrate the program that we all give so much to and give back to those who are going to be the next piece of that very big puzzle.”
Big Shot’s DelGuidice, 46, didn’t play basketball at Miller Place High School on Long Island, but he was a potential baseball star on the North Shore of Long Island.
“I blew my shoulder out in 10th grade,” DelGuidice said. “I was pitching with the varsity in ninth grade, but got hurt halfway through my 10th grade season. I was a switch-hitter, played some first base, but that was it after I hurt my shoulder. After that I focused and concentrated on playing music.
“My fondest high school memories probably come from music class, gym class and study hall.”
DelGuidice wrote (and sings) the theme song, “Ordinary Guy,” for Kevin James’ new Monday night show on CBS, “Kevin Can Wait.”
“There have been plenty of big shots in The Lions’ Den from the RC girls basketball team – remember the double-overtime, UCT final against Plainfield in 2009?,” said RC public address announcer Rich Biddulph, valedictorian of RC’s Class of 1977. “There were plenty of big shots made on the way to the 2005 sectional championship (Parochial A North).
“They were big, but the biggest Big Shot taken in the Lions’ Den happens on April 22.”
For information on tickets, priced at $40 with a reserved table for 10 costing $350, or how to support the event with an advertisement in a special journal being created for the event, contact RC girls’ basketball coach Joe Skrec ([email protected] or 908-245-2350).
More information is also available on the school’s website athttp://www.rosellecatholic.org/Rc-Life/Events/RC-Girls-Basketball-Big-Shot-Concert.aspx.