The powerhouse boy’s basketball team in the New York City Catholic league is going to have to play some good defense to avoid serious sanctions.
Archbishop Stepinac is facing potential punishment from the Catholic High Schools Athletic Association (CHSAA), including a 2027 postseason ban and an eight-game suspension for coach Pat Massaroni, after participating in the Chipotle Nationals tournament in Indiana earlier this month, according to lohud.com.
The CHSAA reportedly has recommended a two-year probation period for every sports team from the all-boys school located in White Plains, N.Y., with any potential violation resulting in a one-year league suspension for both the boy’s basketball program and Massaroni.
A ban on participating in scrimmages or games outside of New York is also on the table, and the penalties recommended have to first be approved by the CHSAA’s Chief Administrators’ Council.
CHSAA Archdiocese of New York president Kevin Pigott wrote in an April 21 letter to league members that Stepinac’s inclusion violated multiple bylaws and the Chipotle Nationals is not sanctioned by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), according to lohud.com.
He further added that CHSAA did not give Stepinac permission to compete.
“No member school of the Association will be permitted to participate in a post-schedule tournament or game unless secondary school authorities in accordance with CHSAA standards conduct the contest,” he reportedly wrote. “In all cases, permission to compete must be secured by the league president.”
The Crusaders reportedly knew of the potential issues they could face from competing in the tournament and tried to get in front of the issue.
Principal Paul Carty told the Archdiocese’s executive committee in a March 27 letter that the school would compete but would not do so under the school’s banner, per lodhud.com.
Instead, the Crusaders would form a club team and not use school apparel or promote their appearance on social media. The team’s Instagram account does not have any posts from the tourney.
Stepinac reportedly performed as a club team without any issues in the 2025 Border League, competing in the Las Vegas-based event as the New York Crusaders.
The school’s participation in the national event also drew ire for two other reasons.
The league reportedly came down on Stepinac for participating in a tournament that happened during Holy Week, since the Crusaders could have potentially played on Good Friday on April 3.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan established guidelines in 2015 that prevented competing or practicing from Holy Thursday through Easter, according to lohud.com.
Stepinac, though, did not compete in that frame since it lost to Spire Academy in Ohio, 87-76, in its first-round game on April 1.
Had the Crusaders advanced far enough, though, they potentially could have violated the CHSAA’s 22-week season rule.
Massaroni contended that the team only accepted the Chipotle Nationals bid on the grounds that it won the Mayor’s Cup against Eagle Academy, which it won, and did not consider the event part of the season since Eagle Academy did not have an offer to keep playing had it won.
