Former Summit High School and Ithaca College basketball star Cassidy O'Malley (34) will be one of the talented performers making March 31st Comedy Night at Roselle Catholic a special evening while raising funds for RC's Lions girls hoops squad. (photos courtesy of Roselle Catholic)

Former Summit Hoops Star To Host Comedy Show At RC

By Steve Tober for sidelinechatter.com

ROSELLE- Cassidy O’Malley, an aspiring comic and a record-setting scorer and shot-blocker during her scholastic and collegiate basketball career, sees quite a few similarities between executing on the court and on stage.

And, that’s no joke.

“You have to be able to perform under high-pressure situations in both comedy and basketball,” O’Malley said. “You have to deal with adversity. Just like in basketball you can have off nights in comedy when things don’t go as well as you planned.

“Both require, like most things, an immense amount of practice to be good at … Growing up in locker rooms and constantly trying to make my teammates laugh was one of my favorite things to do.”

At the end of this month, just a few steps from the gymnasium, O’Malley, 25, will combine both of her passions when she appears at Roselle Catholic High School on Friday, March 31st, to host a fundraiser comedy show for the Lions’ girls’ basketball program (find ticket information for the show in the RC comedy cafe at bottom of the story).

O’Malley will host a show featuring performances from three comics, including Ashley Gutermuth, a New Jersey-based stand-up comedian and actor. She appeared on “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon where she won the “Seinfeld Challenge,” as selected by Jerry Seinfeld.

The March 31st lineup also includes up-and-coming comics Monty Mason and Jax Biddulph. Biddulph, a 2005 graduate of Roselle Catholic, played basketball for the Lions and was a co-manager of the RC baseball team which won the ‘05 Union County Tournament.

“I am extremely excited to perform at a show that I know will greatly benefit young female athletes,” said O’Malley, a graduate of Summit High School (‘16) and Ithaca College (‘20).

“Basketball taught me so many valuable life lessons and I love seeing young women passionate about playing the game.”

Passionate and emotional on both ends of the basketball court, O’Malley concluded her career at Ithaca College as the women’s basketball program’s second all-time leading scorer (1,640 points) and the first all-time with 206 blocked shots. She was recognized as All-Liberty League and earned All-East Region Second-Team honors from D3Hoops.com.

“We could always count on Cassidy to finish her layups just as much as we could count on her for a good laugh on the sideline,” said Roselle Catholic graduate (’15) Ashley Skrec, who played against O’Malley in high school and with her on the AAU circuit as members of the New Jersey Crusaders.

“She was the ideal teammate – very talented, hardworking and supportive,” said Skrec, a key player on the Lions’ 2014 Union County Tournament title team. “I was very fortunate to meet and play AAU with her and not so fortunate to have play against her during the high school season.”

O’Malley scored 1,437 points in a four-year varsity career at Summit High School, where she also lettered in volleyball. A captain for the Hilltoppers her junior and senior seasons, O’Malley scored her 1,000th point as a junior – against Roselle Catholic.

“Cassidy is still Summit’s all-time leading scorer, men’s or women’s basketball,” said Tom Kenny, Summit’s head coach and O’Malley’s high school coach. “She was dominant at both ends for us, and was a truly passionate team leader.”

O’Malley’s HS hoops coach has yet to see her perform, but isn’t surprised by her pursuit of laughs.

“Cassidy is a bright, clever young woman who has always had a uniquely witty perspective on life,” said Kenny, an English teacher for 32 years at West Essex regional schools, completed his ninth season as Summit High School’s varsity head coach (following 15 seasons in the same post at West Essex HS).  

“I’m not surprised that Cassidy is involved in comedy, nor am I shocked she’s doing so on stage. She was quite funny in high school … She would do a great job of mimicking her teammates, and of course, her coaches.”

O’Malley, signed up for a comedy class at Scotty’s Comedy Cove in Springfield in 2021 and now finds herself on stages in New York and New Jersey multiple times a week.

“I always wanted to try stand-up, but didn’t really know how and was very obviously very nervous to get on stage,” said O’Malley, who works during the day at a spa in Jersey City (om.life). “I saw a sign as I was driving that was advertising a comedy class … I signed up and we had to get up and tell jokes in our first class and immediately I was hooked. I’ve gotten somewhat addicted to doing
comedy.”

On March 31st, O’Malley, who was quite a strong post player capable of making any shot in the paint, will be acting and thinking like a point guard when she hosts a laugh-filled and entertaining evening on Raritan Road and Pine Street. O’Malley will look to set up and assist all of the talent scheduled to perform on stage.

“The key to being a good host is to not make it about yourself,” she said. “To make sure the audience is engaged and ready to have a good time. I’ll try to bring the energy to the room and keep the show flowing smoothly. And try not to butcher any names.

“I’ll be nervous, but nerves -- before a show or before a game -- are a good thing; they show you care. And just like basketball, some shows make you more nervous than others.”

 “I had the opportunity to see Cass perform at Scotty’s last summer and couldn’t stop laughing,” Ashley Skrec said. “I am so excited to see what material she has in store for us on March 31st.”


TICKETS to the March 31st comedy show fundraiser – a PG-13 pdouction, but you must be 21 to attend – at Roselle Catholic High School, priced at $30 (table of ten for $250), are available by contacting Joe Skrec at 908-230-2578 or jskrec@rosellecatholic.org or via this link: https://www.rosellecatholic.org/upcoming-events/rchs-comedynight

“People should come to the show because it’s a great way to spend an evening whethere you’re on a date night or a night out with friends,” O’Malley said.  People should come to the show to support the RC girls basketball program. Who doesn’t want to laugh and support a good cause?”

Follow Steve Tober on Twitter @Chattermeister  

Cassidy O'Malley, who excelled on the court at both Ithaca and Summit, will be on the stage to host and be part of an exciting Comedy Night to benefit the Roselle Catholic girls basketball team on Friday, March 31.

Copyright 2005 Sideline Chatter - comments - contact the webmaster