On St. Valentine's Day Saturday, Feb. 14, the Hornell YMCA Youth Biddy Basketball championship day arrived, and the excitement was palpable.
The Canisteo Valley youth were determined to secure the season-ending championship, playing with all the gusto of the high school teams chasing the Section V block or the college athletes looking to cut down the nets during March Madness.
After City of Refuge Church won the Hornell YMCA Jr. Biddy youth championship, it was time for the top division to settle the title on the court.
One team, Simmons-Rockwell, had cruised through the regular season, clearly the favorites for the championship.
However, the Hornell version of the Bad News Bears, Peish Sports, had other plans.
Trailing Simmons-Rockwell most of the game, Peish Sports made a remarkable comeback after halftime. They dove on the floor, crashed the boards for rebounds, and looked for open players to score easy baskets.
With unwavering determination, Peish Sports claimed the 2025-2026 Hornell YMCA Biddy Basketball championship.
Click the photo gallery for some more of the action-packed moments from the championship game.
This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Peish Sports rallies by Simmons-Rockwell for Hornell YMCA Biddy title