John Cherup

Beth Center High School

An advocate for baseball, umpiring, young kids and doing good for others, Cherup , has overcome cancer, personal losses and also a broken jaw. A branch manager for Nickles Bakery since 1989, Cherup was 39-years-old when he was diagnosed with stage IV, squamous cell carcinoma, oral cancer. The tumor rested at the base of his tongue. He underwent a radical neck dissection with a partial glossectomy (removal of part of his tongue). The surgery involved splitting his jaw, which allowed the surgeon to get to the tumor. Surgery lasted 14 hours and he spent a few weeks in the hospital after that. He had to learn to talk, eat, and drink again and chemotherapy and radiation followed. While he can be difficult to understand sometimes, he remains a tremendous communicator on the field. In May 2022, Cherup suffered a fractured jaw. He was working a Pony League game and a foul ball smashed off his mask. Somehow, he fought through and finished the game working alone. Because of the radiation treatments he had and its side effect of osteo radio necrosis, corrective surgery was out which meant his jaw had to heal on its own. He remarkably began working games again that fall.