BOARDMAN, OH- The Lady Spartans would jump out in front in the first half to take an early advantage over their rival from down the road. However, the aggressive play of the Falcons and control of possession in the second half led to a tie game when Ashley Givens found the back of the net on a penalty kick.
AUSTINTOWN OH- It’s true, Fitch softball is loaded with impressive talent on their roster, but what is all that talent with no one to lead them? They need a general on the field to see all the angles. The Falcons turn to senior Jenna Chmelik. Chmelik has been catching since she was nine and does a wonderful job at working with the Falcon pitching staff. The Falcons were coming off a season that produced their first AAC title in nineteen seasons. Everyone was ready to defend their title. COVID-19 had different plans, and the virus has ended the spring sports season.
Jenna is a very vocal catcher, so it’s no surprise she’s also on a speech and debate team that has qualified for state the last two years. She says that has done wonders in improving her ability to lead on the field.
Anthony Hartwig got the chance to chat with Jenna via video conference. They discussed the talent on the roster, her love for catching, and much more. If you miss softball as much as we do you’ll enjoy this look at Falcon softball. The latest Player Profile “Field General Jenna”
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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPyviqG7jCw[/embedyt]
AUSTINTOWN OH- Austintown Fitch softball is coming off their first AAC title in quite a while. The Falcon roster is loaded with talent, and leadership. A player who contains both of those attributes is Senior Ashley Mickey. Mickey has a fantastic junior season helping her team to one of the best seasons the program has had.
In 2019 Mickey hit at a clip of .340 with an on base percentage of .365. As a 2nd basemen, Mickey only made one error all season. That contributed to a solid team fielding percentage of .980. Coach Ward says that while Mickey might be quiet overall, she always manages to come in with a perfectly timed joke to loosen up a room. He also raved about her ability to move positions to help her team. She was a shortstop her sophomore year and moved over to 2nd to fill a larger team need in her junior campaign.
Anthony Hartwig got a chance to talk to Ashley through video chat. They discuss her reaction to the fate of the 2020 season, her favorite memories with the team, and much more. Get a look inside the Falcon’s Nest with the latest softball player profile “Mickey Brings The Magic”.
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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu2bcM335Qg[/embedyt]
AUSTINTOWN OH- Austintown Fitch Softball is coming off their first AAC title in 19 seasons. The target is now placed solidly on the Falcon’s back as the team to beat in the conference. Head Coach Steve Ward isn’t worried about that though, he says last year’s team is left in last year. They are embracing the “new season, new team” mentality. As far as this team goes they are packed with talent. What they lack is experience. They have three players who have strong shots at playing in division 1 at the next level. Coach Ward aye they will miss the preseason scrimmages that would have been used to get his mostly young team ready for high level play. Now because of COVID-19 if there is a season, it will hit the ground running in May. Coach Ward is doing everything he can to keep his team engaged and ready to go if 2020 opening day comes.
Anthony Hartwig got a hold of Coach Ward to talk some Falcon softball. They discuss the team’s mentality, the talent level on the roster, and much more. Get your fix of Falcon softball with Episode 1 of Coach’s Corner with Steve Ward.
AUSTINTOWN OH- Struthers is starting to find their stride at the perfect time. Last week they had a major upset over Western Reserve, and Wednesday night they went to Division 1 Austintown Fitch and won 57-47.
It didn’t start the way the Wildcats hoped as they found themselves quickly down 13-5 in the first. The Cats put together a run to end the first with a 17-15 lead and never looked back from that point on.
Emma Elia led the Wildcats with a game-high 16 points.
Daria Williams led the Falcons with 13.
Struthers looks to their first tournament game Saturday against Niles.
Fitch hosts Hudson in the first round of their tournament on Saturday.
AUSTINTOWN OH- The Falcons defeated Youngstown East in a high scoring affair on Saturday 72-66. The Falcons held a 6 point lead at the half and a 4 point lead after 3 quarters. The 4th quarter saw the Falcons and East exchange baskets throughout with the Falcons hitting some timely free-throws down the stretch.
Leading the way for the Falcons was Todd Simons with 22 points, Devin Chaney with 17, Kris Brown with 15, and Devin Sherwood and Nate Leskovac with 8 pts. The Falcons travel to Hudson on Tuesday to take on the Explorers. The game time for that game is 6:00 J.V. 7:30 Varsity.
*Story Contributed by Brian Beany at austintownathletics.com
AUSTINTOWN, OH- It wasn’t easy for either sideline, but Austintown Fitch rallied to win an AAC thriller on Wednesday 60-56 over Boardman.
Emma Bartlett scored a game-high 24 points in which she connected on 6 shots from beyond the arc. Ashley Mickey also dialed up from long range on a pair of scores late in the final stanza and finished with 7 points total on the night. Also contributing in the win was senior Daria Williams with 14, and Jocelyn Jourdan with 5.
For Boardman, Raegan Burkey led the way with 21 points, and was supplemented by 12 from Maria Torres and Katie Stamp’s 10 points.
Fitch (5-7, 1-2) were able to take their first conference victory of the year, while Boardman (3-11, 0-3) are left still searching for their inaugural conference win this season.
AUSTINTOWN, OH- The Falcons have been flying early on this season to the tune of a winning record, and Head Coach Brian Beany is pushing the envelope on his guys with expectations for more. At the end of the day, it’s going to take everything that Fitch has to offer to stand atop the AAC. The conference is loaded with talent, and the Falcons certainly have their share.
The All-American Conference is on notice, and Fitch is looking to bring the crown back to A-town in 2020.
We sat down with Head Coach Brian Beany to discuss the year so far, and to catch up prior to the Boardman game. We discuss talent in the area, AAU, and more in this edition of Austintown Fitch Boys Basketball Coach’s Corner (EP 1) with Brian Beany.
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AUSTINTOWN, OH- It’s been a bumpy road for Falcon Nation halfway through the year for girls hoops. Although, promising days are on the way as Coach Dan Schnurrenberger has the girls believing in themselves heading down the home stretch.
The Lady Falcons look to shoot their way out of a losing streak this week, and AAC foe Boardman is in town to do business.
We caught up with Coach S prior to the Spartan matchup to discuss what his season represents so far, as well as his favorite aspects of coaching.
All that and more on this week’s Austintown Fitch Girls Basketball Coach’s Corner with Dan Schnurrenberger
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AUSTINTOWN, OH- Mooney had Austintown Fitch right where they wanted them in the first quarter with a 6-point lead.
Then the Falcons let it fly.
Fitch came back from the deficit in the second quarter that included a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Kris Brown to give the Falcons a 29-28 at the break.
The Falcons have already been labeled a second-half team early this season because of their strong performances in the first two games, and Tuesday was no different. Fitch outscored the Cards 16-6 in the third frame with a stout defensive effort to keep Mooney off the boards.
Leading the way for Fitch (2-1) was Todd Simons 27 points, 8 rebounds alongside a strong showing from Nate Leskovac’s 13 points and 4 rebounds. Devin Sherwood and Kris Brown added double-digits to the scoreboard with 10-point efforts, respectively.
For Mooney (1-2), Mike Pelini had an outstanding game with 21 points, and Devon Jenkins controlled the boards early and finished with 11 points.
Cardinal Mooney will return the YSN airwaves next Friday against Boardman, while Austintown Fitch will take on Tallmadge at home on Friday with tipoff around 7pm.
GAME PHOTOS: HERE