Tag Archive for: Brooke Bobbey

HOT CORNER: PERFECT STORM RECAP

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Softball made its return to the area this past weekend, and it busted the doors wide open. Thunder Elite hosted a 92 team tournament spanning from 10U to 18U. Teams from all over Ohio, and some from Pennsylvania we’re competing at four different venues throughout the area.

I have a few takeaways from not only the games I watched, but also the updates I saw from a lot of these team’s wonderfully run social media pages. The first takeaway looking at the scores of the games this weekend it was clear offense was not a problem. On bracket play Sunday alone there were 24 games that had at least one team in double digit runs. I was expecting pitchers to have an advantage in the first weekend back. It doesn’t look like that was always the case.

The most competitive and thrilling game of bracket play Sunday came in 10u where the championship game between Thunder Elite 09 and Ohio ICE purple. Thunder Elite took a 5-4 lead in to the bottom of the 7th, only to see ICE tie things up. Then ICE walked it off for a 6-5 win.

Ohio USSSA Pride Scarlet showed how potent it’s lineup is over the weekend as they hit 6 HR’s as a team on Saturday. 3 of them by Josie Spano. Tori Long and Sydney Mercer also went yard. Mercer added another home run on Sunday. The Prides lineup is powerful.

(Courtesy Ohio USSSA Pride- Scarlet)

Maddy Taylor From Austintown Fitch got her first home run of the summer over the weekend for the Lasers. She’ll be someone to watch as the summer goes on. An absolute division 1 type talent.

(Courtesy Britton Taylor)

Other Championship scores: in the 12u division Silver Creek Prospects beat RC Venom 13-7. In the 14u Lake Erie Warhawks beat Wolfpack 06 10-0. 16u saw the Garroway Outlaws beat USSSA Pride Scarlet 8-3.

I personally was watching the 18u part of this tournament. It was full of high school seniors that may have been the last chance to see play in the area. The Ohio Warriors were the local team in the bracket. Mostly made up of either seniors or juniors, their lineup is loaded with local talent. I was impressed with Bri Callow out of McDonald who took most of the pitching duties over the weekend. Kaili Gross is also a pitcher on their roster, but wasn’t quite warmed up to pitch this weekend. Bri also showed great strength at the plate. Some other prominent names on the Warriors roster are Ally Nitolli, Cam Latanzio, Brooke Bobbey, and Abby Farber all out of Poland. Lexi Diaz our of Mooney gives them tremendous speed. Delaney Early out of East Palestine is a high quality slapper in the lineup. They have a cannon behind the plate in Lauren Maughan out of Boardman. The Warriors went 3-0 in pool play on Saturday. They earned the two seed in bracket Sunday. With a bye, the win their first game on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Predators. The Warriors were up 4-1 for most of the game, but had to hold off a rally in the final inning to win 4-3. In the 18u championship they played the Pittsburgh Passion who upset Parma in the semis 10-8. The Warriors fell behind early but kept clawing back. Trailing 11-4 in their final at bats the Warriors scored 5 runs and had the tying runs on base before falling 11-9.

It was a great weekend of softball. The guidelines set down by the Ohio Heath Department were followed at the games I attended. It was a refreshing sense of normalcy.

This weekend there are tournaments at Boardman’s Field of Dreams, and McClure Park In Canfield. I will try to hit them both weather pending and have another travel ball recap next week.

Below are highlights of the Ohio Warriors Bracket Sunday games.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_LeW95prrA[/embedyt]

THE BROOKE’S NOT FINISHED

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POLAND OH- Last season, the Poland Lady Bulldogs came within a step of the state championship game. With 7 of the 9 starters returning this season, including four seniors Poland was poised to make another trip to Firestone Stadium. Senior Brooke Bobbey was especially hungry to get her program back to the state tournament. Unfortunately COVID-19 has canceled spring sports in 2020.

Bobbey’s story in softball is not finished yet even with the canceled season. Brooke is signed to play at St Bonaventure in New York next season. So even with the cancellation of spring sports, Bobbey has had to find ways to continue to stay in playing shape so she’s ready to step on campus in the fall. Her college coaches have sent over workout packets, and Brooke has plans to get on the field in summer and see live pitching any way she can.

As a three sport athlete, Bobbey has been a familiar face for Bulldog fans. She’s been spoiled with team success, as she was part of the basketball, and softball duo that only lost 2 games in the span of six months in 2019. Individually she shined on the field, as she had a batting average of .444, and an OBP of .511. In her career as a Bulldog, she has hit .446 and an OBP of .520.

Brooke also success in the classroom as she ranks 1 in her class with a 4.0 GPA. Although shifting to online admits this pandemic has been challenging, Brooke has hit it with stride to finish her senior season strong.

Anthony Hartwig has the chance to catch up with Brooke. They discussed her future plans, her favorite off field memories with the softball team, and much more. Keep up with Poland Softball in the latest Player Profile “The Brooke’s Not Finished”

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[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcF8rwRTD6M[/embedyt]

CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS

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The success of Poland Girls Basketball over the last two years is well known throughout the area. People can debate back and forth what makes them great. But if you talk to coach Blanch it all boils down to one thing, leadership. Last seasons senior group has been described by coach Blanch as the best leaders he has ever coached. Surely, this year’s group of leaders would have a lot to live up to. However, the captains of today have done a great job in balancing the lessons learned from years past, and embracing their own personalities and leadership skills.

The three captains this season for Poland are seniors Kailyn Brown, and Brooke Bobbey alongside junior Jackie Grisdale. Put in this position by coach Blanch, he believed that these three could step up and lead this team by example. The responsibilities for a captain go way beyond meeting at half court in Poland’s program. These three are in charge of keeping the delicate family bond of the team as strong as its always been. They have to do things the right way not just in the games, but in practice. The captains must be the rocks the team can lean on in times of adversity.

For these three they will all admit it didn’t get off to a great start. They felt in the preseason scrimmages and practices they weren’t doing enough of what was required. Coach Blanch was not afraid to call them on it either. But before the season started they got themselves together and decided how much they wanted this team to succeed. It was the little things the girls improved on throughout the season. For example being able to adjust a tone of a conversation based on which teammate they were talking to. Kailyn says it was easy to lead when she has such a good example of how Coach Blanch leads her. That makes the phrase “it all starts at the top” truer than ever in this program. Coach Blanch’s lead and attitude has trickled down into his player leadership and that’s why his program has become a force to be reckoned with in all of northeast Ohio.

The season is winding down as Poland heads into the district championship against West Branch Saturday night. We couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up the season of Player Profiles than taking a look inside the Captains Quarters. Anthony Hartwig sat down with all three captains this week to discuss the season, the leadership dynamic they bring to the table, and so much more. Please enjoy the final Poland Girls Basketball Player Profile of the season!

POLAND PUNCHES THEIR TICKET

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AUSTINTOWN OH- The Poland Lady Bulldogs are going back to the district championship game with a 47-36 win over Southeast on Wednesday night.

It was not a walk in the park for the Bulldogs as they found themselves up only there at the half. The third quarter is when they found their footing and their hold on the game. Poland outscored the Pirates 13-5 in the third quarter. That was all the separation Poland needed as their strong defense kept the Pirates away.

Poland was led by Jackie Grisdale with 19 points. Brooke Bobbey also got into double figures with 11.

Poland advances to the district championship game on Saturday against West Branch at Austintown Fitch. Start time is set for 7:00.

POLAND PUSHES PAST WILDCATS

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POLAND OH- The third matchup of the season between Struthers and Poland carried the most weight. The winner of this game moved on to the Fitch district semifinal, the loser would end their season. Poland needed every ounce of energy to beat a hungry Wildcat team 56-43.

The first half of the game was very competitive. A back and forth affair. Struthers made a statement out of the gate as Emma Elia knocked down a long two for the first points of the game. Poland would eventually grab the lead back, but not by much. The Bulldogs kept the lead for the rest of the half but Struthers never let it get over four. Poland held on to a 26-24 lead at the break. Much different than the first two matchups which were dominated by Poland.

The third quarter is when Poland began to create some separation. They got tremendous toughness inside from Kailyn Brown who finished through contact a couple times. They also got strong hustle plays off the bench from Ella Harrell. Brooke Bobbey has a key steal and fast-break layup near the end of the third to keep Struthers at bay. In the final frame, Poland’s depth took its toll as they slowly but surely pushed past Struthers. Harrell got half of her 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Jackie Grisdale became the seventh player in the Poland program to reach 1,000 points tonight. It came in the third quarter on her thirteenth point. She led the offense with 19 points in total. Three other Bulldogs were in double figures. Ella Harrell used a strong final frame to finish with 12, Kailyn Brown contributed 11 and Brooke Bobbey added 10.

Chloe Neider led the Wildcats with 13. Emma Elia put together a strong night with 10.

Poland advances to play Southeast Wednesday at Austintown Fitch in the district semifinals. The tip is set for 6:00.

POLAND EXACTS REVENGE ON CARDINALS IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE

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On December 28th Canfield went in to Poland and handed the Bulldogs their 2nd loss of the season 46-42. It was a loss that stayed with Coach Blanch for a while. He felt they left the win out on the court. The Bulldogs have gone a 13 game winning streak since that loss and they came in to Canfield Thursday night and avenged their early season loss with a 48-38 victory.

Poland jumped ahead quickly leading 9-2 out of the gates. Canfield stabilizes a bit to end the first frame, only trailing Poland 13-8. The second quarter is where Poland would flex their muscles. Their offense hit timely shots, and their defense locked the Cardinals down. The Bulldogs went into the locker room with a 28-14 lead thanks to a three in the final seconds by Connie Cougras.

With clear momentum out of the half Poland kept their foot on the gas. They kept pace with a Canfield team that seemed to figure things out a bit on offense. Poland won a competitive third frame by just a point, not letting Canfield gain any ground. They would have to endure one last gasp from the Cardinals in the fourth quarter but it was too little too late, and the Bulldogs came away with a ten point win.

Jackie Grisdale has a huge 23 point performance to lead the team. Brooke Bobbey started to get shots to fall and finished with 8.

Poland now can focus on their first tournament game. The sectional final against the winner of Struthers vs Niles will be on Thursday February 20th at Poland.

POLAND CLAIMS NE8 TITLE ON SENIOR NIGHT

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POLAND OH- Four seniors wee recognized before the game at Poland on Thursday night. Brooke Bobbey, Kailyn Brown, Sarah Bushaw, and Katie Masucci all took in their moment of honor as the program thanked them for their many years of service. The Bulldogs sent the seniors out with a bang, grabbing a 52-21 win over Niles and securing their second straight NE8 Championship.

All four seniors were in the starting lineup on Thursday, and they definitely started fast. Poland scored 20 points in the first quarter, 17 of which came from their four seniors. Kailyn Brown lead the way with 7.

With that first frame as a standard, the offense slowed down in the middle of the game. Only scoring 16 points in the next two quarters. However, in the fourth quarter when Coach Blanch put all four seniors on the floor again the Bulldogs doubled that and added another 16 to their total. It was truly a night of senior dominance. Each senior was individually subbed out in the final quarter and given a wonderful ovation. In a even more special moment, Katie Masucci was subbed out by her sister Hannah who got to be the first person to hug her coming off the floor.

Poland win completes a two season 28-0 record in the NE8. It’s been all Bulldogs since the leagues birth last season.

Jackie Grisdale led the way offensively with 17 points. Katie Masucci was also in double figures with 10. 30 of the final 52 points for Poland were scored by seniors.

Nae Fryer led Niles with 14 points.

Poland looks ahead to their home finale against Howland on Monday.

POLAND TOP DOG IN CLASH WITH SOUTH RANGE

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Control of the league hung in the balance Monday night when Poland traveled to South Range. Poland proved to still be the class of the league with an impressive 51-35 win over the Raiders.

The magnitude of the game was felt from the tip as the jump ball to start the game flew out of bounds before anyone could get to it, on the second try there was an immediate scrum on the floor for it. The Raiders got on the board in their first possession with a pair of free throws. 2-0 would prove to be the only lead the Raiders would have. Brooke Bobbey nailed a three on the other end to make it 3-2 and Poland would lead throughout the rest of the game.

That’s not to say the Raiders didn’t keep it competitive. They trailed by just one towards the end of the first gram before Grisdale hit a three in the closing seconds. She would do the same in the closing seconds of the first half to make a four point lead seven. 22-15 Poland led at the break. Izzy Lamparty had to spend much of the second quarter on the bench with three fouls.

The Raiders came out of the break with energy and got the lead cut to three, 28-25 but Jackie Grisdale seemed to hit a shot in every big situation for the Bulldogs. She made it 30-25 and the Bulldogs would score five more before the end of the third to make it 35-25.

Poland jumped way ahead in the final frame opening it on a 6-0 run and stretching their lead to 41-25. The Raiders with one more gasp of hope put together an 8-0 run cutting the lead to 41-33 with just over two minutes left in the game. Out of a timeout Brooke Bobbey hit maybe the biggest shot of the game as her fourth three of the game put Poland up 44-33 and pretty much ended any comeback bid the Raiders had.

Jackie Grisdale led the Bulldogs with 19 points 6 rebounds. Brooke Bobbey added 13. She hit four threes on the night.

Lexi Giles had a strong night for South Range with 13 points. Izzy Lamparty finished in double figures with 12.

Poland returns to action Thursday as they host Struthers.

South Range gets back to work Thursday as they host Lakeview.

BULLDOGS FLY AHEAD OF EAGLES

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The Poland girls got back to NE8 play on Monday night with a 64-24 win over Hubbard.

It was all Poland from the jump as the Bulldogs started the game on a 9-0 run and never looked back from there. It was once again their defense leading the way who suffocated the Eagles offense all night. It was the third time this season they’d held an opponent below thirty. The Bulldogs got contributions from a lot of players on the night. 12 Bulldogs got on the stat sheet. Only one player that got into the game didn’t score.

Jackie Grisdale led the team with 21 points 5 rebounds. Morgan Kluchar added 7, three players finished with 6. Kailyn Brown, Brooke Bobbey, and Arianna Daniels.

Poland returns to action Thursday as they travel to Niles.

Hubbard hosts Struthers on Thursday night.

POLANDS INCREDIBLE STREAK ENDS IN WARREN

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Coming in to the day the Poland Lady Bulldogs has not won 31 straight regular season games. They had not lost a game in the regular season since January 27th, 2018 at Struthers. Warren Harding brought it all to an end beating the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon 48-39.

The Raiders set the tone early as they scored the first 9 points of the game putting Poland in an early hole. The Bulldogs did a good job to stable themselves after that, not letting the lead balloon, but they couldn’t find a way to chip in to the Raider lead in the first half. Poland was getting some quality looks but just couldn’t knock them down. Missing one of their best rebounders in Lizzy Herdman due to an illness, the Bulldogs struggled to get second chance opportunities. They went into the locker room trailing 30-18.

At the break Poland made some defensive adjustments and they worked marvelously. The Raiders could not get any solid looks from the floor as the Dogs slowly but surely ate away at the deficit as the second half went on. Jackie Grisdale and Brooke Bonney both hit some timely shots from the perimeter to storm Poland back. The Bulldogs got the game to 41-39 late in the fourth quarter. The Dogs had the ball in their hands but just couldn’t find a timely shot. The Raiders defense locked down the final two minutes of the game, and they hit seven free throws to solidify their 48-39 victory.

Jackie Grisdale led the Bulldogs in scoring with 12 points. Brooke Bobbey was also in double figures with 10.

Poland returns to action after a week off next Saturday as they host Canfield.