Tag Archive for: Bulldogs

KNIGHTS STILL RULE AS DISTRICT CHAMPS

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PERRY OH- In recent years, The Archbishop Hoban Knights girls basketball team, led by Head Coach Pamela Davis seemed to have gotten  winning district championships down to a science. The 14 girls on The Knights squad all exemplify key attributes to have in the sport. Be hardworking, be unselfish and be smart. All of these had to be checked to win districts in the previous three seasons; however, this year had its own set of challenges for Hoban. Dropping 9 regular season games this season, when losing only 11 in their three previous years, Coach Davis said that it may have not been the most “glamorous” regular season, but she still believed in this group getting it done!

Rolling in as the #6 seed in The Northeast 2 bracket of Division 1, The Knights were set to do battle with the #3 seeded Federal League Champions, The Green Bulldogs. Also having a legend in the coaching ranks, Green Head Coach Alicia Manning who has more than enough experience and knowledge under her belt to give the next generation of hoopers. Playing at The University of Tennessee for Coach Pat Summitt, Alicia Manning knows what it takes to go on a deep run, making it to the elite eight twice in her NCAA career. 

Both teams had plenty of star power to fill an entire galaxy with names like Mallory Oddo (SR) and Riley Chmielewski (SR) running the show for Green, The Bulldogs also have some up-and-coming young stars like sophomore Jenna Slates who has developed herself into quite a post presence and will leave plenty of federal league teams with their plates full when squaring off with Green. On the other side, Hoban had Rylee Bennett (SR) and MacKenzie Edingburgh (JR) that can score like machines, while also getting production from the younger players! A pair of freshmen that have been nothing short of impressive in their debut to highschool basketball, both Niera Stevens and MaKenzie Grant have been huge for Hoban this year and have left The Knights faithful excited to see just how much better they can get! 

Tension was building for the opening tip-off and both crowds were into it from the jump. Of the tip, Hoban was determined to play from in front, and that they did! Jumping ahead on an opening 10-2 run, The Knights forced an early timeout from Green while grabbing the momentum early. Rylee Bennett was scoring big buckets early on, leaving Green looking for an answer. The Bulldogs were able to find one once Mallory Oddo came off the bench. Attacking The Knights with a wide range of athletic moves and cuts to the basket, Green was able to reduce the deficit. Hoban had their answers though, leading the ballgame 18-12 after a quarter. 

With striking similarities to their February 6th encounter with The Bulldogs, Hoban was playing from in front, while Green walked the comeback trail. The Knights were able to build on their lead in the second quarter, getting some incredible inbound scores from Niera Steven, The Hoban freshman showed no fear attacking the strong post presence of Green. Getting key contributions from other players allowed Hoban to hold a 29-20 lead heading into halftime. 

Out of the half and another Knight stepped up in the scoring column when MacKenzie Edingburgh found her rhythm and was flowing on offense. With dazzling moves to the rim, Edingburgh showed she had more than what it takes to battle and hang with strong post players, whether it was her natural position or not. Her scoring helped Hoban widen the gap once again on their opponent, this time the lead extended into double digits 43-28 the lead stood for The Knights with the final quarter set to be played. 

It was now or never for Green and The Bulldogs refused to go down without a fight. In an impressive and thrilling turn of events, Green fought their way back into the ballgame! Mallory Oddo was getting big buckets in the fourth, while girls like Nina Shaffer and Jenna Slates controlled the glass in the fourth. Clamping down defensively, The Bulldogs were generating key misses from The Knight offensively, which Green effectively turned into offensive production at the other end of the floor. Then, with the game favoring Hoban 50-45 in the final minute of the game, Riley Chmielewski hit a deep deadeye three pointer that made everyone’s palms in Perry High School instantly sweat! A single possession separated the two great programs, only one could get to regionals and it was anybody’s game with Hoban up 50-48! Both teams were in foul trouble in the fourth and free throws were resulting from the defensive blunders as both teams were in the bonus. Players from both sides were playing with foul trouble,  this created a huge blow to Green, losing Mallory Oddo in the waning moments of the ballgame when she picked up her fifth. The Knights split their free throw attempts and left little time on the clock for The Bulldogs, allowing Hoban to walk the tight rope to their fourth consecutive district championship, beating Green 51-48!

As we here at YSN wish the Green seniors nothing but the best in their future! For The Bulldogs coming back, we wish you the best of luck in the 2023-24 campaign! The win for Hoban (16-9) will send them to a regional semi-final matchup with the winners of the Northeast 4 (Valley Forge District) The Middies of Grafton Midview (21-4)! That matchup is scheduled on Tuesday, February 28th at Medina High School and is set to tip-off at 8:00 p.m. Interviews with both winning head coach Pamela Davis and Player of The Game Rylee Bennett can be found below!

*Contributed By YSN’s Ty Bartell

CANFIELD DOMINATES THE BATTLE OF 224

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CANFIELD OHIO – The Canfield Cardinals boys basketball team took on their rival the Poland Bulldogs Friday night, a game in which the Cardinals won 76-44.

In the big win, Ben Weaver led the way offensively for the Cardinals pouring in a game high 22 points. Weaver was backed up by teammates Dom Cruz who had 18 points, Jake Schneider with seven points, and Sam Castronova and Angelo Delucia who both had six points. JP Genova was the main source of offense for the Bulldogs as he had 18 points on the night.

In the 32 point victory, the Cardinals earned a season sweep over their rival as the other win being back on Jan. 21 54-47. Canfield improves their record to 17-5 and the Bulldogs now drop to 10-12.

*Contributed By YSN’s Michael Wolfgang

CARDINALS COMPLETE SEASON SWEEP IN THE BATTLE OF 224

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POLAND OH- The rivalry between Poland and Canfield is hard to match. No matter the sport, you know when the Cardinals and Bulldogs square off that is going to be a contested game.  Thursday night in Poland was no different as a battle between 2 of the top 3 YSN power ranked teams met up. Canfield proved just why they were number 1 though as they ran away late for a 56-37 win over the Bulldogs.  It was senior Abby Muckleroy that set the tone early. With her teammates struggling to find the hoop early, Muckleroy hit her first four shots from beyond the arc.  It let the Cardinals run out to a 17-5 lead after 1 quarter.  Poland wasn’t about to lay down though.  Their three point game started to click as four different players hit a deep shot in the second. They were able to cut the lead down to three before Canfield pushed before halftime, including a Carlie Harmon mid range jumper at the buzzer to go to the locker room.  That would give the Cardinals enough momentum to keep Poland at bay the rest of the game.

The Cardinals hit 10 threes as a team. Muckleroy hit half of those and finished with a team-high 15 points.  Harmon had another good showing against Poland as she totaled 14.  In two games against the Bulldogs Harmon has 38 points.  Kate Sahli was also in double figures for Canfield with 13.

Poland was led by Sarah Forsyth who battled her way to a tough 11 points.  Mary Brant chipped in 8 points to the offense, and Katie McDonald finished with 7.

Canfield concludes the regular season with the win and now looks ahead to their tournament run as they host Conneaut on February 15.  Poland has one more tune up before their district run starts as they’ll travel to Mooney on Saturday.

MASSUCCI AND HER TIGERS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS

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HOWLAND CENTER, OH – The Howland Tigers got the right rhythm into play in their final regular season contest against Lakeview. They needed to show the community what kind of team they would become. The Tigers would jump out to a big lead and never looked back as they downed the Bulldogs at home 62-32.

 

The Bulldogs kept it competitive in the first quarter, with the bulk of the load coming from senior Maggie Pavlansky. She picked up all of Lakeview’s shots from downtown with six three-pointers, as in the first and second half, she picked up three each. Her night finished with her leading the team with 22 of their 32 points.

 

Howland had a deadly shooter of their own in junior Alyssa Massucci. She picked up five 3’s alone in the second half. She would also cash in 21 points in the final two quarters, including 12 points in the third, en route to a game-high 29 points on the night. Massucci’s efforts were good enough to earn her our YSN Live Player of the Game.

 

Howland ends the regular season at 10-12 as they will now prepare for their Sectional Semifinal matchup next Wednesday at home against Notre Dame Cathedral Latin (NDCL). The Tigers will look to defend their sectional title from a year ago with a 7:00 P.M. tip. Lakeview will also end the regular season at 10-12 as they will have a first-round bye in the tournament. Next Saturday on February 18th, they will either travel out to Brookfield or play host to Cardinal Mooney in a Sectional Final. Tip-off is slated for 1:00 P.M.

 

You can watch interviews with Howland head coach Aaron Pounds and our Player of the Game Alyssa Massucci by clicking on the videos provided below.

*Contributed By YSN’s Noah Ricks

ROWING THROUGH ROUGH WATERS

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POLAND OH- Adversity is a part of everyone’s journey. We can’t avoid it, or control when it happens. That’s just a lesson that people learn in life.  Of course, not too many athletes have to deal with as much as Poland Senior Brooke Rowe has in her short four year high school career. One knee injury most kids can back from, two knee injuries is a bit harder, but the amount of players that can come back from three is a small number.  That thought is exactly what Brooke has done this season. After going through three separate season ending injuries, Rowe has still made it a point to be on the floor with the teammates that have been a part of her life for so long.  She hasn’t missed a beat either, despite not having a ton of varsity experience under her belt Brooke has made huge impacts on Poland’s success this season.  Her never give up attitude has guided the Bulldogs to their sixth straight NE8 championship.

Brooke credits her faith as the key factor in getting her through the adversity she has faced.  An athlete with strong faith can be like an unmovable mountain.  You might be more talented than Brooke, you might be faster, or stronger, but you will never be rid of her.  She is a motor that will never stop coming at you.  That characteristic has filtered into the entire Poland team.  Despite not having 7 players that all play high level club basketball, or have dreams of playing college basketball, Poland has still managed to be one of the best teams in the area this year. Through all the preseason doubt from the outside, the Bulldogs have embraced Rose’s mentality and have strongly rowed through the rough waters of a basketball season.

Rowe was kind enough to give us some time to talk about her season and journey. She talks with Anthony Hartwig about coming back from her injuries, what it’s been like having success this season, and much more. Check out the latest Poland Girls Basketball Player Profile only on YSN!

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HOBAN FIGHTS THROUGH THE BULLDOGS BITE

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AKRON OH- With the days of high school basketball’s regular season fading, many teams have various goals during the final games of the season. Some are looking to rest their starters prior to the tournaments, others are in the midst of a conference championship and then some are just looking to prepare themselves with tough competition. On Tuesday night, much like the entirety of the season, The Archbishop Hoban boys basketball teams chose the latter! Welcoming fellow 15 win team at the time, The Green Bulldogs, into The Castle for a premier bout! 

Last season saw the two programs meet twice on the court, with Green taking the regular season home contest and Hoban knocking The Bulldogs out of the tournament in an overtime thriller! Thus leaving plenty of animosity between the two strong schools, adding plenty of intrigue and entertainment value to the matchup. The Knights wasted little time jumping ahead, as Jonas Nichols was finding his shot, propelling Hoban to a 10-1 lead on an impressive first quarter run. However, The Bulldogs stayed calm through the early deficit, as superstar scorer, Brady Rollyson started to will Green back into the game by trimming the deficit to just a possession after a quarter. 

With Hoban leading 19-16 after a quarter, they looked to create some distance once again from The Bulldogs. Green trimmed their deficit to just a single point at the start of quarter number two; however, The Knights armor held up! Joey Hardman made use of his minutes, hitting a three, and separating Hoban from Green once again. Nick Bundalo started to find his shot in the second, creating an effective one-two offensive punch with his teammate Brady Rollyson. The combination of Rollyson (15 PTS) and Bundalo (9 PTS) made up all the first half scoring for The Bulldogs, but The Knight still led 30-24 at the half. 

The battle continued in the second half, with Green continuing to try and get over the hump and Hoban fending off hungry Bulldogs in an effort to maintain their lead. Green once again battled to within a point, but once again were pushed back, this time by sharpshooter Logan Vowles finding a distance shot, putting his team right back up by two possessions. William Scott helped space the floor, while finding his own shots, especially in the second half to keep The Knights in front 43-37 after three. 

In the final eight minutes of play, with a rocking crowd behind them, The Hoban Knights started to put the finishing touches on a game that, despite being a battle, they never trailed in. Salting the game away, out-scoring Green 12-6 in the fourth quarter claiming a 12 point win 55-43 over The Bulldogs in Hoban’s sweet 16th victory of the season. Green (15-5)(8-3) will keep their talents on the road, traveling to GlenOak (16-4)(8-3) as they will try to separate themselves in the three-way tie in The Federal League, also with Massillon Jackson, on Friday, February 10th. Also on Friday, The Archbishop Hoban Knights (16-3) will stay home and entertain The Cornerstone Christian Patriots (16-3) in another premier matchup on YSN! Interviews with winning Head Coach T.K. Griffith and Player of The Game Jonas Nichols can be found below! 

 

Scoring (Hoban)

Jonas Nichols: 21 PTS (Player of The Game)

William Scott: 13 PTS.

Logan Vowles: 11 PTS.

Sam Greer: 7 PTS.

Joey Hardman: 3 PTS.

Scoring (Green)

Brady Rollyson: 21 PTS.

Nick Bundalo: 13 PTS.

Lucas Bitong: 4 PTS.

Mark Danner: 3 PTS.

Anthony Fortunato: 2 PTS.

 

Scoring by Quarter

Q1: Hoban 19 – 16 Green

Q2: Hoban 13 – 8 Green

Q3: Hoban 11 – 13 Green

Q4: Hoban 12 – 6 Green

Final: Hoban 55 – 43 Green

*Contributed By YSN’s Ty Bartell

THE NE8 IS STILL PAINTED BLUE AND PROPERTY OF POLAND

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POLAND OH- Everyone in the NE8 knew coming in to this season Poland was still the team to beat. No one had ever dethroned the Bulldogs in the 4 years the NE8 existed. Only once did a team even share the top spot with them.  They’ve only lost 3 conference games in 5 years. Yet, there were still expectations that they wouldn’t be what they were.  The Bulldogs had to field all the outside questions about what they graduated last year, and how they would possibly be able to maintain their dominance.  Well they found an answer all season long, and at the end of the road here we sit looking at a Poland team that is still on top.  Their 60-26 win over Lakeview on Monday night clinched an outright title.

Ten different Bulldogs scored on the night. Senior Brooke Rowe ended her last NE8 matchup with a 12 point performance to lead the way.  Katie McDonald was also in double figures with 10 points on the night.  Ava Nicholudis added 8 points to the offense.  Mary Brant and Sarah Forsyth both contributed 7 points.

Maggie Pavlansky had herself a heck of a shooting night. She hit five threes on her way to a game-high 15 points. Izzy Haines chipped in 6 points.

Poland can now squarely look at their tournament tune ups now that the NE8 is wrapped up.  The Bulldogs host round 2 of the Battle of 224 on Thursday against Canfield.  Lakeview will continue their schedule on Thursday as well as they travel to Howland.

 

POLAND KNOCKS DOWN THE RAIDERS

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CANFIELD OH- South Range came in to Friday night all of the sudden in a three way tie for first place in the NE8.  With the remainder of their NE8 schedule against teams below them, the Raiders thought that a share of the title was in their grasp. However, Poland came in and dashed all of that and knocked the Raiders down a peg with a 55-46 win.  It was the final frame that has been where the Raiders shined the brightest during this current conference win streak. But Friday night it was the fourth quarter that haunted them. The Raiders offense stalled and they only scored 6 points in the frame.

Poland was led by JP Genova who dazzled the crowd with a game-high 20 points.  Carson Maurer played well especially in the second half on his way to a 12 point game.  Danny Nittoli was also in double figures with 10 points.

South Range got a huge game from Dylan Turvey despite the loss. He was able to find his way to 18 points.  Ayden Leon also worked his way into double figures with 11 points on the night.  Landon Moore, and Luke Rohan both chipped in 6.

Poland will use this win as a springboard into the next one as they host Girard. South Range is also at home on Tuesday as they’ll host Hubbard.

BULLDOGS CLINCH A SHARE OF THE TITLE

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HUBBARD OH- Poland put themselves in position to at least share the NE8 championship on Thursday as they traveled to Hubbard. It was an absolute barrage of defense from Poland as they only allowed 1 point in the first half.  The Bulldogs didn’t need a massive offensive output this night as they got away with a 36-21 win.  The victory earned Poland a piece of the conference championship.

The offense was led by Brooke Rowe who rallied a total of 8 points.  Elliana Thompson contributed 6 points to the cause.  Ariana Daniels and Mary Brant both chipped in 5 pints.  Hubbard was led by Eleni Grillis with 6 points.

Poland can go for the outright NE8 championship on Monday as they host Lakeview on senior night.  Hubbard will make the trip to Jefferson on Monday.

 

RAIDERS BREATHE EASY

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CANFIELD OH- South Range had been cutting it close over the last few weeks.  It seems like every game came down to last second heroics.  On Tuesday however while hosting Lakeview it was done third quarter heroics that let the Raiders pull away from the Bulldogs and breathe east down the stretch. The Raiders outscored Lakeview 14-7 in the third frame to take an 11 point 35-24 lead into the 4th. They’d go on to win 51-33.

Luke Rohan continued his scoring streak with 18 points to lead the Raiders.  Ayden Leon put in a lot of work in the paint and finished with 15 points.  Landon Moore was also in double figures with 12.

Lakeview was led on the night by Ryan Gee with 12 points.  They also got a good contribution from Tyler Capon who got into double figures with 10.

South Range will celebrate senior night on Friday as they host Poland in another NE8 clash.  Lakeview will try and bounce back on Friday as they host Struthers.