Tag Archive for: Bulldogs

CALL HER GRETCH

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EAST PALESTINE, OH- As one of three seniors on the Lady Bulldogs Basketball Team, Kenzee Johnston is one who appreciates where she is this season.  Trying to take on more and more responsibility for the team, while passing on tips and opportunities for growth in her teammates for the years to come.

With Johnston on her way to her third Varsity letter and a crucial part of last year’s impressive 17-win squad, Kenzie is all business but looks to be having the time of her life.  Even when she’s upset, she has a signature smile that drives her opponents batty.  A Hines Ward-esque quality that few possess and even less can master.

We caught up with the Senior Leader for the Lady Dogs for this week’s East Palestine Player Profile.  She goes by Kenzee, but her friends CALL HER GRETCH.

Presented by Gorby’s

EAST PALESTINE GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP 1) WITH WILL FRANKLIN

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EAST PALESTINE, OH- Coming off the most successful year in recent history, and Coach Franklin’s most successful as the Head Coach, the Lady Bulldogs are looking to build on a 17-win season just a year ago.  It won’t be an easy road, but it’s certainly attainable.

The Lady Dogs are brushing off a tough loss to Leetonia that left them wanting nothing more than to get back on the hardwood, but the weather kept that from happening early this week.  With an EOAC battle on Thursday and a holiday tournament at home on Saturday, EP needs to right the ship quickly to help build toward the thick of their schedule post-holiday.

We caught up with Coach “Frank” to discuss the opportunities ahead as well as what he’s looking to build upon this season.

All that and more on this week’s episode of East Palestine Coach’s Corner with Will Franklin.

Presented by Gorby’s

BERTOVICH IMPRESSES; BULLDOGS FALL SHORT

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EAST PALESTINE, OH- In an impressive effort from an up-and-coming Bulldog team, it still wasn’t enough to get past EOAC powerhouse, Southern Local.  The Indians snuck away with a victory 67-54 over East Palestine Tuesday night.

For the Bulldogs, Jonathan Bertovich had one of the most impressive games of his career thus far against a stellar Indian defense.  Bertovich went off for 36 points that included a pair from beyond the arc as well as going 8-11 from the free-throw line.  For his efforts, he was named the Gorby’s Player of the Game on YSN.  Joining JB in the scoring column was Evan Smith with 5, Brandon Turcola with 6, and Westin Jones with 5.

For Southern, Brock Smalley led the way with 22, and Tanner Patterson chipped in 16 alongside Cam Grodhaus’s 13.

East Palestine (1-4) will now gear up for their Battle of the Borders tournament in their gym on Saturday where they’ll square off against Mohawk in the tournament’s final matchup.  Tipoff is set for 8pm on YSN.

BULLDOGS PUSH PAST RANGE

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CANFIELD, OH- The South Range Boys Basketball falls to 0-2 in the NE8 after the matchup with Poland 41-35 which moves the Raiders to 2-2 on the year. The Bulldogs would start strong and fast, South Range would fight through the 2nd. But Poland eventually took control of the game, an encouraging push back would help Raiders cut the lead lower until the final buzzer. Chris Brooks and Kris Scandy lead the push back for South Range. Michael Cougras and Zack Kassem led the Bulldogs to the league victory. Cougras added 5 3’s, and 21 of the 41 points came from 3 tonight for Poland. 

Brooks finished the night off with 13 points and 8 rebounds to lead the Raiders. Right behind him was Kris Scandy with 6 points, Dante Digaetano ended with 5 points and 2 rebounds. Eli Taylor, Nate Brown, Justin Marrie all contributed 3 points each and Jake Gehring finished with 2 points and 2 rebounds. Cougras lit the floor up with 3s and finished with 19 points and 3 rebounds. The Kassem twins would contribute 5 and 4 points with 4 and 2 rebounds, respectively, while Andrew Centifanti contributed with great defensive play with 7 points and 3 rebounds. Poland’s disciplined defense was too much for the Raiders, they struggled to get anything to fall and the Bulldogs capitalized.

The Raiders will travel to Hubbard on Friday looking for their first win the conference. Tip-off for the JV will be at 5:30. Varsity at 7:00. Catch it on YSN!

 

*Story contributed by YSN’s Brendan Miller

 

GAME PHOTOS: HERE

MASUCCI MASTERS LEADERSHIP

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Poland Lady Bulldog senior Katie Masucci has put extra importance on her senior season of basketball. She knows what the seniors last year put in to this program to put it on the map, and she wants to make sure this group continues that. An admiringly shy person, Katie says that being forced to be a leader has really gotten her to come out of her shell. Of course, having her sister on the same team helps out with that as well. Katie says that having this season with her sister has brought them both closer than ever before. 

Katie has waited her time to be a marquee player at the varsity level. That is a quality that coach Blanch puts above anything else. She spent three years developing, playing out her role, and now she is being rewarded by getting quality minutes in big time situations. The program thrives on knowing and accepting your role as a player, and Katie is someone that is a grand example of that philosophy.

Anthony Hartwig went to Poland to catch up with Katie. They discuss her leadership growth, playing with her sister, and much more. Learn all about the Bulldog senior on the latest Poland Lady Bulldog Player Profile Masucci Masters Leadership.

EAST PALESTINE BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP 2) WITH BILL STANTON

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EAST PALESTINE, OH- The youth movement in East Palestine is underway, and the Bulldogs are earning their minutes on the floor under 2nd-year skipper, Bill Stanton.

The Bulldogs are well aware of the challenges they face in 2019-2020, but embrace them and are willing to fight through in order to establish a new culture in EP!

We caught up with Coach Stanton for a bit of a recap, and a look forward to what his Bulldogs face moving forward!

All that and more on this week’s East Palestine Basketball Coach’s Corner with Bill Stanton

Presented by

POLAND UNITED IN WIN OVER BOARDMAN

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POLAND OH- The Poland Lady Bulldogs hosted the United Way Classic Saturday and won their matchup on the day over Boardman 56-33.

The Bulldogs defense kept on their dominating as they held the Spartans to just 9 points in the first half. Boardman tried and tried to get open looks but it seemed every outside shot was highly contested. The Spartans did not shoot well from behind the arc. The Bulldogs complimented their strong defense with maybe their best offensive output of the season. They were up 30-9 at the break and their offense was starting to stay away from unforced turnovers. Connie Cougras was a big reason they had such offensive balance. She went 2 for 4 from three and gave the Bulldogs a great lift off the bench. The game was pretty much decided at the half. Coach Blanch used an opportunity to get younger kids into a big atmosphere. Almost everyone that got in the game was able to get on the scoreboard. And those that didn’t still get their name in the stat book with rebounds or assists. An entire team effort helped Poland cruise to a 56-33 win.

Jackie Grisdale led the Bulldogs with 13 points and 9 rebounds. Kailyn Brown was also in double figures with 12 points 8 rebounds. Connie Cougras finished with 9.

Poland returns to action Thursday as they travel to Jefferson.

BULLDOGS HAND SOUTH RANGE FIRST “L”

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CANFIELD, OH- The South Range Boys Basketball team were handed their first loss of the season against Lakeview 55-44 to make them 2-1. Both teams started slow but Lakeview would take control and never looked back. Brendan Kilpatrick and Ryan Carnahan both were on fire tonight to propel the Bulldogs to a victory. Raiders attempted to fight back in the game even with Lakeview countering every chance South Range got. But the Raiders could not get anything to go their way and Lakeview took advantage. The Bulldogs would continue the attack throughout the 4th with 30 of their 55 points would come from 3.

Chris Brooks finished the night off with 24 points to lead the Raiders. Both Eli Taylor and Nate Brown would contribute 7 points each. Dante DiGaetano would be held to 4 points on the night. Kris Scandy, Jake Gehring, Brandon Mikos Justin Marrie, and Matt Lucas were held scoreless but all contributed to the Raiders push back. For Lakeview, Brendan Kilpatrick finished with 19 points with knocking down three 3-pointers. Ryan Carnahan would light up the floor with 13 points himself and three 3 pointers also.

The Raiders will be back in action at home again next Tuesday against Poland for another NE8 matchup. Tip-off for the JV will be at 5:30. Varsity at 7:00. You do not want to miss it!

 

*Story contributed by YSN’s Brendan Miller

LADY BEARS STUN EAST PALESTINE

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LEETONIA, OH- The Lady Bears Basketball Team have heard all the hype about where teams will shake out win 2020, and on Thursday night, they added their name to the list of teams to keep an eye on.  Leetonia controlled the game from the tipoff against East Palestine and were able to run away with a 61-49 victory over their EOAC rivals.

Leetonia Senior Anna Buffone led the way with 14 points and kept her team composed throughout the night.  Buffone’s supporting cast consisted of Taran Ferry with a dozen points, and Ella Gregorino with 10, including some huge buckets down the stretch to keep the Lady Bulldogs at bay.  Perhaps the most impressive player on the court was sophomore Allison Francosky who battled her way to 13 points in the paint while keeping East Palestine shooting jumpers instead of working the lane.

The Bulldogs had four players in double figures including Payton Sherry, and Joclyn Fristik with 11 apiece while Patience Champney and Morgan Rutledge dialed in 10 each, respectively.  It was a tough night from the field for EP as they weren’t able to cash in a single bucket from outside the arc.  Something they’ve done better than most to start the year!

The Bears (2-3, 1-1) will now look to keep the flow going against Heartland Christian on December 19 with JV’s starting at 5:30.

East Palestine (2-3, 1-1) will match up with another EOAC team in Southern on Monday, December 16th around 7pm.  That game will be live on YSN from The Dog Pound.

 

GAME PHOTOS: HERE

SPARTANS DISTRIBUTE SCORING; SHOOT PAST LAKEVIEW

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BOARDMAN, OH- Boardman used a big first quarter, outscoring Lakeview 26-4, to earn their first home win of the season 76-42.

Thirteen Spartans got in the scoring column, led by Derrick Anderson with 17 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. Ethan Anderson had a big night inside with 14 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. Andrew Clark was in double figures with 11 points, while also grabbing 3 rebounds. Tommy Fryda and Connor Miller each had 6 points. Fryda added 3 assists and Miller grabbed 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Joey Zahran added 5 points and 2 rebounds. Zach Ryan, Charlie Davis and Spencer Smith each connected on a triple for 3 points. Ryan also snagged 2 steals. Trey DePietro had an “and 1” to get 3 points on the night. Daeone Martin and Jimmy Goske each had 2 points, Martin dishing out 2 assists and snagging 2 steals as well.  Marco Stilliana rounded out the scoring with 1 point to go along with a great assist. Ty Ventresco added a couple of rebounds inside.

Boardman improves to 2-0 on the season. The Spartans play a very talented Hickory team at Poland on Saturday in the United Way Classic.

 

*Story contributed by Pat Birch and boardmanathletics.org