Tag Archive for: Champion

CHAMPION GETS A PAIR OF CONFERENCE WINS IN ONE DAY

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By Noah Ricks 


WARREN, OH – The Champion Golden Flashes showed the community that they are still a dynasty to be reckoned with. It was evident in a short-notice doubleheader against Brookfield. They won Game 1, 17-1, and Game 2, 17-0, respectively, to improve to 4-0 on the young season.

 

In Game 1, Brookfield would strike first as Arianna Jones’ RBI brought home Madisyn Fisher for a 1-0 lead. Champion, however, exploded over their first four innings at-bat with 17 unanswered runs, with all but one of the eleven players in the lineup getting on the board. Gabby Gradishar led the charge with 4 runs off of 2 hits. Her pitching was the highlight, though, as she was able to strike out 16 batters in the first game and gave up only one hit in the five innings pitched.

 

The dominance continued into Game 2, with 17 more runs compiling a total of 34 runs overall on the night. Gradishar would cash in 13 more strikeouts off of 1 hit to bring her statline to 29 strikeouts and 2 hits overall. She would also pile up a nice 6 RBI game, along with getting two two-run home runs in the doubleheader. Addie Warzala would pick up 3 runs off of 3 hits in Game 2 while Bella Meyer, in the same game, had 2 tag-homes off of 2 hits.

 

With many rainouts around the area, both teams showcased the ability to play it all out and get two games in on a short notice. Champion (4-0) is determined to win their first state championship in five years and tenth overall, and this early season push is all in the manner of them taking it one game at a time. Brookfield (0-3) will use these tough defeats to gain much-needed experience, as they gave it everything they had against a state powerhouse like Champion.

 

YSN’s Noah Ricks got to speak with Player of the Games Gabby Gradishar and Bella Meyer following the doubleheader. You can watch the interviews below.

LABRAE KEEPS THE GOOD TIMES GOING

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LaBrae Varsity Vikings were victorious against Champion 6-4 on Friday. The Vikings got on the board in the first inning after Austin Rowe singled, scoring one run.

Champion jumped back into the lead in the top of the third inning after Bradey Quinby singled, and Carter Chapin singled, each scoring one run.

LaBrae flipped the game on its head in the bottom of the third, scoring five runs on three hits to take a 6-2 lead. The biggest blow in the inning was a single by Brogan Collins that drove in two.

Dylan Simpson earned the win for LaBrae. He gave up four hits and two runs over three innings, striking out five and walking two. Landon Brunstetter pitched four innings in relief. He surrendered six hits and two runs while, striking out five and walking one.

Quinby took the loss for Champion. The starting pitcher went three innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits, striking out two and walking three.

Collins drove the middle of the lineup, leading LaBrae  with two runs batted in. The right-handed hitter went 1-for-3 on the day. Simpson, Collins, Owen Boone, Rowe, Brunstetter, and Keith Smallsreed each collected one hit.

Champion tallied 10 hits in the game. Zack Morris, Chapin, and Quinby each collected two hits. Chapin, Quinby, and Carson Fife each drove in one run.

FLASHES GET WEAVER TO 500 CAREER WINS

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By Matt Maher


CHAMPION, OH – Winning may not be everything but it certainly feels good when you do it a lot and for Coach Weaver it seems to come naturally. After her team dominated Ursuline in a 14-4 run rule game, Coach Weaver got to celebrate her 500th career win with her team on Thursday evening! “I’m on cloud 9, I’m telling Ya” said Weaver when asked to describe how she felt after the huge achievement. While the coach’s achievement is nothing short of amazing, what her team did to earn the win was as well.

 

The top of the first inning saw Gabby Gradishar show some elite pitching. Out of the 4 batters she faced, 3 struck out swinging and the other was left stranded on first after finding a bloop single into right field. The Golden Flashes found a pair of base runners in the bottom but couldn’t get past Lilly Ditz in the circle for Ursuline.

 

Gradishar continued to dominate with yet another 3 swinging strikeouts and another hit that never left first base. Once Gradishar finished her work in the top half, it was on for Champion in the bottom. 7 runs, Champion scored an impressive 7 runs with 5 straight hits until a runner was finally caught out trying to overextend herself to grab an extra base. Bella Weber, Gradishar and Addie Warzala all batted in the first 4 runs but then Bella Meyer stepped up to the plate, with 1 hit in her back pocket she had confidence brewing and found a hard hit 2-run homer to dead center that blew the doors wide open. Grace Hadley would find the 7th RBI in her second time at bat in the inning. 

 

Gradishar found 2 more strikeouts in the 3rd, with her K of Adyson Wendt being her first strikeout looking. Champion continued to press for offense and in the 2-hole Gradishar stepped up with 1 away and smashed the ball clear over the fence leaving no doubt that she was the MVP for this game. Sam Strock would try to 1-up Gradishar 3 batters later with a 2-run home run bringing in Meyer and herself. 

 

Gradishar found 2 more K’s in the 4th to continue to add to her impressive outing. The Flashes found 3 more runs thanks to a 3-run bomb courtesy of Gradishar again! Ditz did have some better luck though because before the homer, she was able to strike out Mia Nadaud who stepped in for relief of Weber. 

 

The 5th inning proved to be beneficial for Ursuline as they earned 4 runs to erase the double digit lead from Champion and bring it back within 9 runs. Ursuline started by filling the bases off of 2 singles and a walk and then Brooke O’Palick stepped up and drilled a shot into right-center field and doubled to score 2 runs. Next Katie Kouianos hit into a 6-3 groundout that allowed Gia Schiavone to score from third. The final run came from MacKenzie Smith who hit a single right down the third base line and scored O’Palick. Gradishar struck out 1 more Irish batter giving her 11 K’s on the day.

 

Champion needed just 1 run to go up by 10 and trigger the mercy rule and with Strock on 2nd thanks to a double and Haley on 1st thanks to a walk, it was Householder who would bunt the ball well between the plate and the pitcher, hustle to 1sta nd just beat the tag while Strock came in to score. After some discussion and debate the umpires stuck with their original call of safe at first and Champion not only won the game but earned their veteran Head Coach her 500th career win as well!

 

Champion stayed true to their towns name and got a very well earned win over Ursuline to propel themselves to 2-0 on the season while Ursuline moved to 1-2. The Player of the game was Gabby Gradishar who threw 5 IP, 11Ks, 7 H and 1 BB while also going 3-4 at the plate with 2 HR, 2B, and 5 RBI. Ursuline will be back in action on April 1st when they host Chaney at 5:00PM while Champion heads out to Geneva on March 30th for a 12:00PM game.

LABRAE TAKES THE ADVANTAGE OVER CHAMPION

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WARREN OH- Dylan Simpson struck out 11 batters as the starting pitcher led LaBrae past Champion 4-0 on Monday. Simpson allowed three hits and zero runs over six innings while walking one.

The Vikings got on the board in the top of the third inning after Aiden Doll scored after tagging up, and Champion committed an error, each scoring one run.

Carson Fife took the loss for Champion. The starting pitcher went five innings, surrendering three runs (zero earned) on five hits, striking out six and walking one. Owen Boone pitched one inning of scoreless ball for LaBrae in relief. He gave up zero hits, striking out two and walking none.

Austin Rowe led the Vikings with two hits in three at bats. Brogan Collins and Rowe each drove in one run. Collins stole two bases. LaBrae stole four bases in the game.

FLASHES BRING THE THUNDER

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Champion won big over LaBrae 13-2 on Monday in the season opener.   A walk by Sam Strock put Champion on the board in the bottom of the first.

Champion scored six runs on seven hits in the bottom of the second inning. Isabella Meyer tripled, scoring three runs, a wild pitch scored two runs, and Maddison Sylvester doubled, scoring one run.

The Flashes added to their early lead in the bottom of the third inning after Gabrielle Gradishar scored after tagging up, and Meyer doubled, each scoring one run.

Riley Rowe homered to center field, scoring two runs in the top of the fourth for the LaBrae.

Champion added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on four hits. Hailey Householder homered to center field, scoring two runs, Sylvester hit a solo inside the park home run, and Gradishar tripled, scoring one run.

Gradishar earned the win for Champion. She gave up four hits and two runs over five innings, striking out four and walking two.

Champion piled up 16 hits in the game. Meyer provided pop in the middle of the lineup, and led with three runs batted in. The 3-hole hitter went 2-for-3 on the day. Gradishar set the tone at the top of the lineup, leading with three hits in four at bats. Sylvester, Grace Hadley, Addison Warzala, and Zoe Palette each collected multiple hits. Gradishar stole two bases.

Champion turned one double play in the game. The Flashes were sure-handed in the field and didn’t commit a single error. Strock had the most chances in the field with five.

The rematch between the two teams originally scheduled for Tuesday has been moved to April 5th due to weather.

CLIPPERS MAKE THEMSELVES CHAMPIONS IN THE SECTIONALS

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By Joe Eusebio 

COLUMBIANA OH- The Columbiana Lady Clippers added a Sectional Title to their EOAC Tri Championship Saturday afternoon when they defeated Champion 39-34.  It was a tight game the entire way with Champion jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the early going on three point shots from Kayla Haynie and Kennedy Caldwell.  The Clippers responded by going on an 8-0 run with four points a piece from juniors Ellie Venezia and Averi Marshall to close the first quarter with an 8-6 lead.  Megan Moser’s three pointer late in the 2nd quarter helped Columbiana to take a 17-11 lead into the locker room at the half.

Champion senior Bella Meyer’s five points and junior Addie Warzala hitting on 4 of 4 from the charity stripe got the Flashes back into it in the third.  Columbiana had five players contributing points in the third, led by Evy Rapp’s 4 points and Ava Heinrich going 3-5 on free throws and the Clips took a 30-25 lead into the fourth quarter.  It was more of the same in the fourth quarter as the Flashes were unable to cut into the Clippers lead despite three pointers from Haynie and Meyer.  Columbiana’s Marshall went 4-6 from the line down the stretch with a big free throw from senior Alaina Johnston ultimately putting the game out of reach.

On the day, the Flashes were led by Kayla Haynie’s 11 points.  Junior Bella Meyer contributed 9 points, 5 Rebounds and 2 Blocks.   Columbiana’s Avery Marshall had 14 points and 5 rebounds while Ellie Venezia filled up the score sheet with 9 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists and one block.  Champion closed their season with a record of 18-6 while the Clippers head to Struthers on Wednesday night for a District Semifinal game against Wooster Triway.

CHAMPION COMES ALIVE DOWN THE STRETCH TO ADVANCE

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WARREN OH- In a thrilling sectional semifinal showdown on Wednesday night, Champion faced off against Cardinal Mooney in a game that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer. Despite an early deficit, Champion used a late surge to avoid an upset, pulling away to a hard-fought 48-35 win over Cardinal Mooney.

The game began with Cardinal Mooney jumping out to a quick 8-0 lead, catching Champion off guard and putting them in an early hole. However, Champion refused to back down, clawing their way back into the game and narrowing the gap to just one point by halftime. With the game hanging in the balance, Champion kept it close enough in the third quarter for their offense to come alive down the stretch.

Leading the charge for Champion was Bella Meyer, whose outstanding performance saw her pour in a game-high 25 points, providing the offensive spark her team needed to secure the win. On the other side, Sophia Diorio led Cardinal Mooney with 17 points, showcasing her scoring prowess and determination to keep her team in the game.

In the end, it was Champion’s resilience and determination that proved to be the difference maker, as they outscored Cardinal Mooney 21-6 in the fourth quarter to seal the victory and punch their ticket to the sectional final.

With this crucial win under their belts, Champion now sets their sights on the sectional final, where they will face a tough test against Columbiana on Saturday at 1:00. As they prepare for their upcoming matchup, Champion celebrates their hard-fought victory while remaining focused on the challenges that lie ahead in their pursuit of postseason success.

FLASHES GIVE THEIR SENIORS A WIN

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CHAMPION, OH – Sometimes dominant doesn’t say enough to describe the performance of a team and oh boy did Thursday’s game against Liberty fit into that category for Champion. With the exception of a slower start the Golden Flashes scored often and on command in their 59-16 stomping of the Leopards on senior night.

 

Quarter one went nearly 2 minutes before someone found the hoop but once Kayla Haynie sunk a long 3 for Champion, you could tell it was going to be their night and the aftermath that followed backed that up as Champion put up 21 to Liberty’s 4 points. The first point of the night for Liberty came later in the quarter with Amari Franklin hitting the second of 2 free throws, Mia Parker found a nice 3 through a crowd as well. Seniors Kayla Haynie and Bella Meyer both excelled from beyond the arc all night and they both found their first two 3’s all from well beyond the arc at near professional range. 

 

Things didn’t get much better for the Leopards in the 2nd, with only 5 points scored their offense couldn’t get much past the Golden flashes defense and their defense was no match for Champion’s stellar offense as the home squad outscored Liberty 19-5 in the frame. Franklin and Parker continued to score with Franklin finding 3 more points with a 2 and going 1-for-2 at the stripe and Parker finding 2 in the paint. Haynie and Meyer continued their onslaught with Haynie scoring 8 more points with two 3’s and a 2 and Meyer hitting two more deep 3’s. 

 

The second half went by in the blink of an eye thanks to the running clock rule and the results of the 3rd came out with Champion out scoring Liberty 12-2. Mia Parker found a layup for Liberty but Champion saw Kennedy Caldwell pick up production with 5 points from a 2 and a 3 while Carlie Easterday scored 4 points with 1 of 2 made free throws and an impressive 3.

 

The 4th quarter ended up being the closest frame of basketball we would see all night and that’s due in part to Champion and Liberty sitting most of their starters and letting the youth show what they got and that quarter resulted in Champion scoring 7-5 over Liberty. Franklin added 2 more points and finished with 6 points while Amari Brown found a nice 3. Bella Meyer found 3 more points while Easterday hit two 2’s to add 4 more points to her night. 

 

The Golden Flashes showed everyone exactly why they’re in 2nd place in their division, strong shooting and lockdown defense have been keys to their success not just in this game but all season long. Mia Parker led the Leopards with 7 points while seniors Kayla Haynie (17), Bella Meyer (15) and Carlie Easterday (12) led the Golden Flashes in scoring. The leopards (3-16, 2-10) will be back at home to take on Campbell Memorial on February 5th at 7:30PM while Champion (15-5, 11-2) will hit the road to take on Newton Falls on February 5th at 7:00PM.

 

REBELS CLAIM AT LEAST A SHARE OF THE MVAC THRONE

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In a resounding display of dominance, Crestview secured at least a share of the MVAC title on Monday night, defending their home court against Champion with a convincing 55-40 victory. The Rebels wasted no time asserting control, building a commanding 30-12 lead by halftime.

Leading the charge for Crestview was the dynamic Addison Rhodes, who showcased her scoring prowess with an impressive 20 points. Luvrain Gaskins contributed 14 points, while Myer Miller, Bri DiCross, and Lexi Blower each added 6 points, highlighting the team’s well-rounded offensive performance.

Champion fought valiantly, with Bella Meyer leading their offensive efforts with 13 points. Kayla Haynie contributed 9 points, while Sam Strock and Kennedy Caldwell added 6 and 5 points, respectively.

With this victory, Crestview remains undefeated at 20-0 and looks forward to hosting Garfield at home on Thursday. Champion (14-5) will regroup and return home to host Liberty in their upcoming matchup.

CHAMPION’S SWEEP OF THE VIKINGS GIVES COLE 200 WINS

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WARREN OH- In an intense matchup on Monday night, Champion secured a season sweep of LaBrae with a hard-fought 52-47 victory. The game took an unexpected turn as LaBrae surged to a 21-12 lead after the first quarter, but Champion rallied for a remarkable comeback.

Kayla Haynie showcased her scoring prowess for Champion, contributing 16 points, including four three-pointers. Carlie Easterday added 11 points and 7 rebounds, while Bella Meyer and Addie Warzala chipped in with 8 points and 7 points, respectively, enhancing the team’s overall performance.

On the LaBrae side, Mariah Jones led the scoring effort with an impressive 19 points, securing the game-high. Ella Kuszmaul contributed 13 points, and Riley Rowe added 8 points to bolster the Vikings’ offensive efforts.

Notably, the victory marked a significant milestone for Champion head coach Michael Cole, achieving his 200th career win, a testament to his coaching prowess and the team’s success under his leadership.

Champion (13-4) looks ahead to their next challenge, hosting Campbell on Thursday. LaBrae (12-3) aims to bounce back in their upcoming game on Thursday as they host Brookfield, seeking to regain their winning momentum after a hard-fought battle against Champion.