Tag Archive for: Clippers

COLUMBIANA BASKETBALL COACH S CORNER WITH TODD JOHNSON 2-13-25

COLUMBIANA, OH= Todd Johnson, head coach of the Columbiana Clippers basketball team, has delivered an unforgettable season, guiding his team to back-to-back EOAC championships and an impressive 19-2 record. In a recent episode of the YSN podcast, Johnson shared insights on his coaching philosophy and the journey of nurturing basketball talent in the area.

Coach Johnson, a proud Columbiana alum himself, discussed how he’s dedicated the last nine years to building a solid foundation for the Clippers. Emphasizing the importance of developing youth programs, he proudly recounted how their efforts to engage boys in grades two through six have significantly contributed to the team’s success.

A key highlight of the season included a critical victory over Valley Christian on the road, a game that showcased the determination and grit of the Clippers. Johnson acknowledged the team’s ability to perform under pressure, crediting the hard work and persistence of his players in turning moments of adversity into triumphs.

As the Clippers prepare for the postseason, Johnson maintains his focus on the next game, ensuring his team remains motivated and united. His passion and dedication have not only elevated the Clippers but have inspired a new generation in Columbiana to pursue basketball excellence. The community and players alike cherish Johnson’s commitment, as he continues to bleed Columbiana colors and foster a culture of success for the Clippers.

PRESENTED BY

CLIPPERS HOIST THEIR SECOND STRAIGHT EOAC TROPHY

HANOVERTON OH- Columbiana rolled into United on Tuesday night and handled business, locking up their second straight EOAC championship with a 65-43 win. The Clippers will split the crown with Valley Christian, who took care of Leetonia the same night.

Seth Struharik was lights out, dropping 25 points to lead the way. Cooper Brown chipped in 16, while Luca Cagliuso and Hunter Davanzo each added 6.

United got 8 points from Matthew Hoopes, while M’Kyan Haynes and Luke Mercer each put up 7.

Next up, Columbiana wraps up the regular season Friday on the road at Mathews. United stays home to take on the Academy of Urban Scholars.

2025 GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT CENTRAL

COLUMBIANA OH-  It is officially tournament time in Ohio Girls Basketball! It’s the best time of year for hoops fans, and it’s when the great get separated from the good.  It has been an exciting regular season with plenty of teams making statements along the way.  All 22 games preparing each squad for this moment when it’s win or go home.  In this article you will be able to easily find the tournament matchups that are coming up, and the road ahead for your favorite team in the YSN Family.  Until the District Finals, all higher seeds will be the host schools of tournament games.

DIVISION II

There is only 1 Division II team in the YSN family and that honor belongs to Austintown Fitch.  They are the 15 seed in the Northeast District.  Because of the size of their bracket they will start their tournament run in the district semifinals on Wednesday February 19th against 27th seeded Euclid at home.  The 2 seed Olmstead Falls is on the other end of the bracket, and they are favorites to get into the district final, and most likely who Fitch will have to conquer if they win against Euclid.

DIVISION III

Sectional Finals: February 15th

Northeast 6 Bracket: #23 Louisville vs #41 Wooster. 2:00

Northeast 1 Bracket: #4 Akron Archbishop Hoban vs #42 Bedford 7:00

Northeast 2 Bracket: #15 Chaney vs #27 Akron Garfield 7:00

Northeast 4 Bracket: #43 Lakeside @ #11 Akron Ellet 7:00

Northeast 5 Bracket: #16 Howland vs #24 Bay 7:00

Northeast 5 Bracket: #19 Boardman @ #14 Kent Roosevelt 7:00

Overciew: Division III is full of talented teams with deep rosters as most higher divisions are.  This means that more so than other divisions the middle seeds can be very dangerous.  For example Chaney is the 15 seed but they also feature one of the highest scoring players in the YSN family in sophomore Alyssa Brown, who can wreck anyone’s tournament dreams.  Even 19 seeded Boardman has shown how dangerous they can be with a balanced offense led by senior Sarah Bero.  The 4th seeded Hoban Knights are the highest seeded YSN team in the division, and they have earned every ounce of that seed.  The Knights play a very strong independent schedule and they’ve come out of it with a nearly spotless record.  The Knights have plenty of offensive weapons but they’re headlined by their fantastic defense that has held almost all of their opponents under their season average.  The Knights had an early exit to the tournament last season, and they are hungry to make a run this year.

DIVISION IV

Sectional Finals February 13th

East 1 Bracket: #11 Beaver Local @ #10 Minerva 7:00

East 1 Bracket: #6 East Liverpool @ #5 Maysville 7:00

Sectional Finals  February 15th

Northeast 6 Bracket: #27 Niles @ #26 Akron Springfield 1:00

ALL Following Games 7:00 start

Northeast 1 Bracket: #24 Hubbard vs #28 Lutheran West

Northeast 2 Bracket: #19 Lakeview vs #30 Woodridge

Northeast 2 Bracket: #25 Ursuline @ #14 Cloverleaf

Northeast 3 Bracket: #9 Perry vs #39 Akron Coventry

Northeast 3 Bracket: #29 Struthers @ #22 Salem

Northeast 3 Bracket: #6 West Branch vs #44 Cleveland East Tech

Northeast 4 Bracket: #35 Orange @ #11 Field

Northeast 5 Bracket: #33 Conneaut @ #18 Villa Angela – St Joseph

Northeast 6 Bracket: #12 Edgewood vs #17 Firelands

#1 Canfield advances to the District Semifinal by forfeit by Jefferson.  They are in the Northeast 2 Bracket.

Overview:  Division IV is filled with YSN teams that made big strides as the season went on.  Their seeds might not indicate how good they actually are, or how good they’re playing at the moment.  25th seeded Ursuline may not have all the results they want in their regular season record, but a monster schedule has prepared them for any kind of basketball they’ll see. 19th seeded Lakeview has had to navigate the most competitive conference in the area in the NE8.  They are the definition of battle tested.  The Bulldogs can score in many different ways which makes them a lot to handle.  Sophie Irwin is deadly from beyond the arc, but players like Mack Stowe, and Izzy Isenberg force you to protect the paint as well.  West Branch is the highest seeded team in the YSN family in the division.  Like many Warrior teams before them, defense is the Warriors calling card.  Their defense has allowed just 1 team to get over 50 points and it was Fitch with 51.  Their opponents have been under 40 in 20 out of their 22 games. Canfield is top seed, and although they have a week to wait before they start, there will be no rust on the Cardinals.  They have been able to take an almost brand new roster from a year ago, and they’ve out done anyone’s expectations.

DIVISION V

Sectional Semifinals February 12tb ALL Games 7:00 Start

Northeast 1 Bracket: #21 Champion @ #7 Chippewa

Northeast 2 Bracket: #12 Pymatuning Valley vs #18 Triway

Sectional Finals Saturday February 15th

Northeast 2 Bracket: #10 South Range vs #12 Pymatuning Valley / #18 Triway winner 1:00

ALL Following Games Start at 7:00

Northeast 2 Bracket: #11 Girard @ #9 Southeast

Northeast 2 Bracket: #15 Garrettsville Garfield @ #14 Wickliffe

Northeast 3 Bracket: #26 Liberty @ #1 Crestview

Northeast 3 Bracket: #13 Poland vs #17 Fairview

Northeast 3 Bracket: #20 Cardinal Mooney @ #3 Canton South

Overview: There are some very interesting matchups that come out of the Division IV Sectionals.  We see a 9 vs 10 matchup as Girard travels to Southeast.  Girard has had a program defining season as they won the NE8 for the first time.  Their three headed offensive monster of Ally Glassman, Caylee Wilkes, and Makenzee White make them a hard team to defend.  Southeast has made a tough journey through the MVAC where they’ve had to play both the first seeded Crestview in Division V and the 7 seed in Division VI LaBrae both twice.  They split with LaBrae, and although they dropped both contests to Crestview, they made their presence felt in both contests.  Crestview is the top seeded team in Division V, and after an early exit last season, the Rebels have beefed up their schedule to hopefully make them even more prepared to get through a district.  Addison Rhodes will lead them along the way as the statistical leader of the team, and most of the YSN family.

DIVISION VI

Sectional Semifinals February 12th ALL Games Starting At 7:00.

Northeast 1 Bracket: #7 LaBrae vs #27 Hillsdale

Northeast 3 Bracket: #24 Newton Falls @ #8 Canton Central Catholic

Northeast 2 Bracket: #20 United @ #18 McDonald

Sectional Finals February 15th

Northeast 2 Bracket: #32 East Palestine @ #14 Dalton 1:00

ALL Following Games Start at 7:00

Northeast 1 Bracket: #11 Grand Valley vs #27 Hillsdale or @ #7 LaBrae

Northeast 2 Bracket: #18 McDonald / #20 United winner @ #6 Columbia

Northeast 3 Bracket: #30 Brookfield @ #9 New Middletown Springfield

Northeast 3 Bracket: #15 Waynedale @ #4 Columbiana

Northeast 4 Bracket: #35 Campbell Memorial @ #2 Smithville

Northeast 4 Bracket: #19 Southern vs #26 Medina Christian

Mineral Ridge has advanced to the district semifinals by forfeit from Our Lady Of The Elms.

Overview: The Northeast 3 Bracket in Division VI might just be the most intriguing bracket in the whole tournament.  Mineral Ridge, Springfield, and Columbiana all find themselves in the mix.  They have all played each other, and every game has been a close finish.  It is possible that Columbiana could play Springfield in the District Semis, and then have to meet up with Mineral Ridge in the finals if both teams get there.  Although some tough non YSN teams will be in the way of that.  Canton Central Catholic is on Mineral Ridge’s side of the bracket, and their schedule gives them a ton of high level basketball experience, Canton South will be Columbiana’s first obstacle and although they haven’t had the most eye popping record, they are a young and talented team.

DIVISION VII

Sectional Finals February 15th

Northeast 2 Bracket: #16 Sebring @ #12 Wellsville 1:00

Northeast 1 Bracket: #14 Lisbon vs #19 Mathews 3:30

Northeast 2 Bracket: #24 Ashtabula St John @ #2 Mogadore 5:00

ALL Following Games Start at 7:00

Northeast 1 Bracket: #23 Leetonia @ #1 Warren JFK

Northeast 1 Bracket: #13 Badger @ #9 Lowellville *MOVED TO 4:00*

Northeast 2 Bracket: #18 Windham @ #4 Maplewood

Northeast 3 Bracket: #20 Valley Christian @ #10 Heartland Christian

Northeast 3 Bracket: #5 Western Reserve vs #21 Lake Ridge Academy

Overview: Division VII has just as much interest as any of the divisions above.  Warren JFK is the 3rd YSN team to have to top seed in the division.  Their offense has been rolling on full cylinders all season.  They are dangerous everywhere on the floor.  Maplewood as the 4 seed is having a huge turnaround season. They have improved their win total by 8, and won the NAC.  Western Reserve is a strong sleeper in Division VII.  As a 5 seed they are placed in a pretty good draw.  They battled mostly higher division teams inside their conference, and competed well.  The Blue Devils are a team that can score from the outside and inside which makes them hard to prepare for.

WPIAL Class 4A

Round Of 16 February 17th: #5 Beaver vs #12 Freeport (PA)

 

Tournament time is always exciting! YSN is determined to have the best coverage possible.  The live broadcast of any tournament games will need to be sponsored to offset the OHSAA fees in place.  If you are interested in sponsoring a team’s tournament games reach out to us on socials, or email us at [email protected].  Good luck to all the teams starting their postseason journey this week!

CLIPPERS FLY HIGHER THAN ROCKETS

COLUMBIANA OH- The Columbiana Clipper Boys hoop squad improved to 18-2 for the season as they took down the Lowellville  Rockets 76-64 in Saturday night basketball action.

Seth Struharik dropped in a game high 37 points for the Clippers as his teammates Hunter Davanzo had 16 points and Cooper Brown scored 13 points. Columbiana trailed 22-15 after 1 but score 51 accompanied  51 points in the final 3 quarters.

For the Rockets Vinny Sullivan knocked down 20 points and Drew Modelski followed up with 16 markers.

Next up for the Clippers is a road contest against United. on Tuesday evening. Lowellville is back at home on Tuesday hosting Jackson Milton.

CLIPPERS FINISH OFF PERFECT SLATE

By Ty Bartell

BERLIN CENTER, Ohio — The Columbiana Clippers girls basketball team capped off their undefeated regular season with a 56-44 victory over the Western Reserve Blue Devils on Saturday morning. The Clippers’ win marked their first perfect campaign since the 2016-2017 season.

Columbiana (22-0, 14-0 Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference) established control early, outscoring Western Reserve 17-12 in the first quarter. By halftime, the Clippers had extended their lead to 32-20, powered by a balanced offensive attack. Western Reserve narrowed the gap to nine points by the end of the third quarter, but Columbiana’s steady play sealed the victory in the final period.

Ellie Venezia led the Clippers with 16 points, while Ava Heinrich contributed 14. Evalyn Rapp added 9 points, Annah Clemmer scored 8, and Megan Moser finished with 7 to round out Columbiana’s key contributors.

Western Reserve (14-6, 9-4 Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference) was paced by Izzy Mauro with 13 points and Kylee Ramsey with 12. Giana Leone and Quincy Miller each tallied 8 points in the loss.

The Clippers now turn their focus to the postseason, entering the Division VI Northeast 3 tournament as the No. 4 seed. They will host No. 15 Apple Creek Waynedale (11-11, 7-7 Wayne County Conference) on Saturday, February 15, at 7 p.m.The Blue Devils, seeded No. 5 in the Division VII Northeast 3 bracket, will also begin their tournament run on February 15. They will host No. 21 Lake Ridge Academy in a first-round match.

COLUMBIANA TIES UP THE EOAC AT THE BUZZER

YOUNGSTOWN OH-  Columbiana’s Seth Struharik saved his best shot for the final seconds as he hit a half=court 3 pointer to lift the visiting Clippers to a 55-52 win over Valley Christian.

The win moved the Clippers to 17-2 for the season and a 12-1 mark in the EOAC. Valley had its 14 game win streak snapped and fell to 15-3 fir the season and a tie in the EOAC with Columbiana at 12-1. A 20 point outburst in the final frame propelled Columbiana to the win. Down 10 heading into the 4th quarter the Clippers defense tightened up and held Valley to 7 points.

Struharik led all scorers with a game high 22 points as teammate Cooper Brown followed with 15 points. For Valley, Jaylen Robinson scored 14 points and Jordan Tutwiler had 12 points.

Columbiana is right back at it on Saturday as they return home to host Lowellville.  Valley Christian is also back in action on Saturday as they host Mooney.

CLIPPERS SHOOT THE LIGHTS OUT IN POLAND

POLAND OH- Columbiana isn’t taking the easy route heading into tournament time. The Clippers hit the road Thursday to face a tough, defensive-minded Poland squad and handled business with a 66-49 win.

Poland came out swinging, jumping to a 13-4 lead, but Columbiana didn’t flinch. The Clippers responded with a 14-0 run to close the first quarter up 18-13 and never looked back, gradually pulling away the rest of the way. Ava Heinrich led the charge with 24 points, knocking down six threes. Annah Clemmer added 16, while Evy Rapp put up 15. Ellie Venezia chipped in 6 to round out the scoring.

For Poland, Lucy Harrell paced the Bulldogs with 15 points, while Kate Harrell added 9. Sophia Generalovich finished with 8, and Ava Stabi contributed 7.

Columbiana has one last road test before wrapping up the regular season. They’ll head to Western Reserve on Saturday, looking to cap off a perfect season. Poland finishes up at home Monday against Girard.

Game Photos Can Be Found HERE

CLIPPERS LOOK READY FOR THE TEST AHEAD

COLUMBIANA OH- Columbiana came out swinging Tuesday night and never let up, bulldozing Wellsville 60-36 in a conference beatdown. The Clippers set the tempo early and left the Tigers playing catch-up all night.

Seth Struharik led the charge with 20 points, while Hunter Devanzo dropped 13 and Cooper Brown added 12. Avery Young pitched in 6 as Columbiana spread the wealth on offense.

For Wellsville, Tyrell Watkins did what he could with 14 points, but the Tigers couldn’t find much else. Jeron Jackson and Andrew Mackey each finished with 4.

Up next, Columbiana gears up for a big road test at Valley Christian on Friday, while Wellsville looks to bounce back when they travel to United.

NO SHARING THIS TIME AROUND FOR COLUMBIANA

HANOVERTON OH- Columbiana made sure there was no sharing this time. After splitting the EOAC crown last season, the Clippers left no doubt Monday night, shaking off a slow start to dominate United 48-10 and lock up the outright league title.

It took a quarter to get rolling, but once they did, there was no stopping Columbiana. Ellie Venezia led the charge with 19 points, while Evy Rapp knocked down 15. Ava Heinrich chipped in 6 as the Clippers poured in 40 points after the sluggish opening frame.

Maelee Smith and Marin Stryffeler each had 3 points, but United couldn’t get much going against Columbianaâ’s defense.

The Clippers step out of league play Thursday with a road test at Poland. United’s regular season is in the books, they’ll turn their focus to the tournament, opening at McDonald on February 12.

LADY CLIPPERS REMAIN DOMINANT

COLUMBIANA, OH – Columbiana’s dominance in the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference continued Wednesday night as the Clippers cruised to a 42-11 win over Southern.

Ava Heinrich led the charge with 14 points, including four three-pointers, while Ellie Venezia added 11 points, knocking down six free throws. Evy Rapp contributed 7 points, and Megan Moser chipped in 6 to round out Columbiana’s balanced scoring effort.

With the win, the Clippers remain undefeated at 18-0 overall and 12-0 in conference play, holding a one-game lead over United in the EOAC standings. Columbiana will face Valley Christian in its next matchup on Thursday. The Clippers have dominated league competition all season, outscoring EOAC opponents by an average margin of 59-12.

Southern struggled to find an offensive rhythm but saw a highlight performance from Allyssa Shroades, who led the team with 6 points. Shroades also made history, breaking her own single-season record for three-pointers, surpassing her previous mark of 51 with her 52nd of the season. Maddy Jones was active on the boards, securing 10 rebounds, while Emerson Gotschall and Jones combined for five points at the free-throw line.

The Indians now sit at 11-8 overall and 8-5 in EOAC play. They will look to bounce back quickly as they travel to East Palestine for their next game.

Columbiana controlled the game from start to finish, jumping out to a 5-1 lead after the first quarter and extending their advantage to 17-3 by halftime. A strong second half sealed the Clippers’ dominant win, as they continued their march toward a perfect regular season.