Tag Archive for: Crusaders

DEFENSIVE BATTLE WITH CRUSADERS ENDS IN HEARTBREAK FOR HERALDS

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Photo Credit: Joclyn Nicholas

Geneva, OH- The Saint John Heralds came up just short in a hard-fought battle against the Steubenville Catholic Central Crusaders, losing 13-6 in a game defined by gritty defensive stands and late-game drama.

The Crusaders struck first midway through the opening quarter. With 6:31 left, Jimmy Hernon broke through the Heralds’ defense for a 5-yard touchdown run, putting Steubenville Catholic on the board. The two-point conversion attempt failed, keeping the score 6-0.

In the second quarter, Saint John answered back. With 8:33 left, Heralds’ quarterback Vin Narducci capped off a sustained drive by taking matters into his own hands with a 5-yard touchdown run. However, the Heralds were unable to convert the extra point, leveling the score at 6-6.

The turning point of the first half came on the final play before halftime. As Steubenville Catholic attempted to drive down the field, Saint John’s Gus Petros came up with a game-changing play, intercepting a pass from Crusaders’ quarterback Matthew Spronchi and returning it 40 yards, swinging momentum in favor of the Heralds heading into the locker room.

The third quarter was a defensive showcase for both teams. The Heralds nearly took the lead, but a high snap on a 4th-and-1 play stalled their drive on the Crusaders’ 8-yard line. Both defenses continued to come up with big plays, and neither offense could break through.

The fourth quarter saw both teams trading stops, with Saint John’s defense stepping up to make critical plays. Grayson Petros and Carlo Fasano each recorded tackles for loss, keeping the Crusaders’ offense at bay. However, a short punt by the Heralds with 4:48 remaining gave Steubenville Catholic excellent field position on the Saint John 48-yard line.

With time winding down, Steubenville Catholic engineered a late drive. With just 20 seconds left, Spronchi found Tommy Pergi on a 12-yard pass, setting the Crusaders up at the Heralds’ 5-yard line. Then, with just six seconds remaining, Jimmy Hernon punched it in from 1 yard out for his second touchdown of the game. The Crusaders’ extra point was good, giving them a 13-6 lead.

Saint John was unable to mount a final drive in the closing seconds, sealing the tough loss. The Heralds drop to 1-3 on the season and will look to bounce back in Week 5 at home against the Richmond Heights Spartans (0-1). Meanwhile, the Crusaders improve to 3-1 and will face the Fairport Skippers (2-1) at home in their next matchup.

CRUSADERS OVERPOWER HERALDS IN SECTIONAL FINAL

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Canton, OH- In a sectional final OHSAA tournament game, the St John Heralds faced off against the Canton Central Catholic Crusaders, ultimately falling short with a final score of 10-0 on Wednesday.

The Canton Central Catholic Crusaders wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, with Avery McMahon hitting a home run in the first inning, driving in two runs.

They continued to build their lead with two more runs in the third inning, courtesy of Brigid Burke’s groundout.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Crusaders exploded offensively, scoring five runs on two hits. Violet Ellerbrock’s single and Baylor Grant’s walk contributed to the rally, while an error allowed three more runs to cross the plate.

Isabelle Holler took the loss for the St, John Heralds, pitching four and two-thirds innings and surrendering 10 runs (six earned) on 11 hits. Alyssa Cevera and Rylee Frasure managed to collect one hit each for the St. John Heralds.

The Canton Central Catholic Crusaders showcased their offensive prowess, amassing 11 hits in the game. Grant and McMahon proved to be key contributors, each driving in two runs. Alicia Varacky led the Crusaders at the plate, going 3-for-3, while Ellerbrock and Presley Trbovich also made significant contributions with multiple hits.

With this victory, the Canton Central Catholic Crusaders advance to the District Semifinal, where they will face the Western Reserve Blue Devils.

CRUSADER’S 2ND QUARTER TOO MUCH FOR THE HERALDS

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Steubenville,OH- With one of the most action packed 2nd quarters you will ever see, the Steubenville Catholic Central Crusaders cruised past the St. John Heralds, securing a decisive victory with a final score of 34-7.

The first quarter began with an impressive 7-yard touchdown run by Steubenville Catholic’s BJ Fallon, followed by a successful extra point kicked by Daniel Bolster, giving the Crusaders an early lead of 7-0. Both teams showcased strong defenses, preventing any further scoring in the opening quarter.

The second quarter saw Steubenville Catholic extending their lead, with BJ Fallon showcasing his skills once again, scoring two more touchdowns with runs of 10 and 50 yards. Bolster’s precise kicking game was instrumental, as he converted both extra points. Additionally, Tyler Ialenti added another touchdown with a 1-yard run, although the two-point conversion attempt failed. Tommy Pergi contributed with a 7-yard touchdown run, and Bolster remained consistent with extra point conversions. The Crusaders dominated the second quarter, ending it with a commanding lead of 34-0.

The third quarter remained scoreless as both teams continued to put up strong defensive efforts.

In the fourth quarter, St. John’s Vin Narducci connected with Will Anderson for an impressive 76-yard touchdown pass. Emanuele Fantozzi’s successful extra point put the Heralds on the board with a score of 34-7.

One of the game’s pivotal moments occurred in the second quarter when Daniel Bolster executed back-to-back kickoffs that stopped on the 1-yard line, forcing St. John to start their offensive series deep in their own territory.

Despite the loss, the St. John Heralds had some bright spots, including senior Hank Wagner grabbing his 3rd sack of the year, Vin Narducci’s 118 passing yards on 7 completions, and Will Anderson’s impressive performance with 4 receptions for 104 yards and 1 touchdown.

The final score remained Steubenville Catholic Central Crusaders 34 – St. John Heralds 7. The Crusaders improved to 4-0 and are set to face the Fairport Harding Skippers (1-3) in week 4, while the Heralds, now 1-3, will host the Chalker Wildcats (2-0) in their upcoming game.

SALEM STRUGGLES TO FIND FOOTING

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CANTON OH- Salem faced a challenging road game and struggled to find their footing against Canton Central Catholic, ultimately falling by a score of 34-3. The first quarter saw Canton Central take an early lead, with Brennan Betz breaking through for a 30-yard touchdown run, followed by Dan Boron’s 1-yard TD run. While the extra point was missed, Canton Central had a 13-0 advantage. In the second quarter, Blaize Bunner added to the lead with a 6-yard TD run, making it 20-0 at halftime.

Salem managed to get on the scoreboard in the third quarter when Troy Gibson booted a 37-yard field goal, closing the gap to 20-3. However, Canton Central responded with authority as Daniel Boron scored another TD, this time from 9 yards out, extending their lead to 27-3. In the fourth quarter, Canton Central sealed the victory with Brennan Betz connecting with James Kane for an 18-yard TD pass, making it a final score of 34-3 in favor of Canton Central Catholic.

Despite the challenges on the road, Salem fought valiantly but ultimately couldn’t overcome Canton Central’s strong performance.

HAREN HELPS LOUISVILLE WIN AT HOME

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LOUISVILLE OH- There is no rest for the weary with the schedule Louisville has put together. The Leopards know that all too well as they welcomed in a tough Canton Central Catholic team on Wednesday.  Every quarter of the game was competitive, except the second. That was when the Leopards made their move. They outscored the Crusaders 18-8 in that frame and played clean basketball the rest of the way.  That’s how they walked away with a comfortable 62-49 win.

Louisville got another fantastic effort from Brooke Haren who dropped 25 points on the night.  Taylor McCully had a great night for the Leopards as well putting in 13.  Taryn Miglich was also in double figures on the night with 11.  McCully and Miglich combined for 6 shots from behind the arc.

Louisville continues their tough schedule on Saturday as they travel to Western Reserve Academy.  Tip off for that contest is set for 1:30.

MOONEY GUARDS AGAINST CRUSADERS INVASION

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YOUNGSTOWN OH- The ladies of Cardinal Mooney defended home floor for the fourth time this season as the Canton Central Catholic Crusaders came to town. Mooney had won 2 of their 3 home games prior to the meeting while the Crusaders were making their first road trip of the season.

Mooney had the hot hand early on in the night as they went on a 15-3 rampage in the first quarter allowing only field goal and a free throw. Maria Fire and Olivia Rouser were dominant in the painted area forcing the Crusaders into tough shot after tough shot. It was Sam Rotunno that got the offense rolling early in the night as she accounted for 6 of the teams first quarter points.

Action evened out as they moved into the second quarter. The Crusaders led by Kristen Belden mounted 13-points in the second quarter which pulled them within single digits of the Cardinals. Makayla Johnson would cap off the half with a buzzer beater three from near half court to make 25-16 going into the break.

Both teams cooled off in the third quarter after a combined 23-point second they had just 14 combined points. Strong defense led the way on both sides as turnovers and fouls came by the handful. Both teams were on the edge of the bonus as they entered into the fourth quarter.

The fourth belonged to Mooney as they dropped 16-points to close out the game. Alle Blohm put on a magnificent minute long stretch in which she handed Mooney all the momentum thanks to a three pointer, a steal, and free throws. She scored all five of her points during this minute long stretch. Her points proved to be all the Cardinals needed to strike down the Crusaders run that had brought them within three points.

The final run pushed Mooney out front, and they pulled off their third win of the season 47-33 over the Crusaders. Sam Rotunno led all scorers with 12-points and grabbed more than a few steals and rebounds to help out her night. They will host the Canfield Cardinals this Saturday at 2:30PM on YSNLive.com and look to continue their now two-game long winning streak. The Crusaders were sent home with their second loss of the season but were led in scoring by Kristen and Sarah Belden who each had six points. They will play host to the Tuscarawas Catholic Crusaders next Wednesday before a six-game road trip takes them through the month of December.

*Contributed By YSN’s Alek Koberna

RESERVE CANT GET BY CRUSADERS

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COLUMBIANA OH- Western Reserve came in to Thursday’s district championship game in Columbiana hoping to add another trophy to the school’s case. They had a big task in front of them though with Canton Central Catholic staring at them across the net. The Crusaders may be a Division IV team, but they don’t play a Division IV caliber schedule. Their experienced showed up as they swept the Blue Devils to win the district. (25-19 25-19 25-9)

Alyvia Hughes led the offense for the Blue Devils with 14 kills. She also dug up 8 digs, and 3 blocks. Madison Leone finished her senior season with a double double acquiring 11 assists and 10 digs. Raelyn Meyer led the team in assists with 14.  Aly Jones finished with 12 digs out of the back row.
Western Reserve ends the season with a record of 20-5.

LOUISVILLE RECOGNIZES BURICK FOR MILESTONE

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LOUISVILLE OH- On Thursday night Louisville took time to recognize Addison Burick on reaching 1000 career assists in the week before.  The Leopards used the momentum to jump out to a 2-0 lead, but couldn’t keep the Crusaders at bay and fell in 5.  (25-18 25-23 23-25 25-27 10-15)

Sloan Sypolt led the Leopards with 15 kills on the night. Brooke Haren was also in double figures with kills finishing with 11 kills.  Lexi Jobe was one kill away from double figures with 9 kills.  Burick mastered the offense and set up 41 assists.  Kait Kardohely led the Leopards defense with 30 digs.

Louisville returns to the floor on Saturday as they host Smithville.  First serve is serve is slated for 11:00 AM.

LEOPARDS HAVE NO TROUBLE AGAINST CENTRAL CATHOLIC

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LOUISVILLE OH- The Leopards girls soccer team won their sixth straight match against Canton Central Catholic on Monday 6-0.  The win moves their record to 6-5.

Sammi Beatty started things off for the Leopards with a goal early in the first half to put them on the board. The assist went to Payton Allen. Alyssa Schilling would drill the next goal for the Leopards, before Sydney Sheldon found Brooke Manly for the third goal of the half.

Mazzy Miller got things rolling in the second half with a goal out of the locker room to push the Leopard lead to 4-0.  Lola Lucas would find her again for an assist later on.  Alivia Youngen would score the Leopards final goal of the day.

Louisville will head to Ravenna on Thursday to take on the Ravens on the blue turf.  Kickoff is set for 7:00.

EDISON DEFENSE GETS ANOTHER SHUTOUT

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RICHMOND OH- Edison’s defense is still putting in work as they pitched another shutout in a 34-0 win over Central Catholic.

Gage Cline was an unstoppable force on the ground. He ran for three touchdowns, and gathered another one through the air.  He was responsible for a total of 300 yards of offense for the Wildcats.  Dexter Lancaster set the tone for the Wildcats with a 55 yard touchdown return on a pick six.  Central Catholic would be held to just 44 yards of total offense.

There’s a big test next week for Edison as they will travel to Toronto to play the currently undefeated Red Knights.