Tag Archive for: Featured

BLUE DEVILS WINNING STREAK MOVES TO 6

BERLIN CENTER, OH- The Western Reserve Blue Devils hosted the Lowellville Rockets in MVAC play on Monday night. The Blue Devils got off to a slow start, but a second half push increased the winning streak to 6 games.

The Lowellville defense came up big time with a 3-2 zone in the first quarter. The Rockets held the Blue Devils to just 5 points after one quarter, leading 9-5. WR made an adjustment out of the timeout, outscoring the Rockets 18-3 in the second quarter to lead 23-12 at the break.

The Blue Devils came out of the locker room and outscored Lowellville 19-6, taking a 42-18 lead after three quarters. The Blue Devils glided to victory by a final of 54-25. The Blue Devils are now 12-4, keeping the winning streak alive at 6 in a row. Lowellville is now 7-9 on the season.

LEADERS:

Western Reserve-

Angelina Cappabianca: 12 points

Brooke Schantz, Linny Jones: 9 points

Lowellville

Serinna Tych- 10 points

ARCHBISHOP HOBAN GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP 1) WITH PAMELA DAVIS

AKRON OH- A heartfelt welcome to the Archbishop Hoban Knights to the YSN family! In our first ever Coach’s Corner from Hoban we hear from girls hoops head coach Pamela Davis.  Davis has ties to the valley as an Austintown Fitch and has taken the lessons learned with her on a fabulous coaching journey that has seen over 600 wins.  In her fourth season at Hoban she has the Knights sitting at 10-7.  They have won their first two games as members of the YSN family over Lutheran East and Notre Dame Academy out of Kentucky.  Now they look ahead to senior night on Thursday where they’ll honor their three seniors and take on Akron Ellet.

Coach Davis took the time to sit down with YSN’s Anthony Hartwig to introduce us to their program. They talk about some of the big contributors to their team this season, what Hoban teaches their athletes off the court, and much more.  Check out Episode 1 of Coach’s Corner with Pamela Davis.

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BRAVES SHINE THE BRIGHTEST ON THE BIG STAGE

CLEVELAND,OHIO- The Badger Lady Braves took on the Heartland Christian Lady Lions in the Rocket Mortgage Field House. The Braves took off immediately as they were led by Katie Grexa, who dropped 20 points.

The Braves kept  the lions in control with their tough defensive play. Addison Thompson had impressive play coming off of the bench for the Brave as she added 8 points and the Braves went on to win 48-14.

The Braves win streak reaches to 11 in a row as they look to continue that streak when they take on the Maplewood Rockets on Monday.

*Contributed By YSN’s Matt Morrison

GAULT GIVES LIONS DRAMATIC WIN IN CLEVELAND

CLEVELAND, OHIO- What a game it was that took place in the Rocket Mortgage Field House as the Badger Braves took on the Heartland Christian Lions.

In what was a back and forth game, the Lions kept up with the Braves as Drew Gault was the leading man for the Lions with 19 points. Gault also had help from Jake Walker who put up 15 points. Duncan Moy went off for the Braves with 23 points and Brad Hamliton added another 14 points but it was not enough as Duncan Moy missed the final shot of the game and the Braves fell to the Lions 51-50.

The Braves will try to regroup and figure things out when they take on the Windham Bombers at home on Wednesday. The Heartland Christian Lions will take on the Academy for Urban Scholars on Tuesday.

*Contributed By YSN’s Matt Morrison  

POLAND GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP 3) WITH NICK BLANCH

POLAND OH- We are gliding down the final stretch of the basketball season, and here’s a news flash, Poland is right in the thick of relevancy on the girls side.  After tons of questions on what the Bulldogs would look like without the players they graduated a year ago, Poland is still sitting on top of the NE8.  It hasn’t been without adversity though. As head coach Nick Blanch says in this interview, it’s a long basketball season.  If anyone thinks they are going to get through it without some dips, they are going to be shocked.  Poland saw Girard give them their first conference loss of the season, and just their third conference loss as a member of the NE8.  The Bulldogs didn’t sulk in despair however, they got right back on the horse and started winning again.

Coach Blanch took the time to check in with us ahead of a big week of conference games. He talks with Anthony Hartwig about bouncing back from the loss, the process of tournament voting during the season, and much more.  Check out Episode 3 of Coach’s Corner with Nick Blanch only on YSN.

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WEST BRANCH ADDS ON ANOTHER WIN

Youngstown OH- The West Branch Lady Warriors added another win to their record by beating Cardinal Mooney 58-40 last night. They have now one two straight and are looking to carry that momentum throughout the rest of the season. 

 

The Warriors got off to a fast start as they led 22-6 after the first quarter. It looked like West Branch would run away with the game, but Mooney stepped up in a big way. The Cardinals held West Branch to just eight second quarter points. The offense picked up as well as it was only an eight point game at the half. Coach Deshields must have said something at the half that clicked because the Warriors came out firing on all cylinders. Mooney had a nice 4th quarter comeback attempt, but the Warrior lead was just too big.

 

Sophie Gregory led all scorers with 18 points for the Warriors. Cami Campbell contributed 8 points and Hannah Egli had 7. Ten Warrior players were able to score a basket in the game, which speaks to how good they were offensively. Coach Deshields’ game plan was to use the Warriors height advantage to create offense in the paint.

 

Mooney was led by Maria Fire who netted 13 points on the night. Samantha Rotunno chipped in 9 points. Finally, Katie Frommelt and Sophia Diorio were both able to add 7 for the Cardinals. 

 

With the win, West Branch improves to 6-10 on the season. The Warriors have a tough non-conference game on Monday as they welcome 13-2 Rootstown to Beloit. Mooney will be back in action on Wednesday for a conference matchup against Youngstown East.

*Contributed By YSN’s Michael Ginocchi

JACEY IS MUST SEE

NEW MIDDLETOWN OH- Springfield girls basketball is right in the middle of a program turnaround.  In 2014, the Tigers had 21 wins, but from then until last season they never had more than 13 wins.  However that all changed last season when the Tigers went for 21 wins, and got themselves a District Championship trophy.  One of the big reasons for the turnaround on the floor is the emergence of senior Jacey Mullen.  Over the last two season in particular, Mullens has become one of the most feared players in the area.  As a player what makes her the most lethal is her ability to dominate inside, and also play on the perimeter.  That versatility makes it simple for head coach John Matisi to game plan against the opponent’s weakness.  When she is going good, Jacey is near impossible to stop. She has a size and strength advantage over nearly everyone that tries to defend her.

Jacey is averaging 17 points per game this season for the Tigers which is the most on the team. But it goes beyond scoring, because Mullen averages a double double with 11 rebounds per contest as well.  6.6 of the those rebounds come on the offensive side giving the Tigers multiple opportunities to score.  She also averages 2.5 assists per game proving that she can make that extra pass to an open shooter.

Mullen took the time to sit down with YSN’s Anthony Hartwig this week to talk about the growth of her career. She talks about the program’s turnaround, her ability to gain confidence as a leader, and much more. Check out the latest Springfield Girls Basketball Player Profile only on YSN.

TIME FOUR GREATNESS

HOWLAND OH- When you go see Howland girls basketball, you can’t help but have your eyes locked on what number 4 in the orange and black is doing. That would be Howland junior Alyssa Massucci. The Tiger faithful call her “Sooch” and her opponents call her a nightmare.  Last year, she was under the radar as the Tigers sported a ton of senior talent that was rocking the show, but now the big lights are squarely on her shoulders, and she doesn’t mind it one bit. Besides her talent on the court that helps do the amazing things she does, her leadership ability has been put to the test.  She has passed that test with flying colors. Through adversity on the floor, and the ups and downs a season can bring, Massucci has shined through as one of the biggest stars on the scene.

Alyssa took the time to talk with YSN’s Anthony Hartwig about her season and career at Howland. The three sport athlete shares what it’s like to constantly stay busy, what some of her favorite feelings in sports, and much more.  Check out the latest Howland Girls Basketball Player Profile only on YSN.

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HAM ‘N CHEESIN’

KINSMAN, OH- There have been so many reasons for Badger senior standout, Brad Hamilton to smile this season.  The Braves have guaranteed themselves a winning season again in 2023, and have put themselves on the map seemingly with jam-packed crowds and some of the most intrigue across YSN.

Not to mention earlier this week, B-Ham crossed over to “Thousand Island” when he scored his 1000th point in a 38-point game.

However, while Hamilton has no issues keeping a grin stretched across his face, he and his teammates understand that there is still work to do to accomplish what they’re looking to do on their way out of Badger.

We caught up with the Brave point-guard to discuss the state of the team, as well as plans after high school.

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MOONEY LIVES AND LEARNS

YOUNGSTOWN, OH – The Cardinal Mooney Cardinals overcame the odds on Friday night. Despite a rough first half against Howland, they would chip down and adjust. Mooney would erase a 25-18 halftime deficit and outscore the Tigers in the second half 25-14 to get the 43-39 comeback win.

 

Howland would control much of the first half with the post work of John Perry and the sharp three-point shooting of Ben Bronson, as they both led the Tigers with 10 points. They also had athletic prowess from Connor Durig, who plugged in two first-quarter treys and a driving two-handed slam dunk in the second, en route to his 8 points. In the first two quarters, Howland led by as much as ten before going into the locker room up seven.

 

The Cardinals had to settle in and play their own game in the second half. They would rely on Nick Pregibon to do the dirty work, and he would impress, scoring 11 second-half points to finish the night with a game-high 15. It was a well-balanced effort by Pregibon in that spurt, as he had two important treys, two two-point field goals, and a free throw in the fourth.

 

Trailing Howland 37-33 late in the fourth, Mooney would storm back for a quick six points to force Howland to pick up quick fouls to give in order to put the Cards in the single bonus. Rocco Turner was sent to the line, and he shined in the clutch, sinking both foul shots to give Mooney a two-possession lead to seal the game. With that effort, Turner would end his night with 8 tallies.   

 

Mooney (8-5) will ride a two-game winning streak going into their home matchup with Salem on Tuesday. The Cardinals bested the Quakers last season in the Salem Holiday Classic 56-37. Howland (6-8) has now lost six straight with another close loss. They will seek their first win since December 30th on Tuesday when they play host to East. The Tigers took down the Golden Bears last year on the road in a good 58-51 contest.

 

YSN’s Noah Ricks got a chance to speak with Mooney coach Carey Palermo following the come-from-behind win. The full interview can be watched below.

*Contributed By YSN’s Noah Ricks