Tag Archive for: Featured

LYTLE SWINGS 2022 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

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EAST PALESTINE OH- What a volleyball season it has been. With a ton of teams having successful years in the YSN family, you can imagine there are also a lot of players who have put up big offensive numbers. Putting the ball down is the most electric thing you can do on a volleyball court. Nothing gets the crowd more involved than a kill that goes straight to the ground.  But who does it the best? Who has had the best offensive output this season.  It was a long discussion inside the YSN staff room, but we are proud to announce we have selected Lakeview’s senior middle blocker Tara Lytle as the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year.

Tara’s numbers definitely speak for herself when it comes to her offense. At the time that the selection was submitted Lytle had 359 kills on the season and averaged 4.7 kills per set.  That kill number is impressive enough. But with so many other players putting up comparable kill outputs, what stood out about Tara for us was her efficiency. Lytle hit at a percentage of .585 this year. That is video game type numbers. For those unfamiliar with the stat, hitting percentage is calculated by subtracting your errors from your kills and then putting that number over your total attacks. It’s as if batting average was calculated by subtracting every strike out from your hit total.  That is what makes it so hard to hit as high as Tara.  In 545 total attacks Lytle has only made 39 errors.

Lakeview ended the season at 21-4 on the year.  Congratulations to the Bulldogs on a great year, and once again congratulations to Tara Lytle who is YSN’s 2022 Offensive Player of the Year.

MINERAL RIDGE SEES SEASON END IN SEMIFINALS

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ORWELL OH- Mineral Ridge knew the task ahead of them would be tough as they found themselves across from Kirtland in the Orwell District Semifinals. Kirtland is ranked 13 in the state, while the Rams finished the year ranked 16.  After a quick start, the Rams saw Kirtland flex their muscles and take the match in four sets.  (19-25 25-17 25-12 25-18)

Leading the Rams offense on the night was Ava Hulett withn12 kills. Faith Schneider finished strong with 8 kills.  Hulett finished with a double double with 18 digs. Schneider finished with a team leading 20 digs. Samantha Aulet was able to set up 25 assists on the night.  Olivia Booth led the team in blocks with 3.

Mineral Ridge finished their great run at 24-3 on the season. They won the MVAC Scarlett tier.  Congratulations to the Rams on a fantastic run, and thank you for allowing us at YSN to be on the ride.

CRESTVIEW BREAKS OUT IN STATE RANKED MATCHUP

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ORWELL OH- As soon as the Orwell bracket came out for the Division III tournament everyone knew how tough it would be to get out of. The bracket featured 4 stats ranked teams.  All four of those teams took care of business and made it to the district semifinals. It was set up for a great night in Grand Valley with back to back state ranked battles. The first of those was 8th ranked Crestview vs 9th ranked Lakeview.  It lived up to the hype, but the Rebels made all the right plays down the stretch and won the match in four sets.  (25-23 25-22 13-25 25-20)

Abbey Emch showed up big when her team needed her most. She finished with 23 kills on the night.  She also managed 6 blocks against the strong Bulldog offense.  Grace Auer had a triple double with 22 kills, 22 assists, and 16 digs.  Lainy Auer had a double double with 18 assists and 17 digs.  She also led the team in aces with 3.

Lakeview’s offensive leader Tara Lytle still put up 16 kills on the night trying to Will her team to victory. Reagan Price also finished with 16 kills on the night keeping the Bulldogs middle attack strong.

Crestview advances to the District Championship game in the Orwell bracket. They’ll be matched up with another state ranked opponent as they take on Kirtland on Saturday at 7:00 in Grand Valley High School.

BRYANT IS RELIANT FOR LEADERSHIP

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AUSTINTOWN, OH- The Austintown Fitch Falcons have used senior leadership throughout their excellent 9-1 regular season, and one of those seniors that have helped lead the way is Bryant Butler. Butler has helped use his experience to teach the underclass men what the true meaning is to be a Fitch Falcon. Austintown hopes to have Butler’s leadership help catapult them to what they hope is a long playoff run this year.
In this week’s Player Profile, Bryant talks about the success of the program this season, this week’s match-up coming up, and more! Brought to you by:

 

 

*CONTRIBUTED BY ANTHONY ROMO*

XAVIER DOES THE DEFENSE A FAVOR

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AUSTINTOWN, OH- Austintown Fitch has been one of the most stout defensive teams in the Mahoning Valley throughout the 2022 regular season, and they have accomplished that in large-part to the play of junior standout Xavier Dahn. Dahn joined the Falcons roster this season after spending his last season playing for Ursuline, and he wasted no time making his presence felt. In his first season with the Falcons Dahn recording 29 total tackles, 3.5 coming for loss. Dahn and fellow junior Brian Robinson form one of the most dangerous edge-rushing duos in the state.
In this week’s Player Profile, Dahn talks about the excitement of the playoffs, his performance during the regular season, and more! Brought to you by:

 

 

*CONTRIBUTED BY ANTHONY ROMO*

EVANS TEACHES LESSONS

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AUSTINTOWN, Ohio- The Austintown Fitch Falcons have soared into the postseason with a 9-1 record, and the Falcons have high hopes that this team can make a run deep into the playoffs. Junior wide-out Dan Evans III has been one of the top targets for Fitch quarterbacks this season as he led the team in the regular season in receptions with 36 and touchdowns with six, while ranking second on the team with 461 receiving yards. Evans III has also played a big role in the secondary for Fitch this season, accumulating 32 tackles while also recording an interception.
In this week’s Player Profile, Dan talks about the regular season, what to look forward to in this week’s match-up with Mayfield, and more!

 

 

*Contributed by YSN’s Anthony Romo

AUSTINTOWN-FITCH COACH’S CORNER WITH T.J. PARKER

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AUSTINTOWN, Ohio- The Austintown Fitch Falcons have soared into the postseason with a 9-1 record, and the Falcons have high hopes that this team can make a deep run into the playoffs in Division II. Fitch was able to take down Warren G. Harding 59-28 behind a historic game from tailback Jamell James, as the senior tied a school record with five rushing touchdowns against the Raiders. The Falcons will try to build off that momentum of the Week 10 victory as they will play host to the Mayfield Wildcats on Friday night in the first round of the playoffs. The Wildcats were 6-4 in the regular season, and are coming off a hard-fought 28-21 loss to Kenston in Week 10.
In this week’s coaches’ corner, Fitch Head Coach TJ Parker talks about last week’s offensive explosion against Harding, what Mayfield will bring to the table, and more!

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*Contributed by YSN’s Anthony Romo*

WILKINS DIGS UP 2022 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

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CANFIELD OH- In volleyball everything starts with a pass. You can have as good of a setter, or hitter as you want, but if you can’t control the ball it’s a moot point. Digs don’t always get the love they deserve, but it’s what separates the good teams from the great.  Liberos are normally a teams leader in digs and defense. We have a ton of great liberos in the YSN family that have put together exceptional seasons.  Canfield’s Parker Wilkins has separated herself as the best. We are proud to announce that Wilkins is our selection for the 2022 YSN Defensive Player of the Year.

Wilkins led a very good defensive team with 370 digs this season. She averaged 4.6 digs per set.  One of the things that really stood out about Wilkins is how she played against the best hitters on the schedule. In the Cardinals season opener against Girard, Wilkins had 34 digs.  She put up 26 digs against McDonald who has a strong offense.  In two matches with Fitch Wilkins had a combined 35 digs.  Her serve receive numbers also make her stand out.  In 429 serve receives Wilkins has only made 29 receiving errors.

Canfield is gearing up for a big matchup with Notre Dame Cathedral Latin in the district semifinals.  That matchup is slated for 6:00 at Streetsboro High School. Congratulations again to Parker Wilkins 2022 YSN Defensive Player of the Year.

TIGERS GET THE JOB DONE

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LISBON OH- The top seeded Wellsville Tigers didn’t miss a beat Tuesday night in their district semifinal against Sebring. The Trojans came in flying high on their upset win over Jackson Milton, but the Tigers grabbed momentum early and never let go. They moved on with a sweeping victory. (25-14 25-13 25-16)

Presley Stokes led the way for the Tigers offense capturing a double double with 14 kills and 13 assists.  Alana Amato was a presence at the net with 9 kills and 5 blocks.  Bella Poppelritter had a double double as well with 12 assists, and 10 digs.  Aubri Ramsey led the Tigers defense with 12 digs.

Wellsville moves on to the Division IV Lisbon District Championship.  They will match up with the fourth seeded McDonald Blue Devils.  That matchup is slated for 7:00 on Thursday at Lisbon High School.

HITCHCOCK NOTORIOUS FOR MAKING BIG PLAYS

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JEFFERSON OH- The last name Hitchcock rings through the halls of Jefferson Area High School. The latest installment of the legacy is current senior Grant Hitchcock.  Grant has had an immaculate career at Jefferson at the helm of the Falcons offense.  His brother Lucas ran the show, and in 2015 became the program’s leading scorer.  Grant spent the year chasing his brother’s record.  Now he has the bragging rights as he’s shattered his brother’s record with over 3,500 career passing yards.

Grant is very close to another season with both 1000 passing and rushing yards. That was one thing he was proud of last season. What is more important to him though is the fact that the team is winning this season.  The Falcons finished the regular season with a 7-3 record and have earned a home playoff game. They’ll host Poland in the first round.  Grant has always put team first. Through circumstances the team has faced this season, Grant has been asked to do many different things in the offense. He has spread out wide, sometimes he carries the bulk of the rushing responsibilities, and sometimes he just sits under center and does his thing.

Grant took the time to talk with YSN’s Anthony Hartwig to discuss his final season with the Falcons. They talk about what the team’s edge is this season, what he’s been able to improve at this year, and so much more. Make sure to check out the latest Jefferson Football Player Profile only on YSN!

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