BOARDMAN, OH – The Warren Harding Raiders came into Boardman looking to not only get a huge win over a conference opponent in the Spartans after not play many games to begin 2022, but to also get a win against Boardman on the road. Harding has not beaten Boardman on the road since 2018. Going into half, Harding had a 15 point lead, but Boardman clawed their way back to make it a one point deficit in the fourth. But Harding would eventually get a little run of their own to secure the victory over Boardman, 56-47.
For Harding, Tyriq Ivory led the way with a game-high 21 points. Behind him was both Duncan Moy and Khalil Williams who added 9 on the night.
For Boardman, Brady DePietro led the way with 8 points. Luke Ryan, Carter Mraz and Tommy Newrocki each added seven on the night.
Harding will be back in action on Friday, as they will host Austintown-Fitch. Boardman will also be back in action on Friday on the road, as they travel to East. Don’t miss it on YSN!
*Contributed By YSN’s Brendan Miller
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/418584BC-5EAA-4998-AC04-2F419B232BC1.jpeg13942315Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-01-20 23:27:462023-07-14 23:36:23HARDING SPELLS TROUBLE FOR SPARTANS
STRUTHERS OH- If you thought that the Struthers boys basketball team was going to be down this season, you would have been sorely mistaken. The Wildcats are as high flying as ever even with the departure of key members of last year’s magical team. New players have stepped up, and not only understood their roles on the team, but they’ve accepted them, and executed them as well. One of the beacons of leadership on the team this season is Ronnie Leonard.
Ronnie has taken cues from the great leaders in Struthers that he’s following. All the mental notes and lessons he has learned along the way have turned him into an incredible leader for this year’s squad. He is a Mung the team leaders in almost every statistical category. But more than that, he keeps his teammates focused and determined through the grind of the season.
The Struthers community proved how much they back their players by voting Ronnie as a Baird Brother’s Big Dog Of The Valley. There is no better place to play, than the Fieldhouse, and no better fans to play in front of than the Wildcats faithful.
Ronnie was able to join Running Point and talk about his journey so far as a Wildcat. He talks with the boys about being a leader on the floor, his goals for the year, and so much more. Don’t miss this exclusive interview with Struthers’ own Ronnie Leonard.
Presented By:
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/728A2773-083C-452D-A4B9-4FF7134BA96E.jpeg14612273Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-01-19 00:35:462023-07-14 23:33:58GIVE RONNIE THE ROCK
GIRARD, OH – The Struthers Wildcats have been a team to be reckoned with over the past couple of seasons. They have just come off a regional appearance last season while winning 22-straight games in Northeast 8 play heading into Friday’s game at Girard. Indians coach Craig Hannon was well aware of the team he was about to face and worked tirelessly to draw up a game plan to slow down the Wildcats. That hard work would pay off as Girard overcame the Struthers attack to hold off Struthers 53-50, the Wildcats’ first loss since February 4, 2019, when they lost to South Range 34-32. Hannon was really excited for his players following the upset victory.
“It feels great. I’m happy for our kids, happy for the community, happy for Girard, but more our kids than anything else. They put a lot of work in these last two days to get ready, and we beat a darn good basketball team because that’s what they are. A darn good team and it was an exciting win, and it’s always good to get those on your home floor.”
The game would not start off in the right way for Girard as Struthers used an explosive attack to build up a 22-13 lead at one point in the second quarter. The Indians, however, did a great job responding to the adversity as they answered Struthers’ game with a 14-0 stretch late in the period. The run involved a fast transition game, more notably Mike Palmer’s quick four points to help lead the push. Hannon stayed calm under the pressure and let the game speak for itself.
“I mean, they, Struthers made shots and made it tough on us and we just had to fight through that and battle through that, and I thought our kids did that. There wasn’t much I had to say. We just had to settle down and do what we needed to do.”
The game would come down to the free throws at the end. Both teams struggled from the line earlier in the contest, but the Indians were the team that made them when they mattered the most. They went 4/5 in that late fourth-quarter stretch, ending the game 8/14 from the charity stripe while Struthers only finished 5/15 from the line. Hannon knew that his team would have to make them if they wanted to knock off the NE8 powerhouse.
“Well, you gotta make ‘em. Our mindset is they gotta go in, and we made just enough, but we need to do a little better job of making front ends and taking care of the ball late. ”
The Indians have been led by junior Thomas Cardiero throughout the majority of the season. When he was called upon to make those free throws, he did what he needed to do, going 2/3 from the line during that late stretch as a game-tying shot by Struthers’ Nick DelGratta fell short and all but sealed the verdict. He would end up going 6/7 from the charity stripe and end the game with a team-high 16 points. Hannon was really proud of the way he has developed throughout his junior season.
“He’s been a great player for us since his freshman year, and he’s evolved into just a great all-around player. I thought him and Ronnie Leonard [who led all scorers with 19] was a great battle tonight. Fun to watch and I look forward to more between the two of them.”
The Indians will improve to 8-3 on the year with the upset win as they go to 5-2 in conference play. They will have a short turnaround as they have another game on Saturday on the road at Liberty in the Battle of Belmont. Hannon and his team will take tonight to celebrate before hitting the road in an early afternoon matchup.
“There’s not much time, because it’s at 1:30 tomorrow, so we’ll just come out, try and execute at the same level and do what we can to get a win.
The Wildcats will drop to 6-3 overall as they drop to 5-1 in NE8 play, their first loss in 22 tries. They will also have back-to-back games as they will host a tough Villa-Angela St. Joe’s squad down at the Struthers Fieldhouse. The game is slated for a 7:00 P.M. varsity tip.
YSN’s Noah Ricks got a chance to talk to winning coach Craig Hannon following tonight’s contest. You can watch the full interview below.
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/D9566C82-DBA0-4E66-88ED-04C78E6BF656.jpeg14762358Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-01-16 04:37:322022-01-16 04:37:32GIRARD PULLS OFF THE STUNNER
CANFIELD OH- South Range was coming off a game where they had to watch Struthers come back from a 13 point deficit to win the game. On Friday night, the Raiders took a page out of the Struthers playbook and secured a comeback victory. The Raiders were down 9 points to Niles at halftime before coming back to win 44-38.
The Raiders were led by Mark Naples who scored 13 points for the night. The Raiders had another player in double figures as Dylan Turvey added 10. Landon Moore’s 9 points were also crucial to the Raiders win.
Sam Perrone was able to lead the Dragons with 13 points.
South Range will have 7 days to get ready as they host Girard on Friday. Niles will venture outside the conference on Tuesday as they host Campbell.
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LIBERTY, OH – Coming into Tuesday night’s matchup between Liberty and Campbell, both teams knew that it would come down to who can get the edge over the other when they needed it the most. Liberty attacked the rim early and often in the first half, but Campbell made defensive adjustments towards the second half which forced Liberty to slow down their attack and miss key shots that may have won them the game. Campbell was able to use that momentum boost from their defense, along with depth scoring at the right time to come out on top over Liberty, 61-59.
For Campbell, Kevin Moore led the way with a game-high 24 points on the night for the Red Devils.
For Liberty, D’Andre Venters led the way with 22 points on the night. Behind him was Kalan Turner who contributed 17 points.
Campbell will be back in action next Tuesday, January 18th as they will travel to Niles. Liberty will be back in action on Friday as they will travel to Champion. Don’t miss it on YSN!
*Contributed By YSN’s Brendan Miller
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/E93407AA-AD9E-4C55-BA06-0239F500EC3E.jpeg13832217Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-01-13 04:58:052023-07-14 23:29:42CAMPBELL MAKES ENOUGH PLAYS DOWN THE STRETCH
SALEM, OH – Salem and Alliance squared off in an Eastern Buckeye Conference matchup Tuesday night and it was a good one! The Quakers were determined to get their season back on track as they started out strong and either led or were tied with the Aviators for the majority of the game. The pace picked up in the fourth as Alliance was crawling back in, the Aviators eventually took the lead with two minutes to go in the game. That is when Salem’s Drew Weir would tie the game up at 52 with just seconds to go. But, Gage Ford and Alliance had other plans as Ford managed to knock down a mid range dagger shot at the buzzer to win the game, 54-52 over Salem.
For Alliance, Brendan Zurbrugg led the way with 19 points on the night. Behind him was Diego Allen with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
For Salem, Cam Sampson led the way with 20 points. Behind him was Drew Weir who added 14 on the night.
Alliance will be back in action on Friday, as they will travel to West Branch. Salem will also be back in action on Friday on the road, as they travel to Minerva. Don’t miss it on YSN!
*Contributed By YSN’s Brendan Miller
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/ECEA6D24-AB03-4621-A7B8-546EA5DB360D.jpeg15732450Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-01-13 04:50:292022-01-13 04:50:29QUAKERS DROP A TOUGH ONE TO ALLIANCE
YOUNGSTOWN, OH – It was round one of the holy war between Ursuline and Mooney Tuesday night, as both teams were looking to grab the first victory of the season between the two for bragging rights. Ursuline put on pressure from the start and never stopped, they allowed Mooney to attempt shooting threes all night but did not let the Cardinals inside at all with the 2-3 zone defense. Ursuline’s great play all around helped them get baskets early when they needed them to push them to a dominant victory over Mooney, 51-27.
For Ursuline, Terrance Pankey led the Irish with 13 points on the night. Behind him was Vinny Flauto who added 12, and Demarcus McElroy who contributed 11.
For Mooney, Jack Pepperney led the way with 8 points, and Jaxon Menough added 7 on the night.
Ursuline will be back in action on Friday, as they are set to host East. Mooney will also be back in action on Friday, traveling to Chaney to take on the Cowboys. Don’t miss it on YSN!
*Contributed by YSN’s Brendan Miller
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/C4B381F2-AABD-46C8-9541-AE7786B0987D-scaled.jpeg15962560Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-01-13 04:42:062023-07-14 23:29:03URSULINE HOLDS CARDINALS DOWN
BERLIN CENTER OH- The Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference (MVAC), both The Scarlet and Gray Division have presented themselves as a tough conference to come out of.
For the girls side of The Scarlet Division, that is no different! Going into Monday night, Waterloo (4-0) was leading followed by Springfield (5-1), Jackson Milton (4-1) with both McDonald (2-2) and Western Reserve (2-2) tied for fifth place.
Monday night was also round one of Jackson Milton versus Western Reserve, a rivalry that is deeply ingrained in some, it captivates what smaller school rivals are all about.
The band was out, and Western Reserve was ready for a party! From the tip, The Blue Jays started off with a 7-0 run, followed by a Blue Devil 6-0 run. A sign of what was to come for the remainder of the game.
In a night when offense was at a premium, and both teams clamped down extra hard on defense. Overall, it made the contest feel like an old-school, defensive battle all game.
The lead was exchanged multiple times between both teams; however, on a night when offensive buckets were hard to come by, foul trouble became the biggest story for The Lady Blue Jays.
As Jackson Milton had a few players in their limited roster get into foul trouble early, thus forcing them to play a less-physical brand of defense than they are accustomed to.
The biggest comparable statline? Free throw percentage. Where both teams had their fair share of opportunities, it was the better clip at the line for Reserve that made all the difference.
Brooke Schantz and The Lady Blue Devils took full advantage of that, getting themselves set up in both a single and double bonus opportunity in the second half.
With Schantz making up 17 of her team’s 43 points, including knocking down four clutch free throws to help ice it, and help earn her Player of the Game!
The Win for The Lady Blue Devils, paired with a Waterloo win over Springfield, has now created a log jam for second place in The MVAC Scarlet Division.
Now with Western Reserve, Jackson Milton, Springfield and McDonald all tied with 2 conference losses, it is shaping up to be a wild finish!
Jackson Milton will have another opportunity in the conference, as they go to Ram Country to take on Mineral Ridge (1-10) Thursday, January 13th.
Western Reserve will stay home, as they welcome Sebring (2-5) into Berlin Center for the first time in the new year. Also on Thursday, January 13th.
*Contributed By YSN’s Ty Bartell
Postgame Interview With Steve Miller:
Postgame Interview With Brooke Schantz:
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HOWLAND CENTER, OH – After a 6-2 start to the season, Howland went on a little bit of a downhill slump, losing three in a row to drop to 6-5. The Tigers, however, used that motivation to put up a strong second half en route to a 71-65 upset victory over the high-powered 8-2 Louisville Leopards. Coach Dan Bubon was really excited about the victory, as Louisville can arguably be considered to be the toughest team on their schedule.
“It feels great. I don’t know if that’s the best team we’ll play all year, but I really don’t think anyone’s better than them that we’ll play on our schedule, and they’re very good. They play a tough schedule. They were 8-2 coming in. #1 [Will Aljancic] is a really good player, #24 [Hayden Nigro] is a really good player, #22 [Tyler Bolden] hit eight three’s tonight. That is an excellent team and, coming off three losses, going into this game, we just felt like, “Let’s just play well, let’s just play well, let’s just play well,’ and we had the lead and played well with the lead, which we struggled with in some other games, so everything about it was great.”
Throughout the majority of the night, the game was basically a story of runs. After Howland fell behind 17-10 in the second, they would put up a strong 17-4 run to end the half to take a 27-21 run heading into the locker room. That first-half lead would have not been possible if it were not for Howland’s better scorer, who would get 18 points in the first half off of six three’s. He would finish the game with a season-high of 36. Bubon remembers the long road that Massucci had to endure as he is at the midway point of his senior season.
“I mean, especially with what he came off of, with a knee injury last year and missing half of the year, and then getting injured again in the preseason this year. He didn’t even start practicing until about a week and a half before our season started, so I mean he has given everything he has. He’s really playing on knees a lot of kids probably wouldn’t play on. He’s a heck of a competitor, he’s a really smart basketball player, and our other guys are really learning how to play with him on offense, how to set him up, because if you get him open, he’s going to make shots, and then when teams start to lunge out on him, he’s a great passer, so he’s getting other guys great shots.”
Louisville was not without their runs, though, as when they went down 33-24 in the third, they would then go on a 11-0 run to take a 35-33 lead, thanks to the help of some terrific outside shooting, including Tyler Bronson’s eight threes. Bronson would go on to lead the Leopards with 25 in one of the best games of his life. Will Aljancic also helped chip in from beyond the arc as he was another player to score in double digits for the Leopards. This was something that Coach Bubon was expecting as he knew how great of a shooting game Louisville has.
“They were going to hit shots. Yeah, we played the box-and-one on #1 [Aljancic]. #1 [Aljancic], outside of Anthony, is the best player I have seen this year, from watching film of all the other teams. #1 [Aljancic] is just tremendous, so we just played that box-and-one to not let him get going. When he gets going, it just feels like he’s never going to stop scoring, so that bothered him, now some of their other guys stepped up and hit shots, but we just felt like if we could still just stay on #1 [Aljancic] and not let him shoot, then the other guys will cool off at some point.
The Tigers with the win will improve to 7-5 on the year, snapping their three-game losing streak as they will improve to 7-3 in non-conference play. They go back to conference play on Friday as they will travel to Fitch. The Tigers are currently 0-2 in the conference, but Bubon believes that his team will be right on track come Friday.
“Well, it’s always a battle at Fitch. Coach [Brian] Beany and I go way back, I mean we played during the same era back in the late ‘80’s, so it’s always a battle at Fitch. He’s always going to have them ready. I think we’re usually going to be ready to play them, and it’s usually about who executes better, so hopefully that’s us, but everything game is new, so we have got to go get ready two days and play.”
The Leopards will drop to 8-2 overall, having dropped their second in three tries. They will look to get back in the win column on Saturday as they will play Woodridge in the Spectrum Orthopaedics Classic down at Hoover. The game is slated for a 3:00 P.M. tip.
YSN’s Noah Ricks got a chance to talk to winning coach Dan Bubon following tonight’s contest. You can watch the full interview below.
MINERAL RIDGE OH- LaBrae was coming off a disappointing loss to Liberty on Saturday as they traveled to Mineral Ridge to play their second game in as many days. They were clearly taking out a bunch of frustration as they flew right by the Rams to a 74-33 win.
Leading the way for the Vikings was Aidan Stephens finishing with a game-high 20 points. Devin Carter was right behind him finishing with 19. Caleb Simmons was also in double figures collecting 10 points.
Peyton Zupko had a gritty performance despite the Rams struggles. He led the team finishing with 15 points. Ian Erb contributed 7 to the Rams cause.
LaBrae will continue their schedule on Tuesday as they host Champion. The Rams will try to find some traction this season on Tuesday as they travel to Lowellville.
https://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CD22D6A3-6B35-49B9-AC8C-891712A92456.jpeg13652048Anthony Hartwighttps://ysnlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Default-Email-Signature-2673571-300x70.pngAnthony Hartwig2022-01-09 05:53:412023-07-14 23:25:33VIKINGS PLOW PAST MINERAL RIDGE
