Tag Archive for: Howland

SPARTANS NEVER SAY DIE

/in /by

HOWLAND CENTER, OH – The Boardman Spartans pulled off a comeback age for the ages. On the road at Howland, they would claw back from a 30-11 second-quarter deficit as they edged the Tigers 53-49 to open up AAC play. It all started when they used a 17-4 run to end the first half to only be down 34-28 at the break. In fact, the Spartans trailed throughout the majority of the game before they took the lead with less than two minutes to go.

 

The win was sealed by the Spartans’ own Mackenzie Riccitelli. The junior sank two clutch free throws and then got a layup off of a steal, all in a matter of the game’s final ten seconds. She led all scorers on the night with 26 points while going a perfect 10/10 from the line.

 

Despite being picked apart by the Howland offense with 24 first quarter points, the Spartan defense adjusted by shutting down the lanes and crashing the boards. Other key contributors behind Riccitelli include Faith Walston with her 9 points and Bella Martin (6 points) grabbing key offensive rebounds in transition. Sarah Bero also came in with 5 points and 9 boards.

 

Boardman (3-3. 1-0 AAC) will stay on the road this Saturday when they travel out to Girard. The Spartans will look to go above .500 for the first time since the 2018-19 season. The Indians are currently 4-2 and will play at Hubbard before Saturday’s game.

 

Howland (2-4, 0-1 AAC) will drop their second-straight as they will take a week off before starting their annual Toni Ross Holiday Tournament next Wednesday against Warren Harding. The Tigers won this tournament last year by beating Maplewood 67-35 and Champion 60-35. They swept the Raider last season by scores of 68-32 at home and 52-20 on the road.

 

Boardman coach Jeff Hammerton talked to YSN’s Noah Ricks as he reflected on the Spartans’ miraculous win. The full interview can be watched below.

*Contributed By YSN’s Noah Ricks

TIGERS GET BACK ON TRACK

/in /by

HOWLAND CENTER, OH – Coming off a rough loss to Chaney, Howland found a way to get back in the win column on Tuesday night. Despite a 13-11 first quarter deficit, the host Tigers outscored LaBrae in the final three quarters 47-17 en route to a dominant 58-30 victory. It was a splendid performance by a Tiger team that held LaBrae to just three points in the third quarter, including not giving up a single field goal in that period.

 

The Tigers found every opportunity as they were grabbing rebound after rebound and put some nice pressure on the Vikings offense to force turnovers and get nice open shots on the halfcourt sets, thanks to players like Alex Henry and Brandon Null, who both led the Tigers with 10 points. LaBrae could not find a rhythm on offense, despite 10 first quarter points by Austin Rowe. Rowe would finish the night with a game-high 13 points. The Vikings’ big man Blake Kahnell was shut down as the Tigers’ defense held him to single digits.

 

Howland’s Connor Durig made what was a lopsided game exciting late. The senior, who placed third at the OHSAA Track and Field Division I State Meet in the high jump, got a wide-open look, jumped, and slammed down a two-handed jam. Despite scoring single digits on the night, Durig added another dunk to his highlight reel to go along with his slam last year at Niles McKinley.

 

Howland (4-1) will now prepare for a big battle next week when they travel down to Louisville in what will be a rematch of last year’s District Final defeat. The Tigers fell short in that game 63-56 despite a furious second-half rally.

 

LaBrae (1-2) will fall below .500 for the first time since the 2019-20 as they will now travel out to Garrettsville on Friday to take on Garfield in what will be their first conference matchup of the year. The Vikings swept the G-Men last year by scores of 77-53 at home and 47-40 on the road. 

 

YSN’s Noah Ricks spoke with Howland head coach Dan Bubon following Tuesday’s contest. You can watch the full interview below.

*Contributed By YSN’s Noah Ricks

 

HOWLAND TAKES BATTLE OF THE TIGERS

/in /by

HOWLAND, OH – The Howland Tigers boys’ basketball team needed a signature win on Tuesday to start their home schedule. They would answer that call when they took on the Newton Falls. Howland used a 31-14 second-half (including a 19-6 third quarter) to take down the visiting Tigers by a score of 55-40. Coach Dan Bubon was happy with the way his team adjusted in the final sixteen minutes.

 

“We started making some shots,” he said. “In the first half, I thought we played, [but] we missed a lot of easy shots, and our defense actually got better. To hold that team to 40 points is a real testament to our defense. We gave up 26 points in the first half, which is not a lot, but, man the second half, we really shut them down and kind of wore them out, I thought, so it was a nice win.”

 

The host Tigers were not without their struggles, especially in the first half. Leading 24-18, Newton Falls went on an 8-0 run to close out the second stanza, all thanks to decent shooting from deep, in which they got seven three-pointers on the night. Bubon used the halftime break to make necessary adjustments and keep his guys focused.

 

“[I told them] to relax, because you can’t play offense if you’re tensed up and nervous. I thought on offense we passed up a lot of opportunities in transition. We weren’t sure if we were supposed to shoot, or pass, or what. I told them to relax and play and take the shots when they’re there and I kind of calmed us down. We’ve had a hard time finishing halves so far.”

 

Howland had a well-balanced attack with four players scoring in double figures: John Perry (15 points, seven rebounds), Alex Henry (14 points, three rebounds), Ben Bronson (12 points, one rebound), and Brandon Null (10 points, two rebounds). They also crashed the boards on defense, an aspect that was vital as Howland outrebounded Falls 17-14. Bubon likes how this is benefiting the team as a whole in the long run.

 

“[It’s] great, honestly great. It’s the second game in a row. Last game, we had four in double figures, and one with eight, so almost five in double figures. Four more today is great.”

 

Howland, with the win, will start their season 3-0 for the second year in a row. They will now have a big challenge heading their way on Friday when they welcome the Chaney Cowboys to town. The Cowboys gave the Tigers their first loss last season when they won 55-35 down in Chaney. Coach Bubon and his team will take on the challenge as he says that this is the one team that always has their number.

 

“They’re very good. They’ve been District Champs multiple times lately. They’ve had our number. Last year, we played them tough for a half, and then in the second half, they pulled away from us, so the kids know it’s a big game. They [Chaney] were District Champs last year, we were District Finalists last year, so if we want to get to their level, these are the teams that you’re going to have to start beating. They’re one of the few in the area that we haven’t beaten in the last few years. I think every other team around, I think Chaney and Boardman are the only two that we haven’t beaten at least once, so it’s a good challenge, and will let us know right where we’re at, and we’re looking forward to it.”

 

Newton Falls will drop their first game of the year as they drop to 4-1 on the year. They were led by Mac Haidet’s 13 points (including three threes and one rebound) while Dom Greathouse trailed with 10 points. They will take a 10-day break before trying to get back in the column on December 16th at Champion.

 

YSN’s Noah Ricks spoke with Howland head coach Dan Bubon following Tuesday’s contest. You can watch the full interview below.

*Contributed By YSN’s Noah Ricks

TIGERS STAND STRONG ON HOME FLOOR

/in /by

HOWLAND, OH- The Howland girls basketball team picked up there first victory of the season against the Ursuline Irish by a final of 44-37. The ballgame was tightly contested from start to finish, but the Tigers outscored the Irish by 3 points in the fourth quarter to secure the late lead.

For Howland, Alyssa Massucci led the way with 22 points while Gia Hoso was behind her scoring 7 points. For the Irish, Lily Scott had 15 points to lead the way with Alayna Smith not far behind with 8 points. The Irish start the 2022 campaign 0-1, while the Tigers pick up there first win of the season to go 1-2.

The Irish take on Lakeview on the road tomorrow at 5:30 P.M., while The Tigers travel to Girard at 7 P.M. on Thursday night.

SALEM STARTS FAST TO OPEN NEW SEASON

/in /by

SALEM OH- Last season, Salem was defined by their defense. They broke program records for points surrendered on the season.  On Friday night the first day of girls basketball in the state of Ohio, Salem was able to pick up where they left off last season and beat Howland 52-32.

Kami Rohm led the Quakers offense to start the season. She finished with 13 points.  That score was a game-high.  Rylee Hutton was also in double figures on the night finishing with 10 points.  Lauryn Barton drilled a pair of threes to finish with 6 points.

Sophia Powell led the Tigers with 6 points. The Quakers were able to slow down Alyssa Massucci as she only finished with 5, and hit just one three pointer.

Salem continues the season on Wednesday as they’ll stay home to host Mooney.  Howland looks ahead to their home opener on November 28th against Ursuline.

 

 

TIGERS RIGHT BACK WHERE THEY BELONG

/in /by

TWINSBURG OH- Howland boys soccer being in the state tournament has become second nature to area soccer fans. Coming in to this season, the Tigers had been to two of the last three final fours.  Standing in their way of making it three of the last four was CVCA. It was a battle, CVCA is a solid program, but the Tigers pulled out the victory 2-1.

For the Tigers offense it was Jak Kenney that did the damage.  He scored both of the Tigers goals to seal their victory.  The win for Howland took them to 19-1-2 on the season and they will advance to their third state semifinal appearance in four seasons.  The Tigers opponent will be Shawnee who beat Revere 3-2 in their regional championship.  That game will take place Wednesday at 7:00 at Clear Fork in Bellville.

JUST MORE TOURNAMENT SUCCESS FOR HOWLAND

/in /by

HOWLAND OH- Howland Boys Soccer defeated Lakeview 4-0 on Saturday afternoon to open up the 2022 OHSAA playoffs.

Herb Lawson, Demetri Gentis, Pasquale Carannante, and Vasili Gentis all had one goal each.  Goals were assisted by Jak Kenney, Herb Lawson, Caleb Rose, and Pasquale Carannante.  Zach Lewis had 3 saves to preserve the shutout.

Howland improves to 14-1-2 overall on the season and will face Notre Dame Cathedral Latin on Tuesday October 25th 6pm at Howland High School.

*Contributed By Andrea Ferenac at HowlandTigers.org

AAC ANNOUNCES BOYS SOCCER AWARDS

/in /by

The AAC boys soccer scene was thriving during the 2022 season.  It was a highly contested conference race, but in the end Howland came out on top of AAC yet again.  Now that the regular season is over, the AAC put out its postseason awards to recognize the great players in the conference. Howland’s Vasili Gentis won the Player Of The Year.

On the first team list for the AAC it was Austintown Fitch being represented by Johnathan Carson, and Josiah Berni.  Boardman’s Carson Essad got the Spartans representation on the list.  Ben Kovach from Canfield made the list, along with Ethan Mulichak.  Howland also had members of the first team in Jak Kenney, and Pasquale Carannante.  Brayden Schuller, and Caleb Gardner represented Warren Harding.

On the second team All AAC list it was Boardman’s Alex Schmitt, and Ian McGavin.  Austintown Fitch was represented by Jamey Sorrells. and Nolan Mickey.  Canfield had 3 players make the second team with Ali Shalash, Scott Fleming, and Zaid Atway.  Howland junior Caleb Rose, and senior Zach Lewis made the list.  Mason Bitner from Warren Harding was also on the list.

HOWLAND CLINCHES A PIECE OF THE AAC

/in /by

BOARDMAN OH- After their big 2-1 win over Canfield on Monday, Howland was one win away from earning a piece of the AAC title. The opponent standing in their way was Boardman. The Spartans gave quite a fight, but eventually the Tigers came away with a 2-0 win.

Ava Yanucci scored both of the goals for Howland.  Both goals were assisted. Riley Villwock picked up one, and so did Madelyn Monroe.  The Tiger defense kept Howland goalie Taylor Fairchild clean. She didn’t need to save any shots on goal.

The Tigers end the regular season with a record of 12-4-1 overall and 7-1 in the conference.  They have a share of the AAC Championship with Canfield.

COWBOYS ROPE IN THE TIGERS

/in /by

HOWLAND, OH – The Chaney Cowboys have been one of the hottest teams in the Mahoning Valley in 2022, and they showed just why on Friday night as a strong performance led them to a 42-0 shutout victory over the Howland Tigers on the road.

 

It did not take the Cowboys very long to score as Jawann Harmon took the carry and bursted down the field for a 60-yard touchdown run on Chaney’s second play from scrimmage to make it a 7-0 game after one. They then fired it up in the second quarter with 21 points in the stanza, with Matt Jones getting a 1-yard touchdown off of a quarterback sneak, Harmon getting his second touchdown from 29 yards out, and Jones bursting down the middle for a 19-yard touchdown score. Jones went 5/8 for 45 yards and one passing touchdown while rushing for 31 yards on 9 attempts and two rushing touchdowns. Harmon led the team in rushing with three carries for 113 yards (37.7 average) and his two scores.

 

The second half would not be much different for Chaney, all thanks to a superb defense led by players like Clifton Scott and Anthony Helmick, which held Howland to just 66 yards of total offense, only giving up one of them in the last two quarters. They also only let up two first downs on the night. The offense continued its hot streak as it would finish with 415 total yards (358 rushing). They turned on the running clock in the third quarter with Jones making a third down completion for Dewayne Thompson for a 15-yard touchdown. Jawan Freeman then capped off the scoring in the fourth quarter with his 15-yard touchdown run. Freeman rushed for 104 yards on 13 carries (8.0 average) to go with that touchdown.

Despite the shutout defeat, there were some strong points for Howland. They had a huge opportunity to score when John Perry hooked up with Michael Goussios, who sprinted down the sideline and fell just short of the pylon, giving them their best scoring opportunity of the night (which ended in a 58-yard blocked field goal return by LeBron Donlow). The defense also held strong throughout the first three quarters, as they got two fourth down stops in the first and third periods, respectively, along with a fumble recovery. The Tigers’ Carter Mock would help lead that kind of charge, as he got huge tackles for loss on key third and fourth and short situations. 

 

The Cowboys will improve to 7-1 on the year with the shutout victory. Despite Ursuline jumping over the Cowboys in the playoff standings and pushing them down to #4, Chaney officially clinched a playoff berth with the win. They have a huge test next week as they host Warren Harding at Rayen Stadium, a team they lost to 35-26 a year ago. The Cowboys are looking to finish the regular season strong as they are looking to host their first home playoff game since 2001. 

 

The Tigers will drop to 2-6 with the defeat as their two-game winning streak has been snapped. They will have a tough foe ahead of them on the road next week as they travel to archrival Canfield, a team looking to move up in the playoff standings and stay ahead of Chaney. The Cards defeated the Tigers last year at Lombardo Field 42-14.

*Contributed By YSN’s Noah Ricks