Tag Archive for: Kailyn Brown

WARRIORS ESCAPE TO END POLAND’S SEASON

AUSTINTOWN OH- Saturday’s district championship game definitely lived up to the hype. Poland stormed back from an eight point fourth quarter deficit but just missed victory. West Branch took it 44-43.

The Warriors, who struggled to score in last year’s district matchup with Poland found good shots early and often, and they hit them. Their only points in the first quarter were made threes. On the other end, Kailyn Brown paced the Bulldogs in the first quarter scoring all 9 of Poland’s points. She would go on to score 13 of the Bulldog’s 16 first half points. Trailing 22-13 Jackie Grisdale got a three near the buzzer of the half to make it a 22-16 deficit at half.

That shot is all Grisdale needed to get going. In the third quarter while West Branch kept shooting well from deep, Grisdale seemed to match every bucket they made. She did a great job making sure Poland just stuck around to make a run. After three Poland felt good just being down 36-29.

The fourth quarter was gut check time for the Bulldogs. The found themselves down 41-33 with 4:00 minutes left it didn’t look too promising. Grisdale buried a three to make it 41-36. She then got fouled shooting her next three and made all shots from the line to make it 41-39. After a West Branch bucket, Poland came right back down and scored. Then Grisdale found some space underneath and tied the game up with a layup with 1:08 to go. Both teams traded an empty possession and Poland ended up with the ball with and 9.1 seconds left. West Branch made a great play to jump in front of the inbound pass that led to a fast break. Poland fouled the shooter, who hit 1 out of 2 free throws. On the insuring possession West Branch fouled Grisdale and put her at the line with 3.1 seconds left. Grisdale’s first free throw stuck on the back heel of the rim. West Branch would secure the inbound and the narrow one point victory.

Jackie Grisdale led the Bulldogs with 22 points, 19 of which came in the 2nd half. Kailyn Brown finished with 13.

Poland finished the season at 22-3.

CAPTAIN’S QUARTERS

The success of Poland Girls Basketball over the last two years is well known throughout the area. People can debate back and forth what makes them great. But if you talk to coach Blanch it all boils down to one thing, leadership. Last seasons senior group has been described by coach Blanch as the best leaders he has ever coached. Surely, this year’s group of leaders would have a lot to live up to. However, the captains of today have done a great job in balancing the lessons learned from years past, and embracing their own personalities and leadership skills.

The three captains this season for Poland are seniors Kailyn Brown, and Brooke Bobbey alongside junior Jackie Grisdale. Put in this position by coach Blanch, he believed that these three could step up and lead this team by example. The responsibilities for a captain go way beyond meeting at half court in Poland’s program. These three are in charge of keeping the delicate family bond of the team as strong as its always been. They have to do things the right way not just in the games, but in practice. The captains must be the rocks the team can lean on in times of adversity.

For these three they will all admit it didn’t get off to a great start. They felt in the preseason scrimmages and practices they weren’t doing enough of what was required. Coach Blanch was not afraid to call them on it either. But before the season started they got themselves together and decided how much they wanted this team to succeed. It was the little things the girls improved on throughout the season. For example being able to adjust a tone of a conversation based on which teammate they were talking to. Kailyn says it was easy to lead when she has such a good example of how Coach Blanch leads her. That makes the phrase “it all starts at the top” truer than ever in this program. Coach Blanch’s lead and attitude has trickled down into his player leadership and that’s why his program has become a force to be reckoned with in all of northeast Ohio.

The season is winding down as Poland heads into the district championship against West Branch Saturday night. We couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up the season of Player Profiles than taking a look inside the Captains Quarters. Anthony Hartwig sat down with all three captains this week to discuss the season, the leadership dynamic they bring to the table, and so much more. Please enjoy the final Poland Girls Basketball Player Profile of the season!

POLAND PUSHES PAST WILDCATS

POLAND OH- The third matchup of the season between Struthers and Poland carried the most weight. The winner of this game moved on to the Fitch district semifinal, the loser would end their season. Poland needed every ounce of energy to beat a hungry Wildcat team 56-43.

The first half of the game was very competitive. A back and forth affair. Struthers made a statement out of the gate as Emma Elia knocked down a long two for the first points of the game. Poland would eventually grab the lead back, but not by much. The Bulldogs kept the lead for the rest of the half but Struthers never let it get over four. Poland held on to a 26-24 lead at the break. Much different than the first two matchups which were dominated by Poland.

The third quarter is when Poland began to create some separation. They got tremendous toughness inside from Kailyn Brown who finished through contact a couple times. They also got strong hustle plays off the bench from Ella Harrell. Brooke Bobbey has a key steal and fast-break layup near the end of the third to keep Struthers at bay. In the final frame, Poland’s depth took its toll as they slowly but surely pushed past Struthers. Harrell got half of her 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Jackie Grisdale became the seventh player in the Poland program to reach 1,000 points tonight. It came in the third quarter on her thirteenth point. She led the offense with 19 points in total. Three other Bulldogs were in double figures. Ella Harrell used a strong final frame to finish with 12, Kailyn Brown contributed 11 and Brooke Bobbey added 10.

Chloe Neider led the Wildcats with 13. Emma Elia put together a strong night with 10.

Poland advances to play Southeast Wednesday at Austintown Fitch in the district semifinals. The tip is set for 6:00.

POLAND SEND TIGERS PACKING IN HOME FINALE

POLAND OH- The Poland Lady Bulldogs Player their final regular season home game Monday night, and they didn’t disappoint their fans. They dominated a good Howland team 59-28.

It was all Poland from the tip as their defense dominated the Tigers. They held Howland to just 8 first half points. A huge part to the Bulldogs success was their gritty rebounding. Howland has the clear height advantage. Five girls on Howland’s roster were taller than Poland’s tallest. None of that mattered though as the Bulldogs put rebounded Howland by a ton. Howland could never get easy buckets off of offensive rebounds.

The third quarter was probably the Bulldogs best on offense. They nearly doubled their halftime total. Kailyn Brown was a big reason as she started to hit a stride out of the gates in the second half. She scored 11 of her 19 in the third.

Jackie Grisdale led the Bulldogs in scoring with 20, Brown finished with 19.

Poland plays their regular season finale Thursday night as they travel to Canfield. The Cardinals best Poland 46-42 in December.

POLAND CLAIMS NE8 TITLE ON SENIOR NIGHT

POLAND OH- Four seniors wee recognized before the game at Poland on Thursday night. Brooke Bobbey, Kailyn Brown, Sarah Bushaw, and Katie Masucci all took in their moment of honor as the program thanked them for their many years of service. The Bulldogs sent the seniors out with a bang, grabbing a 52-21 win over Niles and securing their second straight NE8 Championship.

All four seniors were in the starting lineup on Thursday, and they definitely started fast. Poland scored 20 points in the first quarter, 17 of which came from their four seniors. Kailyn Brown lead the way with 7.

With that first frame as a standard, the offense slowed down in the middle of the game. Only scoring 16 points in the next two quarters. However, in the fourth quarter when Coach Blanch put all four seniors on the floor again the Bulldogs doubled that and added another 16 to their total. It was truly a night of senior dominance. Each senior was individually subbed out in the final quarter and given a wonderful ovation. In a even more special moment, Katie Masucci was subbed out by her sister Hannah who got to be the first person to hug her coming off the floor.

Poland win completes a two season 28-0 record in the NE8. It’s been all Bulldogs since the leagues birth last season.

Jackie Grisdale led the way offensively with 17 points. Katie Masucci was also in double figures with 10. 30 of the final 52 points for Poland were scored by seniors.

Nae Fryer led Niles with 14 points.

Poland looks ahead to their home finale against Howland on Monday.

POLAND ALL OVER LAKEVIEW

Poland continued their NE8 dominance on Monday night with a 59-16 win over Lakeview.

Despite the margin of victory, it was not a flashy offensive performance from Poland. It took them several minutes to get their first points from the field. The Bulldogs led Lakeview 7-4 in the first quarter, and through the next two frames, they went on a 25-0 run to be up 32-4. Lakeview did put together a positive fourth quarter to get themselves in double figures. Lakeview actually did stay away from a ton of live-ball turnovers caused by Poland’s pressure. They moved the ball well, but just couldn’t get shots to fall. Poland got a lot of solid minutes from their reserves towards the closing of the game. The Bulldogs had 12 different players score for them.

Leading the offense tonight for Poland was Morgan Kluchar and Connie Cougras who both finished with 8. Kailyn Brown and Katie Masucci had 7 apiece.

Poland continues to play on Thursday as they host Jefferson.

POLAND STAVES OFF MOONEY RALLY, WINS THRILLER AGAINST THE CARDINALS

The reputation of both Poland and Cardinal Mooney’s girls basketball teams are eerily similar. Tenacious defense, sound and disciplined play, and most importantly, a refusal to quit no matter the score.

The two teams took a while to settle in, both forcing turnovers on each other. Not to mention a fire alarm mishap that paused in game action twice during the first half. But Poland needs very little wiggle room to blow a game wide open. After a sluggish start, Poland hit three straight 3 pointers, one from Jackie Grisdale and two from Kailyn Brown, the latter not known for long distance shooting. Because of the early deficit, Mooney got out of their usual gameplan, and their offense suffered greatly from it. Poland’s defense tightened, and the Bulldogs took a massive 35-12 lead into the half.

But the Cardinals would not quit. In an unbelievable third quarter, Mooney would claw their way back into the game, allowing only four points, two coming from the free throw line. Freshman Maria Fire stoned any attempt at an inside shot, registering 5 blocks. Gia Diorio began shadowing Grisdale, and Mooney found themselves down only 11 once the fourth quarter began.

Poland would respond though. Offensive adjustments alongside a huge dagger 3 pointer from Grisdale, who finished with 19 points, sealed the deal. While the comeback was valiant, Mooney could not cut the deficit below double digits. Poland would win 59-42. The Bulldogs go to 13-2 on the season, and the Cardinals drop to 8-6.

BULLDOGS FLY AHEAD OF EAGLES

The Poland girls got back to NE8 play on Monday night with a 64-24 win over Hubbard.

It was all Poland from the jump as the Bulldogs started the game on a 9-0 run and never looked back from there. It was once again their defense leading the way who suffocated the Eagles offense all night. It was the third time this season they’d held an opponent below thirty. The Bulldogs got contributions from a lot of players on the night. 12 Bulldogs got on the stat sheet. Only one player that got into the game didn’t score.

Jackie Grisdale led the team with 21 points 5 rebounds. Morgan Kluchar added 7, three players finished with 6. Kailyn Brown, Brooke Bobbey, and Arianna Daniels.

Poland returns to action Thursday as they travel to Niles.

Hubbard hosts Struthers on Thursday night.

POLAND ALL SMILES IN WIN OVER LIBERTY

POLAND, OH- The Poland Lady Bulldogs were in a place on Saturday where they haven’t been in quite some time, in a losing streak. The schedule did not get any easier either as they welcomed in a one-loss Liberty team. However, Poland looked sharp as they dominated Liberty in a 63-43 victory.

The first quarter lived up to the billing of the matchup. Liberty and Poland traded blows back and forth. Both offenses seemed to be in a good rhythm as the first quarter ended with 12-11 Liberty lead. This trend would not last, however, as Poland’s defense started to rush the Leopards into plenty of unforced turnovers. That coupled with Liberty foul trouble made It easy for Poland to shoot ahead and take a commanding lead.

Things were never in doubt for the Bulldogs after halftime as the closest the Leopards could get in the second half is 9 points. Poland’s defense is what everyone would expect. Their offense however who has struggled at times this year really had success. 63 points is the highest total for the Bulldog offense, and on the other end of the floor 43 was by far the lowest total Liberty had been held to this season.

Jackie Grisdale led the Bulldogs with 20 points 7 rebounds and Kailyn Brown gathered a double-double with 17 points 10 rebounds.

Poland returns to action Monday as they host Hubbard.

CARDINALS CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR POLAND

The rivalry for 224 is renewed. Canfield came in to Poland on Saturday afternoon and came away with an impressive four point victory 40-36.

The Bulldogs spent all day working hard for every point they got. The Cardinal Defense was suffocating and did not allow any free space for the Poland offense. The offensive struggles put Poland in an early 19-9 hole in the first half. Then freshman Arianna Daniels came off the bench and gave Poland a spark with a tough basket from the baseline. The Bulldogs ended the first half on a 9-0 run to only trail 19-18 at the break.

Kailyn Brown started to get things going in the third quarter as Poland tied up the game before heading into the final frame. With the score tied at 32 in the fourth Canfield hit a big three after securing a loose ball and catching Poland out of position. This would prove to be a turning point in the game as the Cardinals scored five of the next six points in the game. This was mainly due to three straight offensive rebounds off of free throws. Connie Cougras hit a late three but it was too little too late for the Bulldogs as they feel to Canfield 40-36.

Kailyn Brown led Poland with 12 points 10 rebounds. Connie Cougras gave the Bulldogs a strong 8 points off the bench.

Poland takes a week off and will host Liberty on Saturday January 4th.