Tag Archive for: KNIGHTS

KNIGHTS LOOK UNSTOPPABLE

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By Ty Bartell

AKRON OH- As the first days of October roll through Northeast, Ohio, many volleyball teams are
sharpening their iron so to speak in preparation for the upcoming state tournament. One of those teams, The Archbishop Hoban Knights have been rolling to say the least. With a sweet 16-0 record heading into this week, Hoban looked to keep the freight train moving forward with a Monday match. Not just any old Monday, it was also senior night for the lone senior Knight, Sophia Day! No easy task in the match itself, with Hoban hosting in The Hiland Hawks who were 15-1 going into Monday. With both teams having incredible seasons, it felt like a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao type battle!

Set one had both teams exchange scores and the lead as momentum hung in the balance. The Knights would manage a key set-clinching rally behind the great defensive work at the net in an attempt to offset the height and talent of Ava Troyer. That rally secured the set by a final of 25-14 for Hoban.

Now trailing the match by a set, The Hawks were left in desperate need of a win in set two in an attempt to avoid falling behind two sets on the road. Hiland played with that aggression and intensity to start the second set, grabbing and building on a lead, The Hawks held a 9-2 advantage in the set after an early rally. However, as many times prior this season, The Knights battled back and kept it close. Hoban would eventually recapture a lead and win the close set battle 25-19 to ensure they held a big 2-0 advantage in the match!

That advantage gave The Knights all the momentum as they would utilize it to emphatically defeat Hiland 25-6 in set three for the straight set match win!
On her day, Sophia Day led Hoban in assists with 17 in the win. While the Watson’s were active once again! As Amber Watson recorded a team-high 10 kills and Kalie Watson led the team behind the service line in aces with 5. The Mintz combo also found plenty of production with Macie Mintz led Hoban in digs at 16 and Madison Mintz leading in service points with 14. Bailey Prince was, quite simply, a difference maker! Prince counteracted the height and talent of Troyer opposite of her and recorded a match high 7 blocks in the win!

Hoban (17-0) has now ended their home stint of the regular season and have looked unstoppable! They look to continue their string of success as they hit the road to do battle with The Marlington Dukes (18-2) on Thursday, October 5th. While Hiland (15-2) will look to get back on track when they welcome in conference foe Sandy Valley (10-7) on Tuesday, October 3rd. Interviews with Hoban’s Summara Keith, Bailey Price and Sophia Day as well as Knights Head Coach Jim Maloof and Assistant Hayley Bell can be found below!

SWEET 16 WINS IN A ROW FOR HOBAN

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COPLEY OH- Entering the home stretch of the high school volleyball regular season, some teams are
trying to strengthen up some weaknesses, some are trying to get healthy, others just looking to develop their talent this season and then there are the teams continuing to get stronger and look like tournament juggernauts. The Archbishop Hoban Knight volleyball team is one of those juggernauts! Rattling off 15 impressive wins in a row against notable competition around the region, The Knights looked to continue the streak as they hit the road to do battle with The Copley Indians on Saturday afternoon. Copley, another 10+ win opponent, came in as winners in 9 of their last 12 and looked like they were starting to hit their stride after starting the season 2-2.

The opening set was competitive with The Indians feeling the home crowd advantage early on. But as The Knights have done so many times this season, they adjusted and locked it down on the defensive side. Finding enough key rallies to take the opening set 25-18 and put Hoban up 1-0 in sets on the road. Feeling the pressure, The Indians needed to avoid falling behind two sets to none and played with a deep hunger and aggression for a victory in set two. Going toe-to-toe with The Knights, Copley secured a 25-22 set win to knot the match up 1-1!

However, The Knights are a team of a different armor this season as when you find a weakness in it, you only make them stronger! Hoban blasted The Indians in the following two sets 25-12 in set three and 25-8 in set four to emphatically take the match 3-1!

Amber Watson kept her consistency going from the outside, racking up 19 kills in the win while also recording 5 aces from behind the service line! Macie Mintz was the dig leader with 19 and Sophia Day led The Knights in assists with 23. Bailey Prince was locked-down at the fence with 4 blocks in the match!

Hoban (16-0) will look to keep their undefeated streak rolling as they welcome in The Berlin-Hiland Hawks (15-1) in a premier match on Monday, October 2nd at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live for FREE on YSN!

KNIGHTS FLIP THE SCRIPT AND RUN AWAY FROM WALSH

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AKRON OH- In a game that was expected to be a close battle, the Hoban football team flipped the script and turned it into a one-sided affair, cruising to a convincing 57-7 victory over Walsh Jesuit. From the opening kickoff, Hoban asserted their dominance and left no doubt about their superiority on the field.

The 1st quarter witnessed Hoban’s explosive start as Payton Cook connected with Jalen Hightower for a 52-yard touchdown pass, with Ryan Burns adding the extra point to give them an early 7-0 lead. The onslaught continued with Tylan Boykin finding Joey Hardman for a 35-yard touchdown pass, followed by another successful PAT by Burns, extending their lead to 14-0. Hoban’s defense joined the party as Tysen Campbell intercepted a pass and returned it for a pick-six, making it 21-0. The defensive pressure continued as Eli Lee forced a safety with a sack, further increasing the lead to 23-0. Caleb Jones then powered through with a 3-yard rushing touchdown, complemented by another PAT by Burns, setting the score at 30-0. The 1st quarter ended with Elber Hill IV’s explosive 42-yard rushing touchdown, and Burns once again added the extra point, making it 37-0.

In the 2nd quarter, Caleb Jones continued his scoring spree with a 13-yard rushing touchdown, although the PAT attempt failed, leaving the score at 43-0. Just before halftime, Jones found the end zone again with a 6-yard rushing touchdown, and Burns added the extra point.

The 3rd quarter remained scoreless, but the fourth quarter saw Hoban’s Deon Rodgers returning a 15-yard punt for a touchdown, with Jeremy Hammel successfully converting the PAT, extending the lead to 57-0. Walsh Jesuit managed to avoid a shutout with a late 6-yard rushing touchdown by Carlos Smith, and Freddie Marcell added the extra point, resulting in a final score of 57-7 in favor of Hoban.

In the end, Hoban showcased their dominance on both sides of the ball, leaving Walsh Jesuit with no room to mount a comeback. The final score of 57-7 reflected Hoban’s overwhelming performance, turning what was expected to be a close game into a runaway victory.

KNIGHTS CONQUER ANOTHER BEAST

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By Ty Bartell

AKRON OH- When it comes to volleyball in Northeast Ohio, there is plenty of talent to choose from.
With a plethora of competitive schools all of which can beat one another at any given time. Therefore, having a goose egg in the loss column this late in the season. Especially if you play the type of schedule The Archbishop Hoban Knights volleyball team has compiled together. Featuring multiple teams with state championship level talent, Hoban was rolling through them to the tune of a 14-0 record heading into Wednesday night. This time The Knights were hitting the road down to Stark County to do battle with The Leopards of Louisville High School.
A respectable 10-4 Leopards squad that also schedules independently and competitively meant it was going to be a fun match at hand.

Both teams were deadlocked in a close opening set, but it was Louisville feeling the home crowd advantage and riding that momentum to a thrilling 25-23 win in the opener. Now down a set, Hoban had all the pressure suddenly flipped onto themselves. The Knights responded though, getting the last laugh in another close set battle, capturing set two by a final of 25-21, knotting the match up at 1-1.

After capturing their first set win, like so many other times this season, Hoban got even better as the match waged on. Minimizing mistakes and maximizing the defensive effort, The Knights emphatically took set three 25-14! Showing a better effort in the fourth set, The Leopards were able to have a little more success against The Knights; however, it would not be enough as Hoban locked it down to win both the set 25-17 and the match 3-1!

Amber Watson, once again, led The Knights in kills with 19 and was set up primarily by Sophia Day who recorded 25 assists in the match. Macie Mintz led in two categories, both in digs with 28 and service points at 16. Ava Norton was also a force behind the service line, grabbing 4 aces. While the net defense was backed by the duo of Kathleen Jones and Bailey Prince who each had 3 blocks against The Leopards.

Hoban (15-0) will look to keep the streak rolling as they stay on the road and pay a visit to The Copley Indians (10-5) on Saturday, September 30th. Also on Saturday, Louisville (10-5) will look to get back to winning ways as they hit the road as well to do battle with The Lake Blue Streaks (3-10).

 

HOBAN PINKS OUT PERRY

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By Ty Bartell 

AKRON OH- As the fall sports season continues, many things around us begin to change. The air
becomes more brisk as a chill takes over, the leaves on trees begin to turn to their traditional autumn colors and the thought of snow slowly becomes more than just a thought. However, one thing that has not changed is The Archbishop Hoban Knights continuing their winningways on the volleyball court! Rolling into Tuesday evening with a perfect 13-0 record, Hoban was coming off an impressive 3-1 match win against The Independence Blue Devils, who have appeared in three of the last four state final fours, on Saturday!

Playing with a ton of confidence, The Knights returned home to welcome The Federal League’s own Massillon-Perry Panthers, who were sporting a respectable 9-5 record through tough competition.
The first match was a battle, one that saw The Panthers grab and hold an early advantage as both teams exchanged scores. Midway through the opening set is when the tables turned on Perry when Hoban locked it down on the defensive side and turned that defense into offense and quickly compiled a point swing and a lead for The Knights! Once taking the lead, Hoban would not let it go, despite The Panthers giving them a great fight till the end, it was Hoban who would win the opening set 25-22.

Being down 1-0 in sets, Perry opted to try and write a similar script in set two that featured a different ending. The Panthers stuck to that script early, once again capturing a multiple point advantage in the beginning portions of set two. But the more things change, the more they stay the same. The Knights responded in similar fashion to the set previous by getting on the comeback trail, cutting into the deficit and eventually overtaking Perry with the 25-17 set two victory. Set three was not much different in terms of score. Both teams put up a good battle, but Hoban was just too much for Perry on Tuesday, claiming the straight set sweep with the 25-19 win in set three.

The lone senior, Sophia Day got it done both on the floor and behind the service line, racking up 23 assists to go with 3 aces on the night! Macie Mintz also put in the work defensively on the floor and on the serve, recording 22 digs and 13 service points to lead her team in both categories. Amber Watson was the kill leader again, racking up 18 in the win. While Bailey Prince fortified the net with her 2 blocks on Monday night.

Hoban (14-0) will take their undefeated streak back on the road where they will travel down to Stark County in a battle with The Louisville Leopards (10-4) on Wednesday, September 27th. Perry (9-6) will look to get back to winning ways with a conference road matchup against GlenOak (8-6) on Thursday, September 28th. Interviews with Players of the Match Amber Watson and Skylar Schmidt, plus the coaches interview with Head Coach Jim Maloof and Assistant Coach Hailey Bell can be found below!

KNIGHTS ARMOR TOO MUCH FOR FITCH

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In a premier Saturday morning matchup on the volleyball court, two of the most talented
teams under The YSN banner squared-off, with The Austintown-Fitch Falcons traveling up to Barry Gym to battle The Archbishop Hoban Knights! The Falcons were coming fresh off a straight set sweep of Ursuline to hand The Irish their first loss of the season. On the other side, The Knights had been rolling, winning the first ten matches of the season and holding a 17 set win streak against some of the toughest competition throughout the region.

With the stage set for this big matchup, the first set did not disappoint! Both teams held the lead for considerable time in the early to middle portions of the opening set. With Fitch beginning to pull away at 17-14 in the set, The Knights focused up and battled it back to even at 18-18. Both teams continued exchanging points back-and-forth until they were knotted up again 21-21. With Fitch owning a 24-23 set lead and the serve, Hoban’s Amber Watson delivered a big time kill to tie it up 24-24 and force extra points. It would be there where the Knights would finally escape with the marathon set 30-28.

Leading both squads into a big second set where the goal for both teams was get the energy levels and the mentals back to even. With Hoban trying to avoid riding in the set too high and Fitch now wanting to get down on themselves following an opening set defeat. The Falcons would capitalize early in the set and take a 7-2 advantage early on. However, as The Knight did in the prior set, they battled their way back. Eventually taking the lead and pulling away late, Hoban captured a 2-0 set lead with a 25-18 set two victory.

Making no mistakes and not messing around in the third set. Hoban controlled almost every aspect of the set and captured a convincing 25-10 set win to record the straight set match sweep of The Falcons!

The Knights Amber Watson led the way in kills once again, grabbing 15 in the three set contest. While Macie Mintz was on it defensively, leading The Knights with 16 digs “My goal was to stop every ball from touching the floor.” Mintz said. The senior captain Sophia Day was sharing the wealth, setting-up her teammates to the tune of 21 assists in the match. While it was a good day to be an “Ava” with Ava Norton getting it done behind the service line with 3 aces and 9 service points and Ava Norfolk doing it at the net with 2 blocks.

Following the win, Hoban (11-0) will look to continue their undefeated streak as they hit the road to do battle with Walsh Jesuit (1-7) on Thursday, September 21st. Fitch (9-3) will look to regroup with an All-American Conference (AAC) matchup on Tuesday, September 19th where The Falcons will host The Howland Tigers (4-8).

HOBAN DEMANDS RESPECT

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CLEVELAND OH- In a highly anticipated matchup, Archbishop Hoban delivered a commanding performance, blanking a formidable St. Ignatius team with a resounding 35-0 win on the road.

The first quarter set the tone for Hoban’s dominance as Elbert Hill charged into the end zone with a 19-yard touchdown run, accompanied by a successful extra point, establishing an early 7-0 lead.

Hoban continued to extend their lead in the second quarter, with Tylan Boykin’s impressive 5-yard touchdown run, followed by a successful extra point, making it 14-0. The momentum continued to swing in Hoban’s favor when Tysen Campbell intercepted a pass and returned it for a pick-six, further solidifying their lead at 21-0.

The third quarter witnessed Hoban’s defensive prowess as Elbert Hill intercepted another pass and scored a pick-six, stretching their lead to an imposing 28-0.

The fourth quarter saw Caleb Jones finding the end zone with a 3-yard touchdown run, and with the extra point, Hoban sealed their commanding 35-0 victory.

This dominant performance not only showcases Hoban’s offensive and defensive capabilities but also sends a resounding message to their opponents. With this win, Archbishop Hoban continues to assert their status as a powerhouse in high school football, leaving a strong impression as they look ahead to future challenges in the season.

KNIGHTS DOMINATE BATTLE OF AKRON

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By Ty Bartell

AKRON OH- Rivalries. They are what brings all the natural drama into the world of sports, the very
thing that peaks our interests and keeps us wanting more. Seen in both professional and collegiate athletics, high schools are no stranger to rivalries, with every school having that one adversary that raises the tension of the matchup immensely! Certain high school contests carry different weight and bring a ton of attention to them, the battle between Akron St. Vincent & St. Mary and Akron Archbishop Hoban is one of those rivalries.

On Tuesday night, inside of Barry Gym at The Castle of Archbishop Hoban High School, The Fighting Irish and The Knights battled once again. This time, they took it to the volleyball court for their one and only matchup of the year in front of a packed house with student sections that were loud and proud! Feeding off the energy of the crowd, both teams exchanged in some back-and-forth scoring, testing the waters on one another. The Knights used a big run in the middle of the set to create all the separation they would need. Sprinting to the finish, Hoban would claim the convincing 25-10 opening set win.

Feeling the groove and staying in rhythm, The Knights carried their string of dominating runs into the next set. Getting both a 6 and 11 point run in the set, Hoban would propel themselves to a 2-0 set lead with a 25-7 set two victory. Getting better as the night went on, it proved to be all Archbishop Hoban on Tuesday evening, with The Knights conquering the third set (25-5) and the match 3-0.

Another straight set win has Hoban at a perfect 9-0 to start the year! Big performers for The Knights included the always amazing Amber Watson who led the way in kills again with 14. The Cool Mintz made an impact on both sides of the ball as Macie Mintz notched 11 digs and Madison Mintz recorded 17 service points. Kalie Watson was The Ace Queen of the evening with 4 aces, while Bailey Prince fortified the net with 3 blocks to lead The Knights. The lone senior Sophia Day led the way setting up the offense to the tune of 16 assists on the night.

Hoban (9-0) will now turn their attention to the road where they will meet The Lake Blue Streaks (3-4) on Thursday, September 14th.

KNIGHTS MARCH ON TO ANOTHER VICTORY

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Hoban continued their dominant run with a resounding 39-0 victory over Akron East. The first quarter saw Ryan Burns kick a 23-yard field goal, giving Hoban an early 3-0 lead. In the second quarter, Hoban’s Caleb Jones made his presence felt with a 27-yard TD run, although the extra point was missed, resulting in a 9-0 lead. Tylan “Juice” Boykin extended the lead with a 13-yard QB run and a successful extra point, making it 16-0. Boykin then showcased his passing skills, connecting with Payton Cook for a 5-yard TD pass, but the XP was missed, putting Hoban up 22-0 at halftime.

The third quarter continued to favor Hoban as Boykin found Parker Falkenstein for a 6-yard TD pass, and Boykin’s 2-point conversion run was successful, extending the lead to 30-0. Hoban’s relentless defense created a safety, pushing the score to 32-0. The game concluded with Brayton Feister running for a 3-yard TD as time expired, resulting in an impressive 39-0 victory for Hoban. Their next challenge awaits with a trip to face St. Ignatius in Week 5, where Hoban will look to maintain their dominant form.

HOT START FOR HOBAN CONTINUES

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By Ty Bartell 

AKRON OH- The Archbishop Hoban Knights Volleyball Team has been rolling to say the least at the start of the 2023 campaign. Heading into Thursday evening, Hoban sported a 6-0 record, taking their talents on the road against The Federal League’s own, Green Bulldogs. Losing just three sets all year, The Knights have shown a dominant display of volleyball, focusing primarily on moving the ball around on offense and being floor protectors on defense.

Despite having just a 2-1 record heading into the Thursday matchup, Green is no stranger to success, with a .500 record or better in each of the last four seasons. However, Knights head coach James Maloof would not have it any other way! Favoring the independent schedule strength and the preparation it offers his girls for the end of season state tournament.
The first set of this year’s contest was competitive until Hoban put together a run that would generate enough separation from their adversaries, capturing the 25-18 set victory.

Not done there, The Knights, like many times this season, got better as the match moved along. Leaving little to question, Hoban blitzed The Bulldogs for the 25-13 set two win and got themselves a favorable 2-0 set lead on the road. The win was so nice The Knights had to do it twice! Knowing they do not get paid by the hour…..or at all, The Hoban Knights made short work of Green with the straight set sweep, earning their seventh win of the season!

Amber Watson was the top kill-getter for Hoban once again, notching 11 on the evening, while Sophia Day spread the love around with 19 assists in the match. Offense aside, Macie Mintz kept The Knights defense cool and fresh with 16 digs, while Ava Norfolk was the ultimate starter, recording 4 aces and 18 service points in the match!

Hoban (7-0) will now look to keep the streak going as they return home to a very talented Highland Hornets (5-1) on Saturday, September 9th at 10 a.m.