Tag Archive for: OHSAA

POLAND PUNCHES THEIR TICKET

AUSTINTOWN OH- The Poland Lady Bulldogs are going back to the district championship game with a 47-36 win over Southeast on Wednesday night.

It was not a walk in the park for the Bulldogs as they found themselves up only there at the half. The third quarter is when they found their footing and their hold on the game. Poland outscored the Pirates 13-5 in the third quarter. That was all the separation Poland needed as their strong defense kept the Pirates away.

Poland was led by Jackie Grisdale with 19 points. Brooke Bobbey also got into double figures with 11.

Poland advances to the district championship game on Saturday against West Branch at Austintown Fitch. Start time is set for 7:00.

THIRD TIMES A CHARM FOR CRESTVIEW

STRUTHERS OH- Crestview and Liberty has already met two times this season coming in to Wednesday night’s district semifinal matchup. Liberty took both games. The first matchup was a lopsided 18 point Leopard win, the second was much more competitive as the Rebels cut it to 4. They say third time is a charm and that couldn’t be more true for Crestview as this time they dominated Liberty from the tip and upset the Struthers district 1 seed 69-53.

Liberty actually started the game on top. They hit some perimeter shots to take leads in the first quarter. Crestview was able to score right with them, which would become a huge advantage as the game went on. Unlike the first two matchups, the Rebels did not let the Leopards get out to a big lead. After a quarter Liberty led by just one 12-11.

The shift of momentum came in the closing minutes of the second quarter when Crestview went on a 12-0 run to end the half and turn a 16-15 deficit to a 27-16 halftime lead. That lead only grew as the third quarter ticked on. Crestview saw themselves up by 18 midway through the third. They could taste the upset. However, Liberty has a quick strike offense and everyone in the gym understood that this could be a close game real quick. The Leopards held true to their form to close out the third and cut the Rebel lead to 10. A bucket right before the buzzer of the third made it 47-35 Crestview after 3.

In the fourth quarter it was clear
Liberty’s strategy was to put Crestview on the free throw line and make the game longer. That backfired as Crestview shot 21 for 27 on the line. Free throw shooting kept the Leopards at bay and secured the big upset victory for the Rebels.

Crestview has four players in double figures, and was led by Tanner Hoffer with 19. Krista Perry finished with 16, Addison Bandy got herself 15. Mara Halas added 10.

Crestview advances to the district championship against South Range on Saturday night at Struthers. The start time is set for 7:00.

RAIDERS GROUND COLUMBIANA

STRUTHERS OH- South Range got three scorers in double figures on their way to a dominant 58-28 win over Columbiana on Wednesday night.

The Raiders has an electric first hatter. Thanks in part to the Lamparty sisters. Gabby and Izzy combined for the first 7 points of the contest. The Clippers struggled to guard Izzy all night. The Raiders held a 17-7 lead after the first quarter.

The second quarter was when the Raiders stormed ahead. They outscored the Clippers 15-5 in the frame. Those 5 Columbiana points also came in the first minutes of the quarter, so the Raiders ended the half on a 13-0 run.

The second half brought more of the same story. Columbiana just couldn’t find enough consistent scoring to make a comeback attempt, A big boost for the Raiders defense was holding the Clippers leading scorer Kayla Muslovski scoreless in the game.

South Range was led by Izzy Lamparty with 20 points. Bree Kohler had a tremendous night adding 15. Lexi Giles was also in double figures with 14.

Columbiana was led by both Grace Witmer and Grace Hammond with 8 a piece.

South Range advances to the district championship game Saturday night against Crestview. The tip is slated for 7:00 at Struthers.

JENKINS PROPELS CARDINALS PAST PALESTINE

YOUNGSTOWN OH- Hosting their first-round playoff game, while coming off of one of their biggest wins of the year, Cardinal Mooney looked fresh and sharp against the Bulldogs of East Palestine in a 55-35 victory.

The Cardinals defense dominated through most of the game, allowing only 14 points through 3 quarters. But offensively, the Cardinals relied heavily on senior Devon Jenkins. Jenkins scored 25 of the 55 total points put up by the Cardinals, as well as snagging 11 rebounds.  Also helping push the Cards to victory were Mich Hergenrother with 8, and Ben Torres’ 7 points, respectively.

For East Palestine, Jonathan Bertovich paced the Brown and White with 18 while Tyler Bistarkey chipped in 6 tallies.

Coach Palermo’s group looks to continue this momentum as they travel to Columbiana on Friday to face off against the Clippers, champions of the EOAC.

CLIPPERS JET THROUGH URSULINE TO DISTRICTS

COLUMBIANA OH- In December, Ursuline handed Columbiana a 49-30 loss, a loss that stayed in the mouths of the clippers until Saturday afternoon. Revenge was sweet as the Clippers got by Ursuline 54-43 to advance in the tournament.

The Clippers did not have to deal with any of the rust a bye week can bring. They flew out of the gates and had an impressive first quarter gathering 17 points to lead by 7. Their lead grew in the second quarter to 11, but thanks to a big three by Cara McNally, and bucket in the closing seconds by Anisah Moorman made it 32-25 at the half.

An 8-0 run out of the locker room by the Clippers would all but seal the fate of the Irish. They did not have enough firepower to mount another comeback. Not without effort, however, as the Irish did cut the lead down to nine again at the end of the third. But all that work to still be down by a point more than at halftime. The energy exposed took its toll.

Columbiana was led by Grace Witmer and Tori Long who both scored 13. Kayla Muslovski added 11.

Paris Gilmore and Moorman both led the Irish with 13.

Columbiana advances to the district semifinals on Wednesday against South Range at Struthers. The tip is set for 6:00.

RAIDERS LOOKING FRESH; ADVANCE PAST PALESTINE

CANFIELD OH- East Palestine came in to Saturday’s sectional final against South Range high off their win over Waterloo on Wednesday night. The Raiders made a fast start an emphasis all week. To describe their start to this game as fast would be an understatement. They used an explosive first quarter to roll past the Bulldogs 55-34.

The Raiders started the game on a 23-0 run using their press defense to stifle East Palestine’s offense. The end of the quarter showed a 25-1 Raider advantage. Izzy Lamparty proved to be a huge matchup issue for Palestine, especially in the first quarter. Trying to break a press with her in the middle proved near impossible.

The Bulldogs seemed to calm down after being punched with that first quarter outburst. They scored 11 in the second, thanks to a couple good plays by Morgan Rutledge on defense leading to quick buckets, and a good drive and scoop from Payton Sherry. Paige Snyder also had a strong frame. The Raiders added 18 more points to close the half with a 43-12 lead.

The Bulldogs never quit fighting as the game went on and showed great resiliency facing a big deficit. They held the Raiders to just twelve second half points.

Izzy Lamparty led the Raiders with 19 points, and 7 rebounds. Lexi Giles also had a strong day with 18 points. Gabby Lamparty notched a season-High 7 assists.

Paige Snyder and Joclyn Fristik both paced the Bulldogs with 10 points.

South Range advances to play Columbiana in the district semifinals Wednesday at Struthers. The tip is set for 6:00.

INDIANS COME CLOSE TO THE UPSET, BUT FALL TO SOUTHEAST

RAVENNA OH- Girard came into Thursday night’s sectional final vs Southeast. As the six seed in the bracket, Girard had an upset on the mind. Things were looking up for the Indians until the fourth quarter when Southeast pulled away and escaped with a 44-37 win.

Girard rushes out of the gate to start the game leading 12-3 after one quarter. Southeast started the game struggling shooting. Girard took a 23-17 lead into the break. Late in the third quarter, Girard held a 30-27 lead but that’s when the Pirates made their final push. They went on an 8-0 run that bled into the fourth and took a 35-30 lead. That was all they needed to secure their seven-point win.

Girard finishes an impressive season at 14-11. They started 4-7 and ended the year 10-4.

QUAKERS ADVANCE TO DISTRICTS IN A THRILLER

SALEM OH- The Quakers and the Cardinals earned the right to play for a spot in the district semis. Having not played each other during the season, it would be a fresh challenge for both sides. The tension was high, an opportunity to play West Branch at stake. And both teams would put on a show for a near capacity crowd.

The action started as many would expect, a back and forth affair between two physical teams. Salem’s defense showed up to play in the early goings especially. They would force four Mooney turnovers using their full court press, all of which resulting in points. Kyla Jamison for Salem would make her presence felt, leading the charge with 6 first quarter points. And despite Mooney shooting well from 3 in the quarter, the Quakers finished out the first on a 7-0 to take a 17-11 lead.

Jamison would continue to dominate the paint in the second, 6 more points a big offensive rebound, but Coach Baker’s group responded quickly. The 7-0 run that Salem had in the first was neutralized by a 14-4 run put on by the Lady Cardinals. Sophomore Alaina Scavina hit her first 3 point attempt to give the Cardinals the lead with 2:30 left in the quarter. Coupled with two trips to the free throw line, as well as senior Catie Perry dropping 9 points, Mooney looked in firm control. But, with just mere seconds on the clock, Casey Johnson for Salem hit a buzzer beating floater to tie the game as the teams headed into the locker room, 25-25.

Third quarter play was slow at first. Neither team made a field goal for the first two minutes. Finally, Annie Davidson for Salem nailed a 3 pointer that seemed to spring life into the Quakers. They would go on a 9-0 run and retake the lead. It was Johnson’s defense as well that sparked the run, with two key steals on back to back possessions. Altogether, Salem had 13 steals. Mooney would keep it relatively close, as their free throw shooting kept Salem from pulling away. Perry, Scavina, and Katie Hough were perfect among themselves on their attempts, going 6/6. Salem would carry a lead into the final quarter, 39-36.

Just as she did at the end of the first half, Casey Johnson sensed her team needed a spark. She supplied it with yet another clean steal and 3 point shot, giving the Quakers a 6 point lead. But Salem would fall into some foul trouble, as Mooney got into the bonus with 6 minutes left in regulation. Two more free throws from Perry brought the lead to 4. A couple turnovers back and forth eventually led to a huge 3 pointer from Katie Hough to make a one point game with just minutes remaining. Forced to foul to extend the game, Mooney needed multiple stops. But the front court of Salem, Jaden Hamilton and Kyla Jamison, soaked up every offensive board. The lead goes back to 4. But Mooney would respond again, this time Perry from NBA 3 point range to cut it back to one, with just 50 seconds remaining.

It all came down to free throws, and both Annie and Abbie Davidson found themselves there. Game on the line, they split both of their attempts. But Mooney could not keep Salem down. A final desperation drive from Scavina resulted in no basket, no foul, and the end of the Lady Cardinals season. The final score, Salem 50 Cardinal Mooney 47.

After the game, Coach Vince Nittoli for Salem, when asked about what his message was to the girls as Mooney kept clawing back, said “This is it. This is our season. This is what we’ve been grinding for.” He would go on to say, “It’s grit. They want it just as bad as we do, who’s gonna want it more down the stretch?”

Kyla Jamison led the way for Salem with 21 points. Casey Johnson added 11 points and 5 steals.

For the Cardinals, Catie Perry finished with a double-double scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Alaina Scavina had a double-double as well with 11 points 12 rebounds.

Salem will go on to face West Branch in the district semifinals, while the Cardinals’ season ends on a hard fought, gutsy performance.

*Story Contributed by YSN’s Nate Keiper.

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.

BULLDOGS SURF THROUGH WATERLOO

EAST PALESTINE OH- it was the battle at Waterloo that went down as the historic defeat of Napoleon, and on Wednesday night East Palestine narrowly escaped a defeat by holding off the Waterloo Vikings 58-50.

East Palestine came out swinging. They rattled off 21 points in the first quarter to jump out to a 21-11 lead after one frame. In what would be a theme all night Waterloo would surge back into the game with help from their perimeter shooting. Waterloo has the lead 26-24 with less than a minute to go in the second quarter. Then a huge swing of events went in favor of Palestine, they hit a deep three and then quickly caused a turnover and hit a layup to go up 29-26 at the half.

The third frame much like the first belonged to the Bulldogs. They opened the third quarter scoring four points and going back ahead by seven. They’d end up with an eight point 42-34 lead after three. Palestine held that lead for a big section of the fourth frame, until Waterloo once again made a late surge. They cut a 54-45 lead to 54-50 with about 1:30 to go. The Bulldogs showed great resilience in handling the late momentum swing and scoring the last four points of the game. They escaped the upset, and picked up a massive win for a program that was hungry for a tournament victory. East Palestine is just the third team to beat Waterloo this year when the Vikings score 40 points or more.

Kenzee Johnston led with 16 points for the Bulldogs. Joclyn Fristik finished with 15, and Morgan Rutledge added 14.

The Bulldogs advance to play at South Range in the sectional finals on Saturday at 1:00.