Tag Archive for: OVAC

HEARTLAND CHRISTIAN BASKETBALL COACH S CORNER WITH JOSH SCOTT 2-18-26

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COLUMBIANA, OH- In a historic victory for Heartland Christian School, the boys’ basketball team clinched their first-ever conference championship, guided by their esteemed coach, Josh Scott. This pivotal achievement was a product of the team’s dedication and the strategic foresight of Coach Scott, who has been a cornerstone of Heartland Christian’s athletic program.

During a recent episode of the YSN podcast, Coach Scott expressed his overwhelming pride and satisfaction in the team’s accomplishments. “It’s special, there’s no doubt about that,” Scott remarked, highlighting the significance of providing student-athletes a level playing field with opportunities for success and recognition. This victory stands as a testament to the hard work and commitment of the young athletes who were determined to leave their mark despite the loss of key players from the previous season.

The team’s journey was characterized by a robust season schedule, intentionally designed by Coach Scott to test and enhance their skills against formidable opponents. “You never back down from a fight,” Scott asserted, emphasizing his strategy to engage with tougher teams to sharpen his players’ competitive edge.

As Heartland Christian looks ahead to the upcoming tournament, Scott remains focused on maintaining the team’s momentum. He understands the challenges ahead, notably acknowledging that their upcoming rivals also pose significant threats. Nonetheless, Scott is optimistic, driven by the belief that the foundational skills and resilience instilled in his players will serve them well in the pursuit of continued success.

Coach Scott’s leadership extends beyond the court, fostering an environment where character building and athletics go hand in hand. His commitment to this dual mission is supported by a dedicated coaching staff, forming a strong support system that prioritizes student development and sportsmanship.

The Heartland Christian community continues to rally behind the team, cherishing their landmark achievement and looking forward to future triumphs.

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POTTERS COMEBACK IN THE FINAL FRAME

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EAST LIVERPOOL OH- East Liverpool saved their best for last Tuesday night, storming back in the fourth quarter to take down rival Beaver Local 63-57 in the OVAC 4A semifinals. The Potters had trailed the entire game, entering the final frame down 50-43, but they flipped the switch when it mattered most, outscoring Beaver Local 20-7 in the fourth to complete the comeback.

Cohen Pease led the way with 15 points, while Nate Birch added 14. D’Shawn Kirby chipped in 10, and Quintin Conrad, Blake Adkins, and Gavin Wright each tacked on 8 to help fuel the rally. For Beaver Local, Owen Hill dropped a game-high 16, Hunter Warrick scored 13, Luke Rettos added 8, and Aiden Dray finished with 7.

With the win, East Liverpool moves on to the OVAC 4A Championship on Saturday against Cambridge. Tip-off is set for 10:00 AM at the ECO Center in St. Clairsville. Beaver Local will host St. Clairsville in the OVAC consolation game on Friday.

MATTHEWS HAS MASSIVE NIGHT; LADY LIONS ROLL

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COLUMBIANA, OH – Heartland Christian freshman Emme Matthews stole the spotlight on Thursday night, leading the Lions to a 62-41 victory over Toronto. Matthews was unstoppable, finishing with an impressive 32 points and scoring at least six in every quarter.

Rachel Reynolds added 10 points and Emily McDowell chipped in 9, providing strong support in the Lions’ balanced offensive effort. The win improves Heartland Christian’s record to 10-8 on the season.

Toronto’s Tatum Derrington led her team with 18 points, including eight in a strong first quarter. Jayna Reeves contributed 10 points, while JJ Rebich and Olivia Owings each scored 4. Despite their efforts, the Red Knights, now 8-10, couldn’t keep up with Heartland’s pace.

Heartland set the tone early with a 15-13 lead after the first quarter and extended the advantage with a dominant 17-point second quarter. The Lions maintained control throughout the second half, closing out the game with an 18-point fourth quarter to secure the win.

The Lions will look to carry this momentum forward as they continue their season, while Toronto aims to bounce back in their next matchup.

HEARTLAND’S SEASON ENDS IN SECTIONALS

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MAPLETON, OH- Heartland Christian fell to Mapleton 6-2 on Thursday to finish their 2024 campaign.

Mapleton opened the scoring in the fourth with Lane Dreibelbis hitting a sacrifice fly to bring in a run.

Jack Morgan gave Heartland Christian a brief 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth with a single.

Mapleton took back control in the bottom of the fifth, with Ajay Workman doubling, Gabe Wrobleski singling, and Gavin Manion singling, each driving in a run.

Kollin Cline sealed the deal for Mapleton with a two-run homer to left field in the sixth.

Tyson Welch earned the win for Mapleton, pitching six and two-thirds innings, allowing four hits and two unearned runs while striking out nine and walking three. Jake Walker took the loss for Heartland Christian, pitching five innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on nine hits, with one strikeout and one walk.

Morgan led Heartland Christian at the plate, going 1-for-2 with an RBI. Drew Gault, Will Morgan, Owen Bender, and Jack Morgan each had one hit.

Mapleton racked up 13 hits, with Cline leading the way with two RBIs and going 2-for-4. Mason Sword went 3-for-4, and Workman and Wrobleski each had multiple hits.

Heartland finishes the year at 10-14.

HEARTLAND JOINS OVAC

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COLUMBIANA, OH- The Heartland Christian athletic program made a significant leap forward as they officially joined the ranks of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference (OVAC). During an enlightening conversation on YSN, Athletic Director Josh Scott shared the driving force behind the move and its expected impact.

“The biggest thing, more than anything, was just for our kids to have something to play for, like all the other schools do. They are in a conference,” said Scott, emphasizing the importance of competitive goals for students.

At the heart of this decision is the opportunity for the school’s athletic program to provide meaningful experiences for the students. Joining the OVAC aligns with the school’s goal of offering impactful moments that reach beyond the court or field. The benefits of membership are more than just logistical; they fuel a culture of persistence and recognition.

Scott views the inclusion into the OVAC as a potential stepping stone, possibly laying the groundwork for Heartland Christian to become part of a multi-conference system in the future. “We’re hoping that we can show some stability, some responsibility of being in a league, and then maybe we’d be a little bit more attractive down the road to be in some of these local conferences as well,” he shared.

Travel and logistics are always a consideration for schools when joining new conferences. While acknowledging the challenges, Scott remains positive. “The reward was bigger in the fact that our kids now have a championship to play for, all conference honors, and just more opportunity across the board for our kids,” he pointed out.

Another aspect that Scott is excited about is the potential of “big moment games where, you know, the outcome matters.” Having regular chances to compete for championships and honors provides a different kind of motivation for student-athletes, which can be transformative both in sports and personal development.

Reflecting on Heartland Christian’s journey, Scott is both humbly proud and grateful to be part of this evolutionary step for the school. “I’ve been just, this one called to the whole system here… to see it to come to fruition. I just, I hope that the kids will find a way to enjoy it as much as we hope that they will,” he shared, looking to the future with optimistic anticipation.

Heartland Christian is poised to embark on a thrilling new chapter as a member of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference. Under Josh Scott’s leadership, the school’s athletics are sure to flourish, marking the potential for new legacies built on the foundation of hard work, passion, and community spirit.
Stay tuned to this space as YSN continues to provide coverage on Heartland Christian’s exciting new journey in the OVAC, and perhaps, the crowning of their first conference championship in the near future.

POTTERS POUND MARTINS FERRY, ADVANCE TO OVAC TITLE

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EAST LIVERPOOL- The East Liverpool Potters advances to the OVAC Championship game with a dominating 80-41 win over Martins Ferry on Tuesday night.

The Potters were helped by a tremendous effort from Tresean Jackson who scored 31 points. Jackson’s contributions didn’t end there as he did a masterful job distributing the ball finishing with 8 assists on the night. Brennan O’Hara was also in double figures with 15 points.

The Potters defense was nothing to forget either. They held the Raiders to just 11 first half points with suffocating pressure.

The Potters now look to avenge an earlier loss to Meadowbrook in the OVAC championship on Friday night.

BEAVER LOCAL CELEBRATES BIG NIGHT; RICCARDO BOARDS 1000

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EAST LIVERPOOL, OH- Jenna Ricardo made Beavers basketball history as she and the Lady Beavers handled the Lisbon Blue Devils at home 77-44.

Ricardo came into the night needing 6 rebounds to reach 1,000 boards for her career. She has already eclipsed 1,000 points and become the all-time leading scorer in Beavers history, as she did so last year in her Junior season.

Everybody was on history watching from the tip, and they were not disappointed. Ricardo tallied 4 boards in the first quarter, and collected her 6th halfway through the 2nd quarter, sending the Beaver fans into a frenzy. At halftime, Ricardo was honored for accomplishing the feat, becoming the only player to reach 1,000 rebounds at Beaver Local (talk about the exclusive company). Head coach Stephanie Coie gave a speech about Ricardo and her accomplishments as a Beavers basketball player.

As for the game itself, the Beavers knocked down 15 three’s, that’s right, 15! Brooke Briggs went 4 for 4 from downtown, while Riley Britt and Madison Cline had 3 triples of their own. Ricardo also recorded a double-double in the game.

That certainly will help a team win as the Beavers put themselves in the win column in what was more than likely the last Lady Beaver home game.

 

*Story contributed by YSN’s Michael McKenzie

 

BEAVERS CAGE EAST PALESTINE ON SENIOR NIGHT

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EAST LIVERPOOL, OH- The Beavers defeated the Bulldogs by 40 on Saturday night to honor the 5 seniors (Luke Chetock, Josh Hilditch, Tate Joseph, Jaden Kiddey, and Logan Reed) the right way.

The first half was competitive, as the teams exchanged leads early in the game. The Beavers were able to create a little separation to end the first quarter and hold on to that going into halftime. After the break, the Beavers came out firing, getting transition bucket after transition bucket to open the fourth quarter with a 30 point lead. Coach Nick Miller then took the seniors off the floor one by one as the fans gave them a standing ovation. The Beavers won by the final score of 91-51. They improve to 12-8 heading into OVAC play.

Luke Chetock drained 5 three’s as he finished with 28. Logan Reed had a night as well, scoring 21 on the night, as Josh Hilditch chipped in 10 of his own.

Jonathan Bertovich came into the game averaging 26 a game and did not disappoint, scoring 32 on the night.  Payton Elliott contributed to the Bulldogs scoring summary with 8.

The Beavers will play an away OVAC game this upcoming Tuesday, while East Palestine will face Lowellville.

 

*Story contributed by YSN’s Michael McKenzie

BEAVERS TAME TIGERS AT HOME

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EAST LIVERPOOL, OH- The Beavers picked up a nice home victory over the Wellsville Tigers by the final score of 59-54 in a back and forth affair.

Beaver Local jumped out to an early 10 point lead, but a late bucket by Darrion Suggs and a three pointer from Luke Green cut the deficit to 5 to end the first. Wellsville found a groove after that, taking the lead for the majority of the second quarter, as Justin Wright and Troy Carter found a couple buckets each in the post to find a 26-23 lead at the half. 

The Beavers came out of the locker room swinging and took the lead right back and stretched it to 8 entering the 4th. Wellsville went on a couple of runs and pulled to within one possession multiple times in the final quarter, but couldn’t finish the job as the Beavers took home the dub. They improve to 9-6 on the campaign.

Luke Chetock and Nathan Barber each had 16 points to lead Beaver Local. Logan Reed would chip in 9 points.

Darien Suggs led the Tigers with 18 points while Luke Green finished with 14.

Beaver Local will look to get revenge on Linsly this upcoming Tuesday as YSN Beaver Local will have coverage of the 7:00 tip.

 

*Story contributed by YSN’s Michael McKenzie

SENIOR NIGHT STUNNER; BL RUNS PAST FERRY

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EAST LIVERPOOL, OH- It was a perfect opportunity for the Beaver Local Senior Girls on the Basketball Team to send a lasting memory to their OVAC Rivals, Martins Ferry, on their way out.  Senior Night has the tendency to create distractions for the home team each season, but the Lady Beavers used their night as a marker of the last four years with a 50-44 victory on Monday.

Senior, and Baird Brothers Big Dog of the Valley winner- Jenna Riccardo cashed in for 26 points and 12 boards while handing out 6 assists in the victory.  Madison Cline also enjoyed her Senior Night with 14 points and 10 rebounds.  Danica Taylor had 6 caroms on the night as well, while Brooke Briggs had 3 tallies.

Beaver Local (8-7) will now turn their attention to Oak Glen on Thursday on the road to try and keep the momentum flowing.