Tag Archive for: Poland

POLAND ALL SMILES IN WIN OVER LIBERTY

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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.

WILDCATS, BULLDOGS, AND COUGRAS, OH MY; POLAND WINS OT THRILLER

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STRUTHERS, OH- For many, Struthers Fieldhouse will forever be remembered for the events that have been hosted in its time, but on Friday night, the historic building served as home to another set of memories for many as Poland and Struthers played in an instant classic inside the CatHouse.  Poland rallied to force overtime and later prevailed on a Michael Cougras layup that sealed a 57-56 NE8 victory.

This was Struthers’ first loss of the season.

Cougras would finish with 19- a game-high on either side of the sideline, while teammate Adam Kassem supplemented with a dozen points.

For Struthers, Brandon Washington and Carson Ryan continued to be steady for the Wildcats.  Ryan led the way with 15, while Washington had 13.  Week 2 YSN/Baird Brothers Big Dog of the Valley, Trey Metzka had 8.

Poland (4-2) will now host Lakeview on Tuesday, while Struthers (6-1) will host South Range.  Both games will be available on YSN if you can’t make it in person.

 

THE THUNDERING HERD

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Lizzy Herdman is one of the new faces to a Lady Bulldog team that returns four out of five starters from the 2018 season. Lizzy’s position was not handed to her. She has worked her way up in the program over the last two seasons. Putting her time in on the JV level and constantly growing. That time is something Coach Blanch respects in a player. Herdman doesn’t have the need of instant gratification, she understands everything has to be earned. Coming in to this summer she was determined to take her place at the varsity level. The coaching staff saw pretty quickly how much of an asset Herdman was going to be. She was rewarded a starting role and in the first game of the season, she showed she belonged by leading the team in rebounds against a physical Champion squad. Lizzy still isn’t satisfied with just getting to start, she says her personal goal as the season goes on is to become more of an offensive impact for her team. She also understands that now as a junior she needs to be a leader of this team. Strong leadership has been a pin of the program over the years and Herdman is determined to continue that trend. It’s been a long time coming for this junior, she’s been building her skills and waiting for her time. Now nothing can stop the thundering herd from dominating down low. 

Anthony Hartwig went down to Poland to talk to Lizzy. They discuss earning her new spot, what she expects from herself going forward, and much more. Get your fix of Lady Bulldog basketball with the latest Player Profile The Thundering Herd.

CARDINALS CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR POLAND

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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.

JACKIE OF ALL TRADES

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Jackie Grisdale is the definition of someone who can do it all. She is on pace to receive 20 varsity letters when her career at Poland is over. That would be a school record. But the question remains how does Jackie avoid fatigue. She says she’s never really had to deal with it. She handles the small breaks she gets, and makes sure her body is always well rested. A true example of an all around athlete. 

As far as basketball season goes, Jackie came in knowing she’d be asked to do more than she was a season ago. She worked all summer on her ball handling and court awareness. As a captain on the team she is also being asked to become a stronger leader on the floor than ever before. As a daughter of coaches, understanding the game has never been a problem for Jackie. She  uses her strong knowledge of the game to strengthen her leadership abilities. She gets her teammates in the best position to score. 

Anthony Hartwig traveled to Poland to catch up with Jackie and talk about her multi sport ability, new leadership tools, and much more. Learn all about one of the Lady Bulldog captain in the latest Player Profile Jackie of All Trades.

POLAND GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP5 WITH NICK BLANCH)

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Since we’ve last talked to coach Blanch, the Poland Lady Bulldogs continued their domination of the NE8 with a win on the road vs Jefferson. They followed that up with a tough loss at Warren Harding. That loss snapped a 31 regular season game winning streak. 

Now for the first time in a while the Bulldogs have to bounce back after a loss. Coach Blanch says Christmas Break could not have come at a better time. 

Anthony Hartwig traveled down to Poland to catch up with Coach Blanch to talk about the loss, reflecting on the streak, and much more. Get your fill of Lady Bulldog Basketball with Episode 5 of Coach’s Corner with Nick Blanch.

POLANDS INCREDIBLE STREAK ENDS IN WARREN

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Coming in to the day the Poland Lady Bulldogs has not won 31 straight regular season games. They had not lost a game in the regular season since January 27th, 2018 at Struthers. Warren Harding brought it all to an end beating the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon 48-39.

The Raiders set the tone early as they scored the first 9 points of the game putting Poland in an early hole. The Bulldogs did a good job to stable themselves after that, not letting the lead balloon, but they couldn’t find a way to chip in to the Raider lead in the first half. Poland was getting some quality looks but just couldn’t knock them down. Missing one of their best rebounders in Lizzy Herdman due to an illness, the Bulldogs struggled to get second chance opportunities. They went into the locker room trailing 30-18.

At the break Poland made some defensive adjustments and they worked marvelously. The Raiders could not get any solid looks from the floor as the Dogs slowly but surely ate away at the deficit as the second half went on. Jackie Grisdale and Brooke Bonney both hit some timely shots from the perimeter to storm Poland back. The Bulldogs got the game to 41-39 late in the fourth quarter. The Dogs had the ball in their hands but just couldn’t find a timely shot. The Raiders defense locked down the final two minutes of the game, and they hit seven free throws to solidify their 48-39 victory.

Jackie Grisdale led the Bulldogs in scoring with 12 points. Brooke Bobbey was also in double figures with 10.

Poland returns to action after a week off next Saturday as they host Canfield.

POLAND DOGS GIRARD

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POLAND, OH- Poland was in search of their first home win of the young season after beating South Range earlier in the week. Zach Kassem and the Bulldogs were able to find victory against the Girard Indians. The Bulldogs played tough man to man defense and only allowed 12 points in the first half.  Zach Kassem had over 11 points in the game along with Michael Cougras who added an 11 more in the winning effort.

First Quarter was all Poland with the Bulldogs only allowing 4 points in the opening quarter. Kassem had 8 points as Poland held a lead of 12-4. Second-quarter was assisted by a host of players off the bench including Bryce Barringer who helped to increase the Bulldog lead. The quarter was highlighted by a last-second buzzer-beater 3 pointer by Andrew Centofanti.
In the third quarter, the Indians would add some much-needed offense thanks to Christian Graziano’s aggressiveness. He finished the night with double digits in points. Michael Cougras would increase the Poland lead in the third, however. A few field goals by Cougras gave the Bulldogs a commanding lead. In the final quarter, the bench of Poland got some extended minutes and assisted in picking up the first victory at home for the Bulldogs. They beat the Indians 64-33.
Cougras finished with 13 and led the Bulldogs, but there were 11 players in all that contributed to Poland on the night.
For Girard, Christian Graziano led the way with 8 points.
Poland (2-1) will face Boardman on December 27th. Girard(2-5) will face Niles Mckinley in the new year.
*Story contributed by YSN’s Anthony Melone

GRISDALE LEADS POLAND PAST JEFFERSON

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The Poland Lady Bulldogs kept on rolling Thursday night with a 42-24 victory over Jefferson.

Poland started in a hole trailing Jefferson 16-11 after one quarter, but their defense locked down after that only allowing eight points the rest of the game. That helped them cruise to a 42-24 win in Jefferson.

Jackie Grisdale shines with 22 points.

Poland returns to action Saturday as they travel to Warren Harding.

POLAND GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH’S CORNER (EP 4 WITH NICK BLANCH)

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It’s been a couple weeks since we got to catch up with Coach Blanch, and it’s been a busy week for the Bulldogs.  They’ve gone through a tough schedule unscathed and are sitting at on the season. With wins over South Range, Girard, and Boardman things are looking pretty good in Poland. Coach Blanch sees a lot of room for improvement among the success his team has enjoyed this year. They keep looking to take it one game at a time as they trek forward into games against Jefferson and Warren Harding. 

Anthony Hartwig headed down to Poland to get the scoop from Coach Blanch. They discuss the week that was, the upcoming games, and much more. Don’t miss the newest episode of Coach’s Corner with Nick Blanch.