Tag Archive for: Rams

RIDGE’S RUN ENDS

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NORWAYNE OH- Mineral Ridge came into Saturday’s round 2 matchup as one of the hottest teams in the area outscoring opponents 133-16 in the last three games. Norwayne brought the fire hose to quickly cool off the Rams and end their playoff run 55-14.

Mark Bunch finished the night for the Rams going 13 for 24 with 99 yards and 2 touchdowns. Shakir Perkins gained 35 yards on 10 carries. Mineral Ridge could only manage 177 total yards of offense.

The Rams are eliminated from the playoffs and carry a record of 4-4. They are still eligible to schedule regular season games until week 10. Stay tuned for schedule updates.

YSN VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT BREAKDOWN

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EAST PALESTINE OH- It’s finally postseason time on the volleyball courts across YSN nation! There are plenty of teams in the YSN family that have legitimate shots at long tournament runs. There are four number 1 seeds across the coverage area.

The tournaments look a little different this season, and yes it can be a bit confusing but don’t worry! We are here to clear things up. This season the regions were split into two, and each side of each region voted on seeding. In years past teams would only vote on their district, but this season they are effectively voting on two districts for seeding. Once seeded each team had the opportunity to choose between two district brackets to go into. 1 seed chose first, 2 seed second, and so on. That is why you will see a lot of these brackets have a 1 seed, and the next highest seed a 5. The brackets are separated and now area teams that would normally have to duel for a district championship might not see each other until regionals. Heres a breakdown of how each division looks about teams in the YSN family.

DIVISION IV:

Mineral Ridge was voted the one seed in their half of the region. The back to back MVAC Scarlet Champions finished the regular season at 19-2. They will play in the Northeast 2 bracket. Other teams joining them include 5 seed Columbiana, who finished the season 17-5. The Clippers are the next highest seed Ridge will have to deal with in their district. Wellsville is the 2 seed in Division IV, and they will play in the Northeast 1 bracket. Wellsville is 17-5 and owners of the EOAC crown. Joining Wellsville is Western Reserve the three seed with a record of 17-5.

Division IV first-round matchups are as follow (High Seed Hosts)

NE Bracket 1:

10/20: (6:00)

Springfield (16) vs Chalker (19)

Heartland (6) vs Valley Christian (26)

Jackson Milton (7) vs Windham (23)

10/22: (6:00)

Wellsville (2) vs Springfield/Chalker

Jackson Milton/Windham vs Heartland/Valley Christian

10/24 (4:00)

Western Reserve (3) vs Lordstown/Brookfield.

NE Bracket 2:

10/20 (6:00)

Lowellville (17) vs Warren JFK (22)

10/21 (6:00)

Columbiana (5) vs Leetonia (24)

10/22 (6:00)

Mineral Ridge (1) vs Lowellville/Warren JFK

10/24 (4:00)

Sebring (12) vs Columbiana/Leetonia

Lisbon (20) vs Newton Falls (8)/ Bloomfield.

DIVISION III

Crestview was voted the 1 seed in their side of the region. They have a record of 19-2. If you’re hoping for a rematch of last seasons district championship between Crestview and South Range, think again. South Range was voted the 5 seed and is on the opposite side of the region bracket. The Raiders and Rebels would not meet until regional finals. United is another team to watch in the tournament. Voted the 6 seed, and a bye in the first round. They come in with a record of 14-8.

Division III first-round matchups (High seed hosts)

NE Bracket 1:

10/20 (6:00)

Liberty (12) vs Conneaut (17)

South Range (5) vs Campbell (22)

10/21 (6:00)

Ursuline (10) vs Waterloo (21)

10/22 (6:00)

United (6) vs South Range/Campbell

NE Bracket 2:

10/20 (6:00)

Crestview (1) vs East Canton (23)

10/21 (6:00)

LaBrae (11) vs Mooney (16)

10/22 (6:00)

Osborne (19) vs Crestview/East Canton

10/24 (4:00)

East Palestine (7) vs LaBrae/Mooney

DIVISION II

Lakeview was voted the one seed in their side of the region in division 2. They have a record of 15-4. They are the only team in YSN coverage that’s in their bracket. Another team to watch in their region is Girard who was voted the 4 seed and is in the second district bracket. They have a record of 16-6. In a superstructure region, Beaver Local was voted the 1 seed with a record of 21-1. They will not have to deal with East Liverpool for a while, as they are on the other side of their region. The Potters were voted the 6 seed. They have a record of 13-6

District II First Round matchups (high seed hosts)

REGION 5

NE Bracket 1:

10/22 (6:00)

Lakeview (1) vs Southeast (14)/ Mogadore Field (18)

NE Bracket 2:

10/20 (6:00)

Salem (13) vs Ravenna (25)

West Branch (7) vs Chaney (26)

10/21 (6:00)

Girard (4) vs Poland (17)

REGION 6

East Bracket 1:

10/21 (6:00)

Beaver Local (1) vs Duncan Falls (14)

East Bracket 2:

10/22 (6:00)

East Liverpool (6) vs Indian Creek (5)

DIVISION I

Austintown Fitch is the highest-seeded team in the YSN family looking in division 1. They were voted as the 4 seed and have a record of 16-4. Keep an eye on Canfield who beat Fitch late in the season voted as the six seed. Their record is 17-4. Boardman is a dangerous team as well as a 15 seed and a record of 14-8.

District I First Round Matchups (High Seed Hosts)

NE Bracket 1:

10/24 (4:00)

Canfield (6) vs Uniontown Lake/Eastlake North

NE Bracket 2:

10/20 (6:00)

Boardman (15) vs Aurora (20)

NE Bracket 3:

10/22 (6:00)

Fitch (4) vs Ellet (29)/Stow (30)

Complete brackets can be found on OHSAA’s website. Stay tuned to YSN, the only place to give you extensive volleyball coverage throughout the season.

 

JERSEY GIRL

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MINERAL RIDGE OH- Mineral Ridge senior Jersey Tucker has quickly become a staple inside the Rams volleyball program. She is a full rotation player that can do it all for her team. Tucker plays fantastic defense in the back row, and also can swing with the best of them in the front row. Jersey worked hard in the summer to become a full rotation player.

She knew she had to work on her defense to be reliable in the back row. She distinctly remembers a big dig in the game against Western Reserve that helped her team take home a big victory. Moments like that make her see that al the hard work she put in was worth it. Jersey also spends time on the cheer squad. She knows the importance of support off the court from people. Mineral Ridge has one of the best student sections in the area, and this season has had to be played without them due to COVID 19. The Rams manage to keep their energy high and become their own cheering section. Jersey leads the charge and builds energy for her team.

Jersey sat down with YSN’s Anthony Hartwig. They discuss what it’s like being coached by Ron Lesko, her future goals, and much more. Ram fans get to know another senior from the back to back MVAC Champions with the latest player profile “Jersey Girl”.

Presented By

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc6La0vIEyQ[/embedyt]

RIDGE TAKES SHOWDOWN OF NUMBER ONE SEEDS

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CORTLAND OH- It was a heavyweight match up set up for Wednesday night between Mineral Ridge and Lakeview, and it did not disappoint. Mineral Ridge took a back and forth affair in 5 sets (21-25 26-24 20-25 25-20 15-13).

It took each team about a set to shake off nerves in set one, as they traded errors back and forth. Lakeview was able to come up with key plays down the stretch to escape with the set 25-21.

In set two trailing 23-24 Mineral Ridge Head coach Ron Lesko made a gutsy decision bringing in Aliyah Whitaker cold off the bench to serve for senior Jersey Tucker. It worked out nicely for the Rams as Whitaker served up clutch points to help Ridge even the match up at 1-1 with a 26-24 victory in set 2.

Lakeview responded quickly out of the gates jumping out to a 4-0 lead in set 3. Maggie Pavlansky served up the rally getting Ridge out of system. Another back and forth set eventually went to the Bulldogs and gave them a 2-1 lead in the match.

Serving errors were a problem all night for Lakeview, and they really showed up in set 4. Ridge would use it to lead most of the set and hold off a late Lakeview push to take set 4 25-20 and force a set 5.

Lakeview once again jumped out to a strong lead coming off of losing a set. The Bulldogs scored the first 3 points and led 4-1. They kept that lead all the way up to 13-9. Then, Ridge senior setter Danielle Aulet stepped up with huge serves to help the Rams end the set, and the match on a 6-0 run to win set 5 15-13.

The Rams were led by Katelyn Lesko who finished with an impressive double double  with 22 kills, and 24 digs. Danielle Aulet set up 41 assists on the night, and also totaled 21 digs to complete a double double herself. She also served up 5 aces. Morgan Sigley finished with 7 kills.

Tara Lytle led the Bulldogs with 11 kills . She also had 3 blocks, and 3 aces. Pavlansky set up 25 assists, and also served 3 aces. Brooke Schneider led in digs with 23.

Mineral Ridge closes out the season on Thursday hosting Brookfield. Lakeview now awaits tournament action where they are the 1 seed and will host the winner of Southeast vs Mogadore Field.

LET’S GO LESKO!

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MINERAL RIDGE OH- Katelyn Lesko is a staple of the Mineral Ridge offense this season. She brings strong attacking, and a fast arm swing to her game which makes her extremely hard to slow down. She is a part of every opponent’s game plan.

What goes beyond her stat sheet however, is her leadership and work ethic. Lesko did not wake up one day and automatically find herself one of the best hitters in the area. It took tremendous work, and a whole lot of reps. She gets plenty of swings in the offseason playing club volleyball. It is crucial to a players development and growth to play in the offseason. Katelyn’s experience is invaluable. Lesko’s volleyball experience puts her in a great position to be a leader to the younger girls on the team. She is someone who players can come to for advice on how to improve their game. Katelyn is almost like an extra coach on the court.

This season so far Katelyn has collected 205 kills. She also plays fantastic defense as she currently has 166 digs. That ranks first on the team in kills, and second on the team in digs. She also has served up 43 aces which is also second on the team.

Anthony Hartwig caught up with Katelyn to talk about her senior season. They discuss her leadership qualities, what its like being coached by her dad, and much more. Rams fans can learn all about their star hitter in the latest player profile “Let’s Go Lesko!”

Presented By

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0NRB8PKmoI[/embedyt]

RAMS STAY ON FIRE AGAINST LOWELLVILLE

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MINERAL RIDGE OH- Coming Off their big win in week 5 of them undefeated Jackson Milton, Mineral Ridge kept rolling with another dominating victory over Lowellville 48-8. Ridge jumped ahead early and never looked back.

Shakir Perkins ran the ball 11 times and still gained 101 yards while punching it in the end zone 4 times. Mark Bunch threw the ball accurately for the Rams. He went 8-15 for 149 yards and a touchdown. Mineral Ridge’s defense forced 5 Rocket turnovers.

Vinny Ballone finished with 44 yards on 12 carries. He also went 9-30 with a touchdown as the Rockets struggled all night in the game.

Mineral Ridge will host Wellington in round 1 of the OHSAA playoffs on Friday. Lowellville will also host a first round game on Friday as they’ll play host to Valley Christian.

AULET GETS 2,000 RIDGE TAKES CONTROL OF MVAC

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BERLIN CENTER OH- There was a lot on the line Thursday night in the match between Western Reserve and Mineral Ridge. The winner would control their own fate in the hunt for a MVAC title. The Blue Devils could pull even with the Rams with a win. Ridge could put plenty of distance between them and Reserve if they won. Also, Rams senior setter was in search of her 2000th career assist. It all worked out the way the Rams wanted as they swept the Blue Devils, and Aulet reached her career milestone (25-22 25-17 25-22).

It was noticeable right away how much was on the line for both these teams. The first set was fierce. No lead got above two for a large portion of the set. Emotions ran high on some controversial calls, players on both sides were diving all over the court to get balls up in the air. You could feel the desire to win in the air. Even the 15% capacity crowd made their presence felt. In the end, the big difference in the game was unforced errors by the Blue Devils. They totaled 18 attack errors, and 7 service errors. Mineral Ridge only made 4 attack errors. Even in the two sets that were tightly contested, Reserve couldn’t make the last push because of mistakes. That being said they still lost two of the three sets by a combined 6 points. With all the errors, the fact that still remained competitive is a testament to their team.

In the second set, Aulet earned her 2,000th career assist on a kill by Morgan Sigley.

Sigley led the Rams with 10 kills. Katelyn Lesko still has a strong night totaling 8 kills. Megan Gerberry led the Rams in digs with 13. Jersey Tucker who came up with two late clutch kills down the stretch, including the one that ended the match also was in double digit digs with 10. Aulet finished with 29 assists.

Dani Vuletich led the Blue Devils with 8 kills and 4 blocks. Alyvia Hughes also tallied 8 kills from the outside. Gianna Paris recorded a double double for the Devils, finishing with 20 assists, and 12 digs.

Mineral Ridge will look to stay unbeaten in the league on Tuesday as they host Waterloo. Western Reserve will try to bounce back as they host Lowellville on Tuesday.

RAMS TRAMPLE SEBRING

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SEBRING OH- Mineral Ridge bounced back from a tough loss to Boardman Saturday as they got back to league play on Tuesday and had no trouble with Sebring.

With the conference victory the Lady Rams improved to a season record of 12-2 and a conference record of 9-0. The Lady Rams were led by Morgan Sigley with 9 kills and 5 aces, Danielle Aulet with 21 assists and 15 digs and Jersey Tucker with 4 kills and 1 block. Sebring was led by Emma Whaley with 35 digs, Blake Thomas with 5 kills and Aebi D’ostroph with 5 assists. Sebring is now 9-6 on the season.

The Lady Rams get back to action on Thursday as they travel to Western Reserve. That game will be live on YSN.

*Contributed By Ron Lesko at ramsathletics.org

RAMS ROLL THROUGH SEBRING

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MINERAL RIDGE OH- The Rams kept their win streak going on Thursday with a competitive sweep against Sebring (25-15 25-22 25-19).

With the conference victory the Lady Rams improved to a season record of 11-1 and a conference record of 8-0. The Rams were led by Jersey Tucker with 9 kills and 11 digs, Danielle Aulet with 24 assists and Hannah Loeb with 4 blocks.

The Rams now look forward to big test on Saturday morning as they travel to Boardman to take on the Spartans

*Contributed By Ron Lesko at ramsathletics.org

RIDGE SCORCHES PAST VIKINGS

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ATWATER OH- The Rams traveled to Atwater tonight to face the Waterloo Vikings.

The Rams controlled possession and play for most of the game. Rams’ center mid Audri Gaydosh would setup Ethan Smallsreed with a nice through pass for the opening goal just a minute and a half into the game. 6 minutes later Nate Colburn would find Smallsreed for goal #2. With 9 minutes remaining in the 1st half, Rams’ center back Brayden Lowe would play a long ball over the top. Seth Steward would beat the Vikings Keeper to the ball for goal #3. With 5 minutes remaining Ethan Smallsreed would cross the ball to the backside of goal for a waiting Emma Prusky who would score goal #4. Rams’ Keeper Landon Pal would have 2 saves in the 1st half.

The 2nd half would be a bit disjointed as younger players got some field time but the Rams would still control the majority of play and keep the Vikings off the score sheet. With 30 seconds left in the game, the Vikings Keeper would play a short pass from a goal kick to his outside back. Branden Testa, playing left wing for the Rams, would pressure the ball and win it. His quick strike would give the Rams a total of 5 goals. The Rams’ back line led by Seniors Isaiah Kelly, Brayden Lowe, Talia Clarke and Bella Maglis would prove strong enough to withstand the few Viking attacks and secure the Rams a shutout. The Rams defeat the Vikings 5-0 and travel to Southeast High School on Thursday for a 6pm match against the Pirates.

*Contributed By Ted Gaydosh at ramsathletics.org