Tag Archive for: STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

THE EASY WAY, AND THE CONAWAY

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MINERAL RIDGE, OH- Mineral Ridge’s own rising basketball star, 8th grader Kadence Conaway, sat down with YSN’s DJ Yokley at the Post Office Pub to discuss her impressive athletic achievements and aspirations for the future.

Conaway boasts an outstanding record of 18 wins and 14 undefeated games in the league, with a back-to-back championship under her belt from 7th grade. Looking toward high school, she candidly expresses excitement and nerves about the heightened competition but is committed to working hard to elevate her game.

When asked about her strengths and areas of improvement, Conaway highlighted her proficiency in driving to the hoop and emphasized the need for more confidence and skill in ball handling. With a strong sense of teamwork and a deep understanding of her teammates’ playing styles, this young athlete prides herself on her ability to read the court and anticipate her teammates’ movements.

Expressing her love for the sport, Conaway revealed her dreams of playing college basketball, inspired by her favorite player, Caitlin Clark. Her cherished memories of celebrating victories with her team and family display her passion for the sport and the close bonds formed through their shared success.

With family at the core of her support system, Conaway acknowledges her dad’s coaching influence and her mom’s mentorship in perfecting plays. As she looks ahead to the future, this determined athlete is focused on making further strides in high school and continuing to chase her basketball dreams.

As the interview concluded, Conaway expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming summer ball and future endeavors, leaving the Mineral Ridge community eager to witness her continued growth on the court.

Kadence Conaway’s unwavering dedication and talent undoubtedly position her as a standout prospect for future basketball success.

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LUKE-WARM RECEPTION

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CANFIELD, OH-  In today’s episode, we have a special guest joining us, none other than Luke Starkey from the South Range High School football team.

Luke’s journey has been filled with ups and downs, starting with a devastating injury that left him sidelined last year. But through perseverance and unwavering support from his family, Luke has made a remarkable comeback.

As we dive into his story, we’ll explore the challenges he faced during his recovery, the motivation that fueled him, and the defining moments that made him the player he is today. Join us as we get a glimpse into the life of Luke Starkey, a rising star on the South Range team.

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MARINELLI MAKES IT HAPPEN

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AUSTINTOWN, OH- In this episode, we explore the world of high school football as we sit down with Sergio Marinelli, the outside linebacker of the Austin Town Fitch Falcons.

We dive deep into Sergio’s upbringing and the role that his family plays in his life. From his hardworking father to his soccer-playing brother, we learn about the values and work ethic that have shaped Sergio into the player he is today.

Join us as we discuss Sergio’s journey as the heart of the team, his love for hitting on the field, and his iconic flowing hair.

We also touch on the upcoming game against Central Valley and the Ohio-Pennsylvania border battle. Tune in and get ready for some inspiring stories and football insights in this exciting episode Player Profile!

 

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MAKING A STATEMENT; RAIDERS TO STATE

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CLYDE, OH- Raider Nation traveled two and a half hours in order to watch history be made on Friday night.  South Range punched their ticket to the OHSAA State Championship for the first time ever with a convincing 35-0 win over Liberty Center in the semis.

South Range scored in every frame, including 14 in the second stanza, and limited the Tiger offense to just 123 yards all game, with 106 of those yards coming in the second half.

The Raiders got on the board in the first when Billy Skripac connected with Ayden Leon from 52 yards out to put them ahead 7-0.  On the next possession, Skripac found Shane Lindstrom from 53 yards out to push the lead to 14.  The following drive, a long connection downfield would set up a  Skripac plunge into the endzone to put the Raiders up 3 scores at the half,

South Range would come out and Ayden Leon would take over the game, catching another pair of touchdown passes from 6 yards, and then the dagger with just over five minutes remaining from 47 down the right sideline.

The Raiders finished with 331 yards of offense with 263 coming through the air.  South Range would also have possession of the pigskin for 28:22 in the game and punched 16 first downs along the way.

Billy Skripac had his most attempts of the season, completing 14 of 18 passes for 263 yards and 4 scores through the air, and another on the ground where he also led the rushing attack with 10 attempts for 31 yards.  Aidan Dominguez had 21 yards on 6 carries, and Blake Ewert had 10 carries for 12 yards.

Ayden Leon led the air attack with 9 catches, 151 yards, and a trio of trips to the endzone.  Shane Lindstrom had 4 snags for 103 yards and a score.

Lindstrom also led the way on defense with 8 tackles, while Bailey Ryan plugged up the gaps for 7, and Jake Starkey and Tyler Remish held down the middle with 7.5 combined stops.  Barry Pitzer added 3 solos, and Tristan Toy locked things down twice.

South Range (15-0) will now play in the State Championship against Ironton, who completed a comeback victory over Valley View on Friday to punch their ticket.  Ironton was heavily regarded as the Division V favorite coming into the 2022 season.

You can catch ALL the action and talk throughout the week on YSN, and the Championship Game LIVE on Friday from Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on YSN- Pregame to Begin at 10am, kickoff at 10:30.

DORION GETS IT DONE

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH – Hayden Dorion joined Steve Leslie for an exclusive state championship preview edition of the Ursuline Irish player profile series this season. Hayden is the senior leader on the offensive line for the Irish this year. He talks about the maturity of what it takes to lead this group of linemen throughout the season, what he wants to achieve this season, what his plans are for the future after high school football, and much more. Hayden also discusses the state championship game this week as the Irish will take on Clinton-Massie this Friday morning at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio!

Take some time to check out this very special player profile brought to you by Baird Brothers fine hardwood!

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URSULINE FOOTBALL COACH’S CORNER (STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW) WITH DAN REARDON

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YOUNGSTOWN, OH – The Ursuline Fighting Irish are back in the state championship game this season as head coach Dan Reardon has the boys playing their best football of the season! The Irish have battled their way through the playoffs including a 34-17 victory over Port Clinton in the state semi finals last week. Ursuline will take on Clarksville. Clinton-Massie in the championship game that will take place on Friday, December 3rd at 10:30am at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio!

YSN’s own, Steve Leslie, had the opportunity to talk to Coach Reardon this week via video chat to discuss the impressive display of football in the state semi finals last week, what the Irish need to do to take care of business against Clinton-Massie, what some keys to the game this week will be as Ursuline will look to bring the championship trophy back home to Youngstown, and so much more!

This week’s episode of Ursuline Irish football coach’s corner with head coach, Dan Reardon, is LIVE!

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RAIDERS CANT TURN THE TIDES IN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

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AKRON OH- Momentum is a very real element of sports, and that was never more evident than in Sunday’s Division III State Championship game that saw South Range lose their grip of the game and fall to Fairview 10-0 in 6 innings.

The game started innocently enough, Bree Kohler worked around a 2 out single in the first, and on offense the Raiders hit a couple of hard hit balls for outs in a 1-2-3 inning. However, in the second inning the tides of the game would start to shift. An error opened the frame, and it appeared the Raiders might avoid it costing them, but a pair of two out hits would spark Fairview’s high powered offense and put them up 2-0.

The Raiders had what might have been their best scoring opportunity in the bottom of the inning. A pair of singles put two on with two outs. However, Fairview locked down the third out on a lazy infield pop up.

The Apache would grab full control of the game with a 4 run explosion in the 3rd. The inning opened with three straight hits, and then Fairview showed off their ability for situational hitting with some RBI groundouts. By the end of the 3rd, the Fairview fan base was rocking Firestone stadium.

Gretchen Bartels gave the Raiders their last gasp of life with a lead off double in the bottom of the third. A golden chance for the Raiders to respond. But to the Apache’s credit their defense once again locked down with runners on base. The same defense that made 5 errors in their state semifinal win over Wheelersburg played like a team of gold gloves in the championship.

The Raiders earned their second state runner up trophy in the program’s history. They tied the program record for most wins in a season with 30. For the first time, the Raiders earned a NE8 championship. They say goodbye to seniors Bree Kohler and Jillian Strecansky, but the horizon still looks bright for South Range.

MCDONALD STATE TITLE RUN COMES UP SHORT

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DAYTON, OH – The day everyone in the McDonald family has dreamt of for years is finally here! Head coach Tony Matisi, assistant coaches Mike Kollar and Sara Joseph, and the entire Lady Blue Devils basketball team has worked hard for countless hours all year for this moment. The Lady Blue Devils took the floor at 10:45am on Saturday morning against the #1 AP ranked, Fort Loramie Redskins in the division four state championship game.

From the opening tip Fort Loramie jumped out quick on the Lady Blue Devils as they went up 17-2 at the end of the first as they turned McDonald over 8 times in the quarter. Molly Howard was able to connect for McDonald’s basket as Ava Sholtis and Dana Rose both had 4 points in the quarter for Fort Loramie.

The second quarter saw Fort Loramie turn up their fast break as they were able to get out and run the floor on McDonald as they increased their lead to 30-12. The Lady Blue Devils however saw some of their shots begin to fall which was able to give them some confidence and optimism going into the halftime break. Fort Loramie shot. 61% form the field and 66.9% from three in the first half. McDonald shot 35.7% from the field, 0% from beyond the arc, and 66.7% from the free throw line. Fort Loramie led the turnover battle in the first half as they forced 11 turnovers compared to McDonald forcing 5.

Fort Loramie was led by Dana Rose with 9 points and Ava Sholtis with 6 points and 4 rebounds. The McDonald Lady Blue Devils scoring was broken up by Molly Howard with 4 points, Taylor Tuchek with 4 points, Maddy Howard with 2 points, and Sophia Costantino with 2 points and 2 rebounds.

Coming out of the halftime intermission, McDonald gave it everything they had but unfortunately, Fort Loramie was just too strong on both sides of the floor. The Redskins picked up the intensity as they went on to win the quarter 19-9 en route to a 28 point lead at the end of the third quarter. At the end of the third quarter, Fort Loramie was shooting 64% from the field and 80% from three, whereas, McDonald was shooting 31% from the field. Taylor Tuchek led the Lady Blue Devils in scoring with 9 points. Fort Loramie was led by Dana Rose with 12 points and Kenzie Hoelscher with 10 points.

The final quarter saw the Lady Blue Devils fight until the final horn sounded as they never gave up and pieced a little run of they own together before ultimately falling 60-26 to the Fort Loramie Redskins.

The McDonald Lady Blue Devils were led by Molly Howard with 10 points and 4 rebounds. Taylor Tuchek added 9 points and 2 rebounds, Maddy Howard ended up having 4 points, and Sophia Costantino finished the game with 2 points.

Fort Loramie was led by Dana Rose with 13 points and Kenzie Hoelscher with 12 points.

The McDonald Lady Blue Devils finished the season at 24-3 as Division 4 State Runners Up!

11U: BOARDMAN DEFEATS HAMILTON, BRINGS HOME STATE TITLE

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CAMBRIDGE, OH- It took every ounce of grit that Boardman had left, but when the dust settled, the Spartans were left holding the title for the 11U State Championship in Ohio.

BCB got out to a five-run lead in the second inning and held on for a 5-4 victory over West Side Hamilton on Sunday. Hamilton tallied four runs in the failed comeback. Hunter Thomas, and Austin Payne fueled the rally with RBIs.

BCB earned the victory despite allowing Hamilton to score three runs in the fifth inning. Hunter Thomas and Austin Payne each had RBIs in the frame.

Collin Resetar earned the victory on the pitcher’s mound for BCB. He allowed six hits and four runs over six innings, striking out 11.  A gem by all standards.

Jackson Taylor was on the hill for West Side Hamilton. He went six innings, allowing five runs on ten hits, striking out six and walking zero.

Boardman tallied ten hits in the game. Vince Butto and Ryan Smith each had multiple hits for BCB. Smith and Butto each collected two hits to lead the team.

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11U: NOTHING BUT A.G. THING: BOARDMAN PUNCHES TICKET TO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

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CAMBRIDGE, OH- You could almost hear Boardman exhale as the fifth inning completed. The Boardman 11u All Stars snagged a late lead and defeated Cambridge 5-3 on Friday. The game was tied at three with BCB batting in the top of the fifth when Ryan Smith doubled on a 2-2 count, scoring one run.

Boardman earned the victory despite allowing Cambridge to score three runs in the first inning. Mason Gregg and Izeyah Burnett each had RBIs in the big inning.

Boardman fired up the offense in the first inning. The Spartans scored one run when Anthony Groner singled.

Cambridge 11u knotted the game up at three in the bottom of the first inning. Burnett drove in two when he singled.

Anthony Groner led the maroon and white to victory on the hill. He allowed five hits and three runs over six innings, striking out 11.

Garrett Cartwright toed the rubber for Cambridge 11u. He surrendered five runs on seven hits over five innings, striking out seven and walking one.

Anthony Groner led BCB  with two hits in three at-bats.  Alex Battaglia had 2 RBI to kickstart the Spartan offense in the first. Boardman didn’t commit a single error in the field. Collin Resetar had five chances in the field, the most on the team, as well as a game-saving stab at first base that ended the Cambridge threat.

Boardman now awaits the winner of the Semi-Final game from the elimination bracket.  The State Championship will be played Sunday at 10am exclusively on YSN.

 

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