CANTON OH- Struthers came into the Eric Snow Classic in Canton with an 11-1 record and high hopes. However, they were cut down by a 4-13 Lake team 71-56.
Struthers led 19-18 after the first frame, but Lake used a huge second quarter to storm ahead of the Cats, and never looked back from there.
The upset moves Struthers down to 11-2. They were led by Trey Metzka with 14 points.
Struthers looks to bounce back as they return to league play Tuesday hosting Lakeview.
POLAND OH- Poland faced rival Struthers on the 4th game of their homestand. Struthers would avenge their only loss on the season with a win against Poland tonight. Jared Lacsko had 12 points in the game for the Cats while Adam Kassem had 12 for the Bulldogs. Struthers wins a close one, 36-35.
Struthers took the lead by the end of the first quarter with the help of Aldan Slocum and Lacsko who both contributed with 4 points. In the second quarter, Struthers and Poland would trade the lead throughout the quarter but Struthers had a 19-18 lead at halftime. Carson Ryan led the Wildcats in points by halftime while Michael Cougras had 9 for the Dogs. All of Poland’s points came from 3 point shots by this point in the game.
The Wildcats had a 5 point lead by the end of the third quarter. Struthers was paced Lacsko who had 10 points going into the final quarter. The game came down to the final minute in order to find a winner but it was the Wildcats who came away with the victory 36-35. Poland(9-5) will face South Range on January 28th on YSNLIVE.COM/TEAM/POLAND. Struthers(11-1) will face Lakeview on YSNLIVE.COM/TEAM/STRUTHERS.
*Story contributed by YSN’s Anthony Melone
RICHMOND, OH- It was a steady takeover for sophomore Alysea Fiedorczyk on Monday as she and her teammates were able to hold off Conotton Valley 47-45 in an absolute thriller.
The Lady Wildcats were led by Fiedorczyk’s 22 points but had to rally after halftime in order to get the win. Edison trailed by 7 at the break but was able to have a big second half with efforts from fellow sophomore’s Savanna Ankrom and Alayna Meadows who scored 8 apiece as well.
Edison (6-11) will now look to travel to Martins Ferry on Thursday.
The Poland Lady Bulldogs were business as usual Thursday night as they beat Struthers 59-39.
In the first half Poland quickly grabbed a ten point lead 14-4 but struggled to push the lead fifth than that. Struthers did a good job staying around and keeping their deficit at eight or ten throughout the first half. Poland put in a few buckets before the break though to make it 31-17 going into the half.
Poland started the third quarter on a 10-0 run and grabbed control of the game. Jackie Grisdale got going as she scored 15 points in the second half to help Poland propel forward. Poland also did a great job on the boards as they had four players with at least 4 rebounds. Morgan Kluchar led that category with 8.
Jackie Grisdale led the way with 24 points 6 rebounds for Poland.
Emma Elia led Struthers with 14.
Poland returns to action Saturday as they travel to Mooney.
EAST LIVERPOOL, OH- One of the biggest threats in the area just got a little bit stronger with the emergence of a new star. The East Liverpool Potters have been known to have big nights on the floor from the likes of their thousand point scorer, Tresean Jackson, and fellow bucket-filler, “The Real Deal” Timmy Neal. Now, you can add another head to that monster as senior Brennan O’Hara had his Potter Party on Friday night in a big victory over Buckeye 8 opponent, Edison, 75-47.
O’Hara went off to the tune of 19 points and 5 helpers. This coming just a week after sitting out the Steubenville game for health reasons. Izaiah Browning had 17 points for the Blue Machine that included 5 splashes from beyond the arc. Tresean Jackson would lead all scorers with 21 points, and Timmy Neal would chip in a dozen for the 6-2 Potters.
For Edison, Andrew Pugh led the way with 12 points while Jayden Sanders had 11.
The Potters have a huge Buckeye 8 matchup coming up on Tuesday in hostile territory. East Liverpool will face off against rival Beaver Local in the Beaver Den, that game will be on YSN, but tickets are still available but will be sure to be a sellout.
The Wildcats will turn their attention to Buckeye Local on Tuesday at home.
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.
CANFIELD OH- The South Range Raiders returned home on Monday night to host Struthers. In a game full of runs, the Raiders has the final say in a decisive 54-35 win over the Wildcats.
The Raiders started fast. Izzy Lamparty scores the first 7 points of the game and got the Raiders out front. The score was 13-3 when Struthers finally found their rhythm. They went on a 7-0 run themselves to get within 3. With the score now 13-10 the Raiders pushed back. They pushed ahead 19-10 towards the halfway point of the 2nd frame. The Wildcats would not be denied though and eventually tied the game up 22-22. A late bucket would give the Raiders a 24-22 edge at the break.
Out the half the Raiders once again but together a stretch that made it seem like they were going to grab control of the game. But once again the Wildcats faught and clawed to stay within striking distance. They trailed by just three after the third quarter 34-31.
In what coach Jeff Fishel describes as “the best quarter we’ve played all year” the Raiders finally took control of the game in the final frame. They outscored the Wildcats 20-4 in the quarter to make what was a close game all night end in a lopsided fashion 54-35.
The Raiders were led on offense by Izzy Lamparty who recorded a double-double with 24 points 13 rebounds. Lexi Giles was also in double figures with 14 points. Gabby Lamparty finished with 10.
Emma Elia led Struthers with 14 points.
The Raiders get back to work Wednesday as they host Boardman.
STRUTHERS, OH- In a back and forth game full of momentum shifts, it was a big finish from Struthers that proved to be the narrative on Saturday as the Wildcats pushed past Warren JFK 77-56. It was a big win to start the season for Struthers, as JFK looks to be a possible state contender in their respective division.
Struthers started out hot leading by 13 after two quarters, but the Eagles found their legs in the second half bringing the game within one point in the third. It just wasn’t enough as the Wildcats would rally around a dunk by Trey Metzka which would provide a spark for The Cats on the floor.
Metzka led the charge for Struthers with 22 points, while Carson Ryan finished with 15.
For JFK, Gabe Green drained five from beyond the arc on his way to 21 points. Cam Hollobaugh added 11 points, and TJ Harden supplemented the scoring with 8 of his own.
Struthers (1-0) takes their opener and will now look to enter Richard Berryman Gymnasium on the campus of Columbiana High School on Tuesday to take on the Clippers. Warren JFK (1-1) will host Ursuline at the Eagles Nest on Tuesday at 7pm.
Defense was the story of the night for Poland. They got their first NE8 win Thursday night over Struthers 50-40.
Poland still is trying to find a solid rhythm in their young season. Lucky for them they have a suffocating defense to hold teams down while they find it. In the first three-quarters of the game, the highest-scoring frame for Struthers was 10. And in the first and third quarters they were held to 2, and 3 respectfully.
On the offensive side of the Ball, the Bulldogs got started quickly with 8 fast points. But then they stalled for a bit as the first quarter bled into the second. Poland’s perimeter game was not as on as it was earlier in the week vs Champion. Poland went 2/11 from three point land on the night. That didn’t stop sophomore Morgan Kluchar from having a great night on the glass. She led the team in rebounds with 10. Helping Poland limit Struthers to one opportunity, and giving them some extra opportunities on the other side. Poland rebounded well as a team totaling in 26, with 4 players having at least 5. The Poland lead was 40-15 in the 4th quarter before a majority of the varsity starters subbed out. Struthers made a fierce rally to close the gap, but Poland still came away with the 50-40 win.
Jackie Grisdale led the Bulldog charge with 14 points. Kailyn Brown had a strong night with 8 points and 6 rebounds.
Emma Elia finished with a game high 19 for Struthers.
Poland returns to action Monday as they host South Range.
CANFIELD, OH- The Struthers girls basketball program tipped off their season Friday night with a big road test traveling to Canfield. The Wildcats fell 61-39.
Canfield had a monster first quarter leading 26-7. Struthers could not recover from the early deficit.
Emma Elia led the Lady Cats with a strong 15 point performance. Chloe Neider added 8.
The Wildcats return to action Monday as they open their home schedule hosting Champion.