Hubbard Eagles soar past Ravenna Ravens in Division IV sectional

Senior-led Hubbard squad advances to district semifinals after decisive second-half performance

Published on Feb. 28, 2026

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The Hubbard Eagles overcame a slow start to defeat the Ravenna Ravens 63-46 in the Division IV, Northeast 2 sectional final on Friday. After trailing by four points at halftime, Hubbard made key adjustments on both offense and defense, led by seniors Braydon Songer and Jakob Hayes, to pull away in the second half. The 11th-seeded Eagles will now face a tough challenge against second-seed Norton in the district semifinals on Tuesday.

Why it matters

Hubbard's victory showcases the team's resilience and experience, as the senior-laden squad was able to regroup and dominate the second half after a sluggish start. The win also sets up an intriguing district semifinal matchup against a formidable Norton squad, highlighting the competitive nature of the Division IV tournament.

The details

Hubbard trailed Ravenna 25-21 at halftime, but a fiery timeout from coach Ryan Fitch sparked the team to make key adjustments. The Eagles focused on better shot selection, taking care of the ball, and containing Ravenna's top scorer C.J. Ross. Hubbard's senior leaders, Braydon Songer (21 points) and Jakob Hayes (19 points), then led the charge as the team pulled away in the second half.

  • The sectional final took place on Friday, February 28, 2026.
  • Hubbard will face Norton in the district semifinals on Tuesday, March 4, 2026 at 7 p.m.

The players

Braydon Songer

A four-year letterwinner for Hubbard, Songer led the team with 21 points in the sectional final victory.

Jakob Hayes

A two-year letterwinner for Hubbard, Hayes scored 19 points to support Songer's effort.

C.J. Ross

Ravenna's leading scorer, who was held under double figures by Hubbard's defense.

Ryan Fitch

Hubbard's head coach, who made key halftime adjustments that sparked the team's second-half surge.

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What they’re saying

“Offensively some of our shot selections were terrible. We just took too many quick shots. We weren't jump-stopping once we broke the pressure, jumping in the air, a little bit too many turnovers, loose with the ball. We just talked about coming out in the second half. We talked about getting better, more patient on offense, getting better shots.”

— Ryan Fitch, Head Coach, Hubbard (tribtoday.com)

“Defensively, we talked about (Ravenna's C.J.) Ross. He's a really good player, was the Player of the Year in their conference. He's a legit player. We talked about making sure our help side was a little bit farther over to make that driving lane not look so open. A couple times we got him to give up the ball when I thought maybe he was going to go (to the hoop). Anytime you get the ball out of his hands, we'll be better off.”

— Ryan Fitch, Head Coach, Hubbard (tribtoday.com)

“It does help when you've got (experienced) guys out there. (Kenyen Franklin) and Songer are four-year letterwinners. Jakob (Hayes) and Anthony Clark are two-year letterwinners. Dylan (BuCher) is a two-year letterwinner now after this year. We have enough experience that we're not going to go out and get totally rattled in a game like that.”

— Ryan Fitch, Head Coach, Hubbard (tribtoday.com)

What’s next

Hubbard will face second-seed Norton in the district semifinals on Tuesday, March 4, 2026 at 7 p.m. Coach Fitch expects a tough challenge, as Norton has a balanced squad that can penetrate and shoot well, so the Eagles will need to focus on containing the dribble-drive and contesting the Bulldogs' shooters.

The takeaway

Hubbard's resilient comeback victory showcases the value of experienced, senior leadership, as the Eagles were able to regroup and dominate the second half after a slow start. This win sets up an intriguing district semifinal matchup, highlighting the competitive nature of the Division IV tournament and the Eagles' ability to overcome adversity.