“This was the year we’ve been waiting for,” Green head girls coach Dustin Hughes said following Saturday’s Muskingum University High School Challenge at AMF Hall of Fame Lanes.
“We just knew this was going to be our strongest year,” Hughes added. “We knew what we had coming up and what we still had on board … we were ready for it.”
Indeed, the Bulldogs are showing how ready they are.
With a 3-0 Federal League record to start this season along with titles in the Ohio High School Bowling Division Kickoff Classic in Columbus and the Norton Panther Challenge, Green continued its perfect start by stopping Boardman 2-0 in the Challenge best-of-three Baker System finals.
The Bulldogs, the only team to break 900 in the 21-team girls division during the three regular games of qualifying, led throughout, gaining the No. 1 seed for the four-team championship round with 3,708 total pinfall — 213 pins ahead of second-place Boardman.
Fourth-seeded Lexington captured the boys title in the 24-team division with a 2-1 win over No. 2 Mentor in the title match.
BULLDOGS ON ROLL
Vada Hughes shot 580 en route to making the all-tournament team to lead Green, but she had a lot of help. Marissa Perrine (518), Alyssa Holt (499), Madison Perrine (491) and Elena Hughes (471) also made contributions.
“It was really a team effort. Vada finished second overall individually, but my lineup for Bakers changed every game,” Dustin Hughes said. “No one was set in any one position. I had a girl at anchor and then move to second.
“We have the type of team we can do that with this year, which is a luxury. We had a couple of freshmen who also came in and lived up to the moment when we needed them.”
Green beat Boardman 199-150 and 198-148 to claim the title. This came after the Bulldogs disposed of No. 4 seed Perry 166-146 and 173-144 during the semifinals.
The Panthers, who reached as high as second, earned the final spot in the championship round by 112 pins over fifth-place Wooster.
Hannah Miller, who was battling a hip injury after sticking on the approach in Game 1, led the Panthers with a 540 series. She was followed by Kiele Poling (488) and Ami King (483).
“We’re still building, trying to figure out where our strengths and weaknesses are,” Perry head coach Joe Altimore III said. “They moved the final round to the boys side which had immensely more hook than what we came off, and I wasn’t expecting that.
“We were experimenting with balls and angles on our side during the Bakers and then moved. So what I spent the last three Baker games doing with them wasn’t going to help at all. It’s frustrating, but I understand it.”
Both coaches know the two Federal rivals will be battling all the way through postseason tournament play.
“Green really rolls the ball well. They don’t have a lot of axis tilt on their shots, and that’s huge on a pattern like this,” Altimore said. “I can guarantee though, if Green and us do what we’re supposed to do, we should be making another state trip.
“Troy and Boardman have good teams also. Boardman has a little more ball speed, Green has that end-over-end roll, and we’re somewhere in between. We have to learn not to touch the ball as much at the bottom of the swing and go softer off the hand.”
Perry was already a perennial state contender when Green entered the Federal League and Stark County High School Conference.
“This is huge for us because of what Perry is as a program. We’ve worked hard, and we’ve earned it,” Hughes said. “We practiced all offseason, we had bowling club and the girls bowled a lot of tournaments.
“That’s our big rivalry right now. They always push us to our limits.”
Boardman stopped Mentor 2-0 (194-179, 143-128) in the other semifinal.
Wooster’s Abbie Leiendecker led the girls all-touney team with a 592 series, including a 264 game, also a tourney high. In addition to Hughes, GlenOak’s Jessica Ball also made the all-tourney team with a 558 series, fourth overall. Mentor’s Emma Randa (566) and Booardman’s Alayna Turillo (549) also were among the top five to qualify for the team.
PANTHERS FALL SHORT
In the boys division, Perry encountered an up-and-down day before gaining the No. 1 seed for the stepladder finals. The Panthers, who were seventh after Game 1, finished with 3,808 total pinfall, 86 pins ahead of Nordonia.
But the Panthers, who didn’t move into the lead until the six-game Baker System round, missed six spares and had four splits in a three-game loss to Lexington in the semifinal round (191-153, 174-208, 159-145).
“It was just about being confident honestly,” Perry head boys coach Alex Lincoln said. “The last Baker game, instead of trusting their lines , trusting themselves and just letting it go, they were squeezing the ball,” Lincoln said. “It’s hard to hit your target with the right hand and right ball speed when your whole body is tense.”
Lincoln was surprised that after shooting just 800 in Game 1 of qualifying, the Panthers were just 20 pins out of the cut.
“I told them we had to just keep it going. Our strength is in our individuals,” Lincoln said. “We practice Bakers like everyone else, but it’s still hit and miss with us.”
Kaleb Corrin led the Panthers, making the all-tourney team with a 625 series. He was followed by Bryce Little (570) and Brandon Ramsey (526) as the Panthers used all eight players.
Mentor advanced with a 2-1 win over Nordonia (153-184, 212-164, 200-186).
Lexington took the title in three games — 176-188, 174-167 and 179-137.
Mentor’s Anthony Gazella was high individual with a 644 series. Others on the all-tourney team included Bucyrus’ Gabe Higginbotham (639), Nordonia’s Bryce Lewin (616) and Akron Hoban’s Joe Bee (608).
NOTES: The OHSAA district oil pattern from 2021 was used for the tournament. … Muskingum head coach Doug Smith said the team will hold four events this season, with the next high school challenge set for Saturday at Legend Lanes in Coshocton. Other events are Jan. 17 in Wilmington and Jan. 29 in Heath. Fans are permitted at the events. “This is not a moneymaker for us,” Smith said. “We look at this as a recruiting tool for the program.” … Muskingum’s men’s roster includes freshmen Cameron Wright from Massillon and Austin Sarchet from United Local. The women’s roster includes senior Katlyn Smalley, sophomore Carly Koontz and freshman Gretchen Cogan, all from Minerva; freshman Anne Alexsonshk from Jackson; and sophomore Hannah Crowe of Hoover.
FINAL QUALIFYING STANDINGS
BOYS
Team standings (24 teams, top four advance) 1, Perry 3,808 total pinfall; 2, Nordonia 3,722; 3, Mentor 3,649; 4, Lexington 3,625. Other area: 6, Stow-Munroe Falls 3,574; 7, Akron Springfield 3,559; 7, Wadsworth 3,458; 10, GlenOak 3,344; 11, New Philadelphia 3,321; 12, Wooster 3,309; 13, Medina 3,307; 15, Lake 3,300; 16, Akron Hoban 3,293; 17, Green 3,263; 18, Tallmadge 3,193; 20, Jackson 3,085; 22, Indian Valley 2,850; 23, Massillon 2,819; 24, Central Catholic 2,597.
GIRLS
Team standings (21 teams, top four advance): 1, Green 3,708; 2, Boardman 3,495; 3, Mentor 3,352; 4, Perry 3,216. Other area: 5, Wooster 3,028; 6, GlenOak 2,960; 7, Tallmadge 2,948; 8, Akron Hoban 2,943; 10, Central Catholic 2,839; 11. Lake 2,738; 13, Indian Valley 2,638; 15, Jackson 2,587; 16, New Philadelphia 2,565; 18, Wadsworth 2,471; 20, Massillon 1,949.