STRUTHERS — After games of 179 and 223 to begin the Division II Northeast District boys tournament, East Canton High School’s Bryce Beadnell was coasting along with a string of strikes in Game 3.
Going on a 279 pace, Beadnell left a 7-pin on his first ball in the 10th frame. He missed it.
“I’m not going to lie … I was concerned,” East Canton coach Todd Thomas said. “We knew it would be close. Everything was looking good and it just didn’t quite get over there.”
It proved not to be costly as Beadnell earned a trip to state with a 648 series after a 246 in that final game to earn the final individual berth at Holiday Bowl by 10 pins.
He will be joined by Lutheran West’s JT Maslanich (735), Liberty’s Joseph Nohra (670) and LaBrae’s Lucas Lancaster (660). The top four individuals not on advancing teams earned berths to the state Division II boys tourney, set for March 4 at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl in Columbus.
“This feels good. I was expecting myself to go out and bowl, hope for the best and try not to get too nervous,” said Beadnell, a senior right-hander who will be making his first state appearance. “Across the pairs, the lanes were changing and they started coming out in my favor.”
Thomas just wanted Beadnell to “enjoy the moment.”
“He threw the ball well and covered his spares,” said Thomas. “That’s something we’ve been preaching about for three years, and he pulled it through.”
Beadnell had two of his three opens in Game 1, including a pocket 7-10 split.
Tuslaw sophomore left-hander Cameron Kilgore, the first Mustang to ever appear in an OHSAA bowling tournament, shot a 612 series, but finished 16th and failed to advance.
Canton South, which finished12th in the 13-team field with 3,602 was led by senior Aaron Knop with 542 and sophomore Trevor Gore with 523.
What’s next for Beadnell?
“Just practice a little bit next week,” Beadnell added, “go bowl, and hope I do well.”
The Division II girls return to Holiday Bowl at 10 a.m. Saturday for district play.