OAKWOOD — It had to be the french fries, right?
Perry High School senior Alexis Carper’s choice of breakfast food from the Roseland Lanes snack bar prior to the start of Tuesday’s Division I Northeast District girls tournament might seem strange.
“Breakfast of champions,” Perry head coach Joe Altimore III joked. “I told the girls that if we make this cut (to state), it’s the lucky french fries that got us there.”
After admittedly enduring a frustrating day, Altimore’s Panthers increased their streak of state appearances to six straight by rallying over the final four Baker System games to finish fifth overall and earn the final Columbus berth.
Boardman rolled to the district site with 4,230 total pinfall — which was 15 pins higher that the Spartans boys accumulated en route to finishing second during the boys version of the tournament Monday. Federal League champion Green was second with 3,829 (401 behind the Spartans), followed by Mentor (3,765), Amherst Steele (3,762) and the Panthers (3,616), who finished just 35 pins ahead of sixth-place Akron Hoban.
The top five teams advanced to the Division I state tournament, set for March 12 at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl in Columbus.
It was not the path to Columbus Altimore was expecting.
PERRY’S RALLY
After sitting fourth following an 852 series in Game 1, the Panthers shot just 758 in Game 2 to fall to seventh, two spots below the cut line. They remained below that line until the final two Baker System games of the six-game block.
“We missed so many spares … I don’t even know what to say. I guarantee we gave away 200 pins on spare misses alone, let alone with pocket 7-10s (splits) and other stuff we had,” Altimore said. “They just weren’t 100 percent committed to what they were about to do on their spare shots.
“Some were bad and missed by a lot, and some were very, very close, and I can accept that. We just put ourselves in a hole.”
The Panthers finished the opening three regular games 73 pins out of the cut in seventh place. They stayed there after going 161 and 181 during their first two Baker games, falling 93 pins back.
“Our girls can get apprehensive. They bowl not to make a mistake instead of bowling to win” Altimore added. “We have to get them to understand you have to be 100 percent into this thing if you’re going to have a chance.”
Then something clicked for the Panthers.
With just two missed spares during their final four Baker games, including a pair of 200 games, Perry made up the deficit. Hoban and Nordonia, which held the fifth spot through the first four Baker games, hurt themselves in the final two with games of 147 and 125, respectively.
“This was the most frustrating (getting to state). This is one of the better teams we’ve had top to bottom. One or two of our girls just didn’t have it,” Altimore said. “We started changing lineups and experimenting with shooting spares because I didn’t know what to do.
“It had never been an issue all season. It was a trying time as a coach. But our girls were grinding to get back in and I’m really proud of that. So many teams would have just quit, but our team … we’re not going to give up.”
Individually, senior Hannah Miller led the Panthers with a 568 series and struck out in the 10th frame during one key Baker game run. Also, sophomore Ami King added 547, Carper 497 and freshman Kiele Poling 472.
STICKING WITH PLAN
While rival Perry struggled, Green vaulted to second after Game 1 and never dropped lower with a high team game of 987.
“This feels great. We missed some spares so we didn’t make it easy on ourselves,” Green head coach Dustin Hughes said. “We will get back to the lanes, work on some spares — some corner pins — and game plan.”
This marks the Bulldogs’ second straight state trip. They finished seventh a year ago, losing to Hillsboro 3-1 during the match-play quarterfinals.
“Oh my God, it’s been a ride … it’s a lot, but it’s fun and exciting,” said senior Veda Hughes, who was second-team All-Ohio last season after finishing seventh with a 587 series.
“We didn’t have a ton of super good bowling today unfortunately, but our attitudes were up so it kept us in it. Of course, occasional strikes help, too, but it wasn’t our best.”
Junior Marissa Perrine, who led the Bulldogs with a 646 series, good for sixth overall, was expecting big things from this group.
“We were confident. We practiced hard, lots of 7s and 10s in practice. You know, practice makes perfect,” Perrine said. “I just wanted to throw normal shots, hope for the best and make it to states.
“We just have to practice our spares, make good shots and do our best in Columbus.”
Backing up Perrine were sophomore Elena Hughes (565), freshman Madison Perrine (554) and Veda Hughes (511).
“We just bowled our game. Every pin counts, and we say it over and over,” Dustin Hughes said. “We don’t change anything. We’ll get in there and practice on Friday (before state) and prepare like we always do.
“The girls get along, which is more than half the battle, and we have to keep their spirits up.”
SPARTAN ROUT
Boardman would have reached state in the boys division.
“I never get tired of hearing that,” Boardman coach Justine Cullen said. “So much of it is team chemistry … we just came together.”
Cullen points to the Spartans’ win at the Struthers Super Bowl Bash (they beat Perry for the title) as the turning point.
“They just go out there and get the job done. They keep each other loose,” Cullen said. “One of my best players didn’t have her best day, but everyone else picked up up and put us in position to win This is a special group of kids.”
Senior Grace Oklota led the Spartans, finishing as individual runner-up with 683. Freshman teammate Kaitlyn Greenaway finished third overall with 673 and another freshman, Marisa Funk, was 10th overall with 625.
This marks the Spartans’ fourth straight state trip. They won the state title in 2010.
“We’ve had a nice four-year stretch of being good, being in the hunt and making state,” Cullen said. “This year, when we are shooting numbers like this, the confidence level has gone through the roof.
“That’s what’s nice about this sport … It’s you against the lanes. You really don’t have an opponent per se. So if you mentally try to get better all the time, the sky’s the limit. And that’s what they keep doing. They keep answering their own bell and it’s awesome.
The Spartans did not shoot a team game under 1,000, with a high of 1050 in Game 1. They also posted the high Baker set with 1,174 — an average of 190.6.
OTHER ADVANCERS
Steele, which was 13th after Game 1 in the 17-team field with 739, also rallied, shooting 1,044 in the final team game to jump to third. It ultimately finished fourth overall.
Senior Makayla Velasquez led the Comets with a 611 series after shooting 152 in Game 1 and sophomore Allison Taylor added 603.
Mentor was led led by sophomore Heather Walker’s 644 series, and senior Emma Randa added 556.
Next stop: Columbus.
“My primary goal is not to dig a hole in Game 1,” Altimore said. “Boardman is really good. especially when the lanes are hooking, and Green is strong.”
Cullen knows where the Spartans stand.
“If we kind of stay our course and do what we are doing,” Cullen said, “We’re going to be hard to beat. It’s very exciting.”
NORTHEAST DIVISION I DISTRICT
(at Roseland Lanes)
Final team standings (top five advance to state); 1, Boardman 4,230;l 2, Green 3,829; 3, Mentor 3,765; 4, Amherst Steele 3,762; 5, Perry 3,616; 6, Akron Hoban 3,581; 7, Nordonia 3,553; 8, North Olmsted 3,340;l 9, Berea-Midpark 3,330; 10, Tallmadge 3,307; 11, Kenston 3,287; 12, Cloverleaf 3,270; 13, Norton 3,105; 14, Magnificat 3,070; 15, Buckeye 2,987; 16, Howland 2,971; 17o, Lakeside 2,790.