COLUMBUS — It wasn’t one bowler feeling state tournament pressure for Triway and Carrollton.
“Pressure can bust a pipe wide open,” Carrollton head coach Dave Davis said. “Everyone shared the struggles.”
Carrollton, the East District champion, and Wooster, the Northeast District runner-up finished 14th and 11th, respectively, during Friday’s OHSAA Boys Division II State Championships at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
“That was a case of not striking and we could not make spares whatsoever,” said Triway head coach Vince Yoder, whose team was making its fourth state appearance.
“The third game, we gave away over 100 pins the last two frames after we had a 950 pace going in. Our swings get tight, our heads start thinking too much, we can’t let the ball go and nothing is going right. It’s tough to get back on track.’
The Titans finished 234 pins out of the cut to match play with 2,978 total pinfall.
Sophomore Aeron Meshew led the Titans with a 525 series, and freshman Max Fiedler had 518.
“When your three big guys are off, its’s really hard,” said Yoder, who does not have a senior on his roster. “I told them there is a really good chance we can get back here, but we have to learn fro what happened today and apply it to next year, start thinking about what we have to change.
“You can practice all you want to, but you still have to make good shots, and we didn’t make very many of those today.”
Carrollton, which claimed Stark County Conference division, sectional and district titles, also struggled with the oil condition, finishing with 2,930.
“We struggled with speed, struggled a little bit hitting where we were aiming and with the pressure of a state tournament,” said Davis, whose team was making its third state appearance. “Just put it all together.
“It was not the end of the season they wanted. They just couldn’t hit the shot like a lot of teams. When you don’t bowl like you think you can, you start pressing.”
Junior Kobe Green led the Warriors with a 518 series, and senior Ian Pallaye added 514. The Warriors have four seniors on their roster, with Ryan Worth joining Pallaye as starters.
“They were working as hard as they could, but it just didn’t work out,” Davis said.
Yoder knows it’s not possible to duplicate the state environment of Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
“You get down here in this environment and you can’t practice it,” Yoder said. “You’ve just got to take what experience you got this year and apply better shots and better thoughts.”
NOTEBOOK
BATTLE OF TITANS: The past two Division II state boys winners — Coldwater and Mechanicsburg — met again for the title. Coldwater was making its 13th state appearance with four state titles; Mechanicsburg made its seventh appearance with two state titles. The Indians won their second straight, rallying from a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 win and received a ceremonial milk for each player and coach.
OTHER NORTHEAST: Among other Northeast District participants, Fairport Harbor Harding was the lone representative to reach match play, finishing eighth with 3,230. The Skippers fell to top-seeded Coldwater 3-1. Rootstown (12th, 2,978) and Struthers (13th, 2,953) failed to advance.
DIVISION BREAKDOWN: In Ohio high school bowling, there are 209 boys Division II teams and 189 girls teams.
OHSAA STATE BOYS DIVISION II BOWLING TOURNAMENT
(At Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl)
Final qualifying (top eight advance to match play): 1, Coldwater 2,950; 2, Hillsboro 2,923; 3, St. Paris Graham 2,834; 4, Liberty Center 2,832; 5, Mechanicsburg 2,831; 6, Versailles 2,787; 7, Fairport Harbor Harding 2,746; 8, Napoleon 2,692; 9, Marion Pleasant 2,564; 10, Springfield Kenton Ridge 2,560; 11, Rootstown 2,532; 12, Circleville Logan Elm 2,497; 13, Triway 2,492; 14, Struthers 2,464; 15, Carrollton 2,440;l 16, Fredericton 2,325.
Quarterfinals: Coldwater d. Fairport Harding 3-1; Liberty Center d. Versailles 3-2; Hillsboro d. Napoleon 3-1; Mechanicsburg d. St. Paris Graham 3-1
Semifinals: Coldwater d. Liberty Center 3-2; Mechanicsburg d. Hillsboro 3-2.
Championship: Mechanicsburg d. Coldwater 3-2.