CUYAHOGA FALLS — Triway High School boys bowling coach Vince Yoder knew that his 2022-23 Titans had talent.
“We just felt like they needed to learn how to win a little bit,” Yoder said.
The Titans’ performance over the past eight days demonstrated why Yoder feels his boys team can be a Division II state contender along with Triway’s defending OHSAA Division II state champion girls.
The Titans boys rolled a pair of 1,123 individual games to start, then finished with a tournament-high 1,229 Baker System six-game block to roll to a 308-pin victory during Saturday’s 11th annual Clutch Classic high school bowling tournament at Clutch Lanes and Sports Center.
Triway’s girls also earned a title, rolling 1,218 during their six Baker System games to extend their lead and claiming a 425-pin victory. The Titans finished 254 pins ahead of the second-best Baker block.
The event was bowled on Clutch Lanes’ house oil pattern.
TITANS BOYS PUT THREE IN TOP FIVE
The tournament win completed a solid stretch for the Titans boys, who topped North Canton Hoover to claim the Holiday Tournament at Park Centre and won dual matches against the previously unbeaten Vikings and Conotton Valley in the Stark County High School Bowling Conference last week.
“They got a taste of it when we finished second at the Kickoff tournament (to Coldwater in Division II in Columbus). Then, beating a pretty good team like Hoover at the Holiday Tournament got them over the hump,” Yoder said. “We got that feeling that we know how to win and we can win … we don’t have to overthink it as much as we used to.”
The Titans finished with 3,352 total pinfall during the three regular games, 298 pins ahead of second-place Copley in the 14-team field. They were the only team to shoot three 1,000 games during qualifying. Overall, Triway finished with 4,581.
“We’re such a good team. We just needed the flood gates to open for us to start winning these tournaments like we did that last few weeks,” said Triway senior Chad Harper, who shot 744 on his 18th birthday to finish second individually to junior teammate Aeron Meshew’s 745. “It was just a great birthday present.”
Senior Caden Swnger also shot 702 as the Titans trio also secured spots on the five-man all-tournament team.
“Everything we’ve been doing has been working for us,” said Meshew, who shot the high tournament game of 279 in Game 2. “We’ve been listening to coach and everything he’s told us has been working.”
Yoder added the recent performances of his Titans have made it “easy to coach.”
“I just have to sit back and watch ball reactions,” Yoder said. “When their bowling this good and throwing it this good, all I have to do is stay ahead of the moves and it happens. It’s a lot easier to coach like this.”
Despite finishing second, Copley head coach Caleb Shovestull felt it was a great learning experience for his team after bowling on the same pair of lanes with Triway,
“They were just fantastic. But bowling with them was a big help in watching what they were doing,” Shovestull said. “We were able to keep up with them in individual games, and as we worked into Bakers that’s where we came alive. We were able to move in and play off their tracks.”
Copley was led by Eric Luster’s 733 series, a school record for three games. Shovestull also cited the performance of JV Tristin Curtis, who entered in the middle of Game 2 and gave a solid performance.
“We were able to make some shape off of them and were able to carry,” Shovestull said. “It helped a lot.”
Stow-Munroe Falls finished third (4,236), followed by Wooster (4,210) and Ashland (4,148).
Are the Titans peaking too early with their recent surge?
“I think as long as we continue to press with that will to win, we’ll be OK. We’re bowling almost every weekend in January, and I did that on purpose,” Yoder said. “Doing this is much better than just practice. You can’t practice this at home.
“The talent level has been there. We have a couple of young bowlers, but with the experienced bowlers around it has built their confidence. I really feel this is a state-title potential team.”
TITAN GIRLS ROLL ALSO
The Triway girls already have tasted a state title, but recent weeks have not been kind to the Titans after a second-place finish against Green in the Holiday Tournament.
“We had a discussion after the last couple of weeks, trying to get us to concentrate on what we’re doing and not pressing so much,” Triway girls coach Corby Anderson said. “We want to come out and have fun, but we have to concentrate on what we’re doing, making shots and covering spares.”
The Titans had the lone 1,000 game during qualifying, a 1,010 in Game 2, while building a 146-pin lead over Akron Hoban. Then came the six-game Baker surge.
“Everything was better for us all-around. The aura was better, and we needed that,” Anderson said. “You have a couple of second-place finishes when you are used to winning and that’s good for us, and the boys also for that matter.
“When we get to a certain point physically, then it’s a matter of keeping above the shoulders going. That’s the hardest thing for me is keeping their heads on straight. The last couple of weeks, I didn’t feel like we had that.”
Wooster’s Abbie Leiendecker turned in both the high game (258) and high series (698) in the 10-team girls division to claim individual honors.
Triway juniors Emma Yoder (655) and Addy Meshew (637) finished 4-5 individually, and Lindsay Miller added 588 as the Titans finished with 4,128.
With Carly Jones shooting 659, Akron Hoban finished second with 3,703, followed by Fairport Harbor Harding (3,581), Tallmadge (3,363) and Wooster (3,294)
Anderson feels this performance could be a key the rest of the way for the defending state champion Titans.
“”The one thing we tell them is every practice, tournament and match is geared toward the postseason,” Anderson said. “I just feel like the girls were better today picking each other up and not letting anyone get down.
“We’ve got a lot of tournaments coming up and going right into sectionals. We feel like we’re off and running, and I truly believe the boys also are going to be a state contender.
“I’m anxious now.”
As he and Yoder will be all the way up to the first weekend in March — the OHSAA Division II state championships in Columbus.
11TH ANNUAL CLUTCH CLASSIC
(At Clutch Lanes and Sports Center, Cuyahoga Falls)
BOYS
Final standings:1, Triway 4,581; 2, Copley 4,273; 3, Stow-Munroe Falls 4,236; 4, Wooster 4,210; 5, Ashland 4,148; 6, Tallmadge 4,083; 7, Cuyahoga Falls 4,069; 8, Ashland JV 4,018; 9, Kent Roosevelt 3,963; 10, Woodridge 3,958; 11, Hudson 3,945; 12, Rootstown 3,943; 13, Akron Ellet 3,887; 14, Akron Hoban 3,835
All-tournament team: Aeron Meshew (Triway) 745; Chad Harper (Triway) 744; Eric Luster (Copley) 733; Caden Swanger (Triway) 702; Luke Rhine (Ashland) 697.
GIRLS
Final standings: 1, Triway 4,128; 2, Akron Hoban 3,703; 3, Fairport Harbor Harding 3,581; 4, Tallmadge 3,363; 5, Wooster 3,294; 6, Woodridge 3,058; 7, Stow-Munroe Falls 2,980; 8, Akron Ellet 2,916; 9, Copley 2,761; 10, Kent Roosevelt 2,712.
All-tournament team: Abbie Leiendecker (Wooster) 698; Carly Jones (Akron Hoban) 659; Emma Yoder (Triway) 655; Addy Meshew (Triway) 637; Mackenzie Pihlny (Fairport Harbor Harding) 604.