DOVER — Conotton Valley set the standard early and was never threatened during Wednesday’s OHSAA East District Division II boys sectional tournament.
The race came for the final qualifying spots for the district at Boulevard Lanes.
The Rockets, bowling during the first wave of the two-shift, 24-team event, finished with 4,060 total pinfall to dominate early play by 305 pins over second-place Warsaw River View (3,755). Conotton Valley had three 900 regular games — the only team to do so — and then added a tournament-high 1,244 Baker System six-game block (207.3 average) to top the field.
Other district-qualifying teams included Carrollton (3,725), Indian Valley (3,642), East Liverpool (3,587) and Harrison Central (3,527). Central topped seventh-place Maysville by just eight pins (3,519) and Minerva by 79 (3,448). Five of the top six teams came out of the first shift.
Indian Valley sophomore Colton Long was the top individual with 686 as eight players broke 600 on the day.
The six qualifying individuals, who were not members of advancing teams, included Barnesville freshman Keegan Martin (624), Garaway senior Jake Braun (597), Barnesville senior Matthew Hall (584), Minerva senior Michael May (584), St. Clarksville junior Sebastian Lewis (582) and Newcomerstown freshman Jaxson Mayo (563)
“The lanes were really tough … they were a little hooky and dry,” Rockets boys coach Dennis Gordon said. “They just got their heads together and started playing the same area of the lanes.
“It kind of opened the lanes up and helped us out.”
Junior Bobby Brennan led the Rockets with a 648 series, finishing as individual runner-up, with seniors Robert Myer and Nolan Caldwell shooting 610 and 557, respectively.
Gordon said his team was setting its target area around the 13th to 14th board and sending the ball right down the lane “pushing some of the oil outside.”
“We’ve been putting this shot down for about three weeks at our place (Rocket Center) and it played nothing like this,” Gordon said. “Ours was a little heavier (oil) in the middle with more volume on the outside. The guys had to adapt … it was the same for everyone.”
Carrollton finished third after the morning shift with 3,725 after standing second following the opening three regular games.
“Obviously, it was a more difficult shot. We struggled a little bit to throw where we needed to throw it,” Carrollton boys coach Dave Davis said. “We were trying to get the ball outside more, but we just weren’t doing it.”
Sophomore Bryce Taylor led the Warriors with 626, finishing fourth overall, and senior Kobe Green had 574.
Davis felt getting the ball down lane and wider was a key to scoring on the sectional-district oil pattern.
“We need to work on a better line and get it to where we need to get it,” Davis said. “They weren’t comfortable getting the ball out wide, but I think that’s where it needs to be on this condition. We weren’t there today.”
Gordon agreed with Davis’ assessment of the condition.
“If you got the ball to the right down lane or right entirely, you were fine,” Gordon said. “We just moved in and tried to move our eyes deeper down the lane.”
River View was led by freshman Carter Hammersley’s 614 and 559 from junior Cam Collopy.
East Liverpool, which was led by senior Nathan Kelly’s 631, shot a shift-high 1,041 in Baker games during the afternoon to give the Potters a district berth after they led the three-game block during their shift with 2,546. St. Clarksville had the high afternoon Baker shift of 1,069, but missed the cut by 94 pins.
NOTEBOOK: The two shifts each had 12 teams, with re-oiling between the shifts in the 20-lane center. … Unlike the Northeast District sectionals, the East District has two teams on each pair of lanes while the Northeast had one team on each pair. Teams bowled on three regular games on the same pair, but moved during Baker games. … The sectional-district pattern is one created by the OHSAA, but does not play the same everywhere. “Different houses have different (oil) machines, different surfaces … the pattern may be the same, but it will react differently,” Davis said. … Only the top six teams in the boys and girls sectionals participate in the Feb. 23 East District tournament at Legacy Lanes in Coshocton. Action begins at noon for both divisions. Only the top two teams and two two individuals who are not members of those teams advance to state. All spectator tickets must be obtained on-line via the OHSAA website. … Mayo had the high game off the opening shift with 265 while Barnesville’s Hall had the top afternoon game of 236..