COSHOCTON — Coming to Legacy Lanes as a Division II sectional champion, Conotton Valley was the favorite in the six-team OHSAA East District high school girls bowling tournament Thursday.
Then Carrollton rolled a 943 in Game 1 to put the Rockets on their heels with a 162-pin deficit.
“Our girls do a great job of sticking by each other, encouraging each other and staying positive even when they don’t do super well,” Rockets girls coach Robyn King said. “When one is struggling, the other is right there to pick the other one up.”
That scenario played out in Game 2 of the three regular games. Conotton Valley bounced back from a 781 in Game 1 for a 943 to take a lead it never relinquished as the Rockets earned their first district title and first trip to the Division II state tournament in the program’s four-year history.
“Overall, it means a lot. The community really stands behind what the school district is doing,” King said of what this means for the program, which opened its own 10-lane bowling center inside the Rocket Center this season.
“They’ve been incredibly supportive along with the administration and the board of education, who have been there the entire time. Ever since Daphne (Stuber) made it individually two years go, this have been the goal.”
The Rockets, who shot a tourney-high 1,040 during the six-game Baker System portion of the tourney, finished with 3,648 total pinfall, 138 pins ahead of second-place Carrolton. The Warriors will be making their sixth straight state appearance — two when the Warriors were Division I.
The top two teams and top two individuals who were not members of advancing teams qualified for the state tourney, set for 10:30 a.m. March 3 at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl in Columbus.
SECOND FINE FOR WARRIORS
“It’s pretty exciting. We struggled a little last week at sectionals making spares,” said Carrollton girls coach Wendy Russell, who has led the Warriors to state during her four seasons as coach.
“But we regrouped, practiced hard this week and came back with it all.
“That 940 was awesome. They are more than capable of it. But the key is keeping them relaxed and having fun, which has always been my motto. If they hate it, they’re not coming back.”
How far were the Rockets and Warriors ahead of the six-team field? Carrollton, trailing Conotton Valley by 34 pins after the three regular games, still was 309 pins ahead of third-place Minerva before the Bakers began. The Warriors finished 362 ahead of third-place Sandy Valley overall.
“Absolutely we will take where we finished. I told them I will take two all day long,” Russell said. “We bowled (Conotton Valley) during the regular season and they beat us by eight pins.
“They have super kids and coaches over there and a lot of talent. We knew we could stay close, but our goal was the top two.”
Senior Joline Greaves, one of three Warrior seniors, led Carrollton with a 561 series. Senior Aubrey Taylor added 550 and junior Abby Natcher 526.
“I’m just super happy for our seniors,” Russell said. “There’s no better way to go out than going to state.”
GALIGHER LEADS ROCKETS
King admitted the Rockets saw a little different shot Thursday than their earlier practice session at Legacy Lanes and had to regroup after their start.
“The girls did a good job when they missed something. They were able to come back from it,” King said. “After we got the girls going and made the adjustments, they were able to get back into it.”
Sophomore Mylie Galigher led the Rockets with a 584 series, including a tourney-high 255 in Game 2. Stuber, a senior who finished sixth individually during the 2021 state tourney, had 555 and junior Mackenzie Willoughby 527.
“We still have to work on our spare shooting. We had a couple of misses in there in Game 1 that made for some nervous moments,” King said. “But we’re going to keep at it for next week.”
INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIERS
East Liverpool sophomore Addison Rudibaugh was the top individual overall with a 630 series — the lone girl to hit 600 — to earn one of the two qualifying spots.
The other went to Maysville senior Emma Waxler, who finished with 571, six pins ahead of Monroe Central junior Shyann Baker.
Among other Stark County area players, Sandy Valley senior Miah Delaney finished ninth with 547 and Minerva senior Lydia Sanor was 12th with 500.
NOTEBOOK: Unlike last season, the district tournament was contested only on the high side of the wall at Legacy Lanes (lanes 15 to 30). … Boys and girls teams moved one pair to the right after each of the three games, but stayed on the same pair for all six Baker games. Individual qualifiers remained on the same lane for all three games. … There were two teams on each pair of lanes, with three pairs being used in the team events. … There were 281 tickets issued for the event, with 260 attending. … Carrollton’s highest state finishes sere fifth in 2021 and eighth last season, when the Warriors fell to No. 1 seed Napoleon in their best-of-five Baker System first-round match 3-2. … For ticket information for the state tournament, go to:
Ticket prices are $15.
