COLUMBUS — It didn’t matter which team Conotton Valley bowled during the semifinals — even if it was a 14-time state qualifier with four titles to its credit.
“We really didn’t care,” Rockets boys coach Dennis Gordon said. “We knew we were the underdogs so it was just do what we do and roll the ball.”
The Rockets managed to take Game 1 of the best-of-five Baker System semifinal from No. 1-seeded Coldwater 184-181. But they were unable to sustain their momentum.
Conotton Valley, which captured the girls title Friday, finished third overall in its first trip to the OHSAA Division II State Bowling Championships on Saturday at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
The Rockets, the No. 4 seed following qualifying with 3,451 total pinfall, swept past Stark County High School Bowling Conference rival Triway, the No. 5 seed, 3-0 in their opening match.
“Triway was a huge match for our kids. They were really excited to beat them,” Gordon said.
“Maybe that was a statement match for us,” Rockets senior Nolan Caldwell said. “They beat us at our place by about 300 pins earlier this year. It’s one we wanted badly.”
But if you took a poll of how many Rockets players knew who Coldwater was, you would probably get a lot of blank stares. After all, four years ago many of these Rockets had never thrown a bowling ball before.
GETTING PAST TRIWAY
Gordon said the Rockets bowled their season average during the three regular games and three Baker System games during qualifying — nothing spectacular, but nothing bad either.
“I felt that if we bowled our game, we would be fine,” Gordon said. “If something great happens, it happens. If not, just bowl our game, get into the 900s and we will make the cut.”
The Rockets did that, finishing with 2,866 during the three regular games to rank fifth heading into Bakers. They then shot 585 in that segment to move up to fourth, setting up the battle with Triway.
Conotton Valley was solid in that first match, staying clean in Game 1 and missing just two spares with no splits over the other two games. The Rockets shot 202, 201 and 203 in the win; Triway had 173, 190 and 144, including seven splits.
Coldwater was up next, with the Rockets holding on for a 184-181 win in Game 1.
“We made our spares that game and knocked them down a little bit,” Gordon said.
But Coldwater, which topped the field by 238 pins during qualifying, had a double to start Game 2 and added four in a row later for a 217-199 win.
In Game 3, the Rockets had an opportunity to strike out in the 10th frame to earn the win. But after striking on his first shot, junior Bobby Brennan left a stone 9-pin on his second as Coldwater gained a 202-194 win.
“We missed a couple of easy spares there that hurt us and then we had the bad break in the 10th,” Gordon said. “But to finish third overall for a four-year-old program is just fantastic.”
The Cavaliers started Game 4 with four strikes in a row while the Rockets had opens in two of their first four as Coldwater advanced with a 197-160 win.
“At the start of this program, most of them hadn’t even seen a bowling ball until they walked in,” Gordon said, adding the team will lose four seniors this season. “I’m proud of what we achieved with them. They worked their butts off.”
TWO ALL-OHIO PICKS
Two of those seniors — Caldwell and Robert Myer — earned All-Ohio honors. Caldwell finished eighth overall with a 653 series to gain second team; Myer had 634 to finish 14th and earn honorable-mention honors.
“Two weeks before our first match my freshman here I walked into the bowling alley because they convinced me to give it a try,” said Caldwell, who was playing basketball at the time. “I picked up an eight-pound pink ball and Dennis met me at the door and told me I was not throwing that. He then drilled me a new ball and here I am.”
Myer had a similar story, also leaving basketball for bowling as a freshman.
“I really didn’t think I bowled that well today, but the team did,” Myer said.
Caldwell said he was aware of what everyone was scoring, but he had no idea where he would end up.
“Obviously, being the first time down here, there were some nerves,” Caldwell said. “But once we started bowling they kind of went away. It started up again a little against Triway, but after that we were fine.”
Brennan missed an All-Ohio spot by just one pin with 631. Freshman Nathan Downing had 522.
“We will have to start building again. We have two solid kids back on varsity,” Gordon said. “We’ll be back and we’ll be good.”
With their new 10-lane Rocket Center lanes and a solid staff, there’s no doubt.
FINISHING IT OUT
DeGraff Riverside, making its first-ever state appearance as the No. 7 seed, stopped Coldwater 3-1 in the title match to claim the stats title.
Riverside had games of 213, 168, 219 and 208 to top the Cavaliers, who shot just 149 in Game 1 and followed with 170, 214 and 161.
The Pirates swept past No. 2 seed Liberty Center 3-0 in their opening match and then topped Lutheran West 3-1 after losing Game 1 to set up the championship battle.
Riverside was led by junior Gage Stevenson’s 612 series, 584 from senior Tyler Knight and senior Andrew Knight’s 575.