COLUMBUS — North Canton Hoover head coach Jeff Sabella explained his team’s disappointing finish with three words.
“Failure happens early,” Sabella said, “and it did for us.”
The Vikings, who made a huge comeback in Game 3 of the three regular games, came up just short of reaching Saturday’s match-play rounds of the OHSAA Division I Boys Bowling Tournament.
With a 1,040 in Game 3, the Vikings had vaulted from 15th to ninth in the overall standings and stood just 23 pins out of the final cut spot for match play behind Hillsboro. But in the final three-game Baker System round, Hoover outshot the Indians just 554-533 to come up two pins short.
Sabella and boys coach Austin Crowe attributed the problems to poor spare shooting in Game 1 of the opening three-game set and a delay in beginning Game 2 due to lane malfunctions.
“We missed a lot of spares that first game. It was a matter of them getting acclimated,” Sabella said. “Then we had to wait 40 to 45 minutes to bowl the second game because of the lane breakdown.
“But that’s the way it goes. Guys sit there and get stiff so it’s hard to get started again. We missed a couple of spares to start that game. Then about the third frame of the second game we began to throw the ball like we know we can. And the last game, you saw what we did, which is really where we should have been the second game.”
The delay came due to Lane 13-14 breaking down and forcing Nordonia and Westerville Central to move lane pairs. Hoover was to bowl the second game with Central, which was delayed due to the move.
When the teams were moved during the fourth frame of Game 1, they were given two practice balls per player on the new pair before continuing their game in the fourth frame.
Central also struggled in Game 2, shooting 818 after opening with a tourney-leading 1,079 in Game 1.
“If we didn’t take that break, we would have been there,” Sabella said. “It was unfortunate, but I’m not going to cry over spilled milk.”
The Vikings, who were making the first boys team appearance in school history, lose just one senior to graduation.
“The rest of our guys are juniors and sophomores and we have our core back,” Sabella said. “I’m proud of them. They had a fantastic season and did things that most other schools didn’t do. You can’t take anything away from them.
“They scratched and clawed their way back into it. No one event caused it; it was the spares we missed the first game.”
Junior Jack Wells led the Vikings with a 616 series, finishing 28th overall. He was followed by juniors Chase Wensel (32nd, 606) and Connor Lab (36th, 598) and senior Austin Crowe (37th, 597).
The Vikings bounced back after games of 885 and 918 to improve by more than 100 pins in Game 3. But after opening with 215 in Bakers, they had 167 and 174.
“We had some lucky shots to start that round and we thought that momentum carried over when we switched lanes,” Crowe said. “All of a sudden, the lane was hooking more and we had to adjust and adjust. By that time, the game is over.”
“Again,” Sabella added, “it was all about spares.”
But with only Crowe missing from the state team, the future looks bright.
“We maybe have some guys back here next year,” Sabella said.
NO TITLE SWEEP FOR NORDONIA
Nordonia, which earned the sixth seed with 3,576, fell in its first-round match to No. 3 Beavercreek 3-0 to end the Knights’ hopes of duplicating the girls state title from Friday. The Beavers won the state title.
Winning both titles has been done three times in the OHSAA era, twice by Coldwater (2012, 2015 in Division II) and once by St. Marys Memorial (2019, Division II).
Beavercreek shot 704 during the match, winning 235-222, 253-221 and 216-156, to advance.
“We bowled well, but we just ran into a team that was bowling a lot better,” Nordonia head coach Ty Lachowski said. “I told the guys after that nine times out of 10 we win games shooting 220s. You have to tip your hat to them. They did a good job. I’m just sad for my seniors.”
Senior Bryce Lewin led the Knights with 655, earning honorable mention All-Ohio, and senior Matt Willis shot 644.
“It was such a good season for these guys. We just ran into a buzzsaw at the end,” said Lachowski, who took on the dual roles of coaching both the girls and boys teams this season.
“I had great kids. I made time for every one of them and they made time for me. If they wanted extra work, I said, OK, when do you want to do it? This was just a dream year.”
The Knights, who were making their fourth straight state appearance and ninth overall, finished sixth overall after finishing fourth overall a year ago after being the No. 1 seed following qualifying.
“We still have talent coming back. We’ve got kids on the JV team who will fill in for these seniors,” Lachowski said. “We will be back here to make another crack at it.”
Ashland, which was the No. 4 seed, fell to Kettering Fairmont in the semifinals 3-2 to finish fifth overall.
The Arrows had a pair of freshman lead the way with Landon Dreibelbis earning first-team All-Ohio with a 695 series and Max Oaken adding 632. Another freshman, Luke Rhine, also had 605.
ALSO FALLING SHORT
Tallmadge and Stow-Monroe Falls also missed the cut, with the Blue Devils, making their third state appearance, finishing 12th overall and the Bulldogs finishing 15th in their third state appearance.
The Blue Devils finished with 3,263. They were led by senior Will Gergely’s 610 series, followed by junior Brandin Ullman’s 595.
The Indians, who finished with 3,229, were led by junior Dillon Lazer’s 589 and 562 from sophomore Adam Walters.
WINNING IT ALL
Beavercreek, the No. 3 seed after qualifying, stopped fifth-seeded Kettering Fairmont 3-2 in Saturday’s championship match.
It marked the Beavers’ ninth trip to the state tournament and second title, their first coming 2015.
Junior Carson Shroyer, the state individual champion, led the Beavers with a 707 series.
The Firebirds, whose girls team also finished second to Nordonia in the girls state championship match Friday, were led by junior Matt Collins’ 657. The Birds were also looking for their second state title in 10 tournament appearances. They also have been the runner-up three times.
Both teams are members of the Greater Western Ohio Conference.
The Beavers, who swept Nordonia and Mason in their earlier matches, came back from a 2-1 deficit to win Game 4 225-168 and then closed out the Birds with a 217-182 win in Game 5.
Fairmont, which topped Ashland 3-2, also defeated Hilliard Davidson in four games to reach the title match.