NORTON — With one Baker System game to go, just nine pins separated the top two boys high school bowling teams at Charger Lanes on Sunday.
After leading through all but the first regular game of the 10th annual Panther Challenge, Triway head coach Vince Yoder had a message for his team coming off a 167 Baker in Game 5.
“I gathered them in and said we have to stay aggressive. We can’t be complacent and try to place shots out there,” Yoder said.
The Titans responded with six straight strikes to open the final Baker game en route to a 258 to capture the title with 4,389 total pinfall, 78 pins ahead of second-place Cuyahoga Falls (4,311).
“We were aggressive and down through our shots during the first three games. But I think we thought we had a big enough lead and we were just going through the motions,” Yoder said. “We had a clean game in our first Baker (199), but then we had some things happen.
“The lanes started to hook, and the more we move left, some of the kids have trouble just letting the ball go, so we were tugging it. I just told them to do what we do, stay aggressive and throw good shots. And they started with the first six.”
The Black Tigers, who trailed the Titans by 158 pins after Game 3 in the three regular team and six Baker format, reduced the deficit with consecutive Baker games of 216, 244 and 215 before a 173 in Game 5.
“My fifth bowler (Jonathan Rasch) got them going. We kind of meshed at Kent last week and they started bowling really welly in Bakers,” Cuyahoga Falls head coach Tim Wiant said. “We finally got it together, talked about it and practiced. Bakers can make or break your tournaments.
“Practice makes perfect and we had the right combination with Rasch at anchor.”
Cleveland St. Ignatius, which averaged 211 over its six Bakers, including games of 246 and 233, jumped from sixth after the opening three games to third overall with 4,269 and Wadsworth finished fourth (4,238).
LATE RALLY FOR TITANS
This was the Titans’ second tournament of the season. They failed to make the cut by just 19 pins at the Stark County High School Bowling Conference Early Bird without the services of lettermen Owen and Max Feisler, who were missing due to band commitments.
Both were in the lineup Sunday, with Owen shooting 681 and Max adding 731. But two-handed right-hander Aaron Meshew topped them with a tourney-high 760, including a 268 game.
“We don’t want to expect that all the time because you’re probably not going to get it on certain shots. They are the only ones with varsity experience, but even Jacob (Yoder) shot 630,” Yoder said. “Outside of those three, the others were in just their second tournament so there were still the nerves, sweating and doing everything else.
“We have a team that is capable of shooting high scores, but we also have a team that is capable of shooting some lower ones as well. It’s going to be a matter of getting the experience throughout the season and gaining momentum when we need it.”
Both Meshew and Yoder agreed that having the varsity newcomers participate in the Early Bird will help in the long run.
“When you are forced to put them in like we did, they are going to learn more just by doing rather than by just listening,” said Yoder, whose Titans were the lone team to post three 1,000s during the regular team games — despite combining bowlers for a pair of 130 substitution games.
“We’ve got firepower. It’s just a matter if everyone is clicking or not.”
Meshew said the final Baker game came down to basics.
“We just had to take our time. We were fine our first two Baker games. After that, we had to make spares, make good shots and just repeat that, not clench it out,” Meshew said. “We had to relax and throw the ball, and it worked out.
“The fact that we almost qualified (at the Early Bird) showed us that we do have the talent to do it. In the last Baker game, we showed everyone can make shots under pressure. We know how to do it.”
TIGERS WATCHING
Wiant admitted he was not watching the Titans’ progress — until the last two Baker games.
“I knew we were down nine going to the last game, but until that point, I really didn’t know where they were,” said Wiant, whose team was led by Rasch’s 700 series, including a 269, 664 from Adam Walters and 649 by Justin Wagner.
“I realized they had struggled in their other Bakers, but that last one did it for them while we kind of struggled. But I’ll take second every day in a 20-team field.
“We didn’t do well in our preseason tournament so we want to do well the rest of the way. This week (against Nordonia and Twinsburg) will be a big week for us.”
WILDCATS RALLY
After sitting at 3,002 following the opening three games and standing 245 pins behind Triway, St. Ignatius put on a huge rally during the Baker round, starting with 225 in Game 1. After a 170 in Game 2, the Wildcats averaged 218 the rest of the way.
“We just slowed down, made quality shots, got hot and cut off everyone else,” Ignatius coach Jim Viets said. “If it wasn’t for a solid 7-pin in that 233 (final game), we could have easily been at 260. We missed a couple of easy spares or we could have been there at the end.”
Viets had one player, Mason Melgaard, advance to state a year ago after the team fell 53 pins short of qualifying. Despite having two freshmen, he feels the Wildcats can finish the trip this season.
“We probably needed to make some better quality shots during the three games. We missed 11 one-pin spares and they come back to beat you,” said Viets, whose team was participating in its first tournament of the season. “But we got a taste of (state) last year. This year, we want to take the team.”
GRIZZLIES IN TOP FOUR
The young Grizzlies crossed with Triway the entire tournament. And head coach George Steele feels that was an advantage for his young team, which features mostly freshmen and sophomores.
“To put them on a pair with a team experienced like Triway and throw against them head-to-head basically all day, it’s big for their confidence,” Steele said. “It’s early in the season so I want to build that confidence now.
“If we want to gauge ourselves with what the field is doing, the team that was right there will us was going to be the one that’s setting the mark for us.”
Hayden Mohlmaster Eagon led the Grizzlies with 687 and Caydon Sponsler added 633.
Yoder agreed Wadsworth was a good cross for his Titans — and it also helped that teams stayed on the same pair of lanes throughout the event.
“It makes a difference when you can stay within the same ball and make little moves rather than going to a pair where someone might be throwing urethane,” Yoder said. “Plus they had a lefty, which made it only nine righties on the pair.”
But the younger Titans were able to put it together with the three veterans.
“At one point, I had all three newcomers in those 130 games and none of them could do anything,” Yoder said. “So everybody was nervous, except for about a game and a half.
“But, like anything else, you have to bowl and gain that experience while you’re bowling. It’s better than any practice.”
And it’s always better when you win.
NOTEBOOK: The tourney included a 20-team field and was bowled on the house oil pattern. … Teams did not move during either regular teams games or Bakers, but due to lane breakdowns, a few had to move to open pairs both in the opening segment and in Bakers. … Three players tied for high game honors with 279, including Rootstown’s Nick Moorhead, Nordonia’s Kyan Freyhauf and Conotton Valley’s Bobby Brennan. … Low series to make the 10-man all-tournament team was 677. … Cuyahoga Falls posted the high team game with 1,112 in Game 1, just six pins ahead of Triway as seven teams shot 1,000 out of the gate. Only Triway (1,096) and Rootstown (1,008) had 1,000 in Game 2. … Nordonia, which took the girls title Saturday, finished 11th overall with 3,944.
10TH ANNUAL PANTHER CHALLENGE
(Sunday, at Charger Lanes, Norton)
Final team standings (three regular games, six Baker System games): 1, Triway 4,389; 2, Cuyahoga Falls 4,311; 3, Cleveland St. Ignatius 4,269; 4, Wadsworth 4,238; 5, Boardman 4,145; 6, New Philadelphia 4,106; 7, Rootstown 4,102; 8, Norton 4,064; 9, Berea-Midpark 4,045; 10, Medina 3,993; 11, Nordonia 3,944; 12, Highland 3,879; 13, Canton McKinley 3,775; 14, Conotton Valley 3,760; 15, Mansfield Senior 3,662; 16, Akron Hoban 3,652; 17, Tallmadge 3,468; 18, Norway 3,359; 19, Wadsworth JV 3,030; 20, Howland 2,653.
All-tournament teams
MVP: Aeron Meshew (Triway) 760
First team: Max Fiesler (Triway) 731; Bobby Brennan (Conotton Valley) 705; Nick Phelps (Norton) 701; Jonathan Rasch (Cuyahoga Falls) 700; Nick Moorhead (Rootstown) 689
Second team: Hayden Mohlmaster Eagon (Wadsworth) 687; Kyan Freyhauf (Nordonia) 681; Owen Fiesler (Triway) 681; Alex Knisely (New Philadelphia) 678; Cameron Lupica (Medina) 677