By BILL SNIER
AKRON — Highland High School head coach Brian Scott Esterle knew he would not have his No. 4 player available for Friday’s OHSAA Division I Summit sectional bowling tournament.
He found the next best thing instead: let one of his bowlers use a piece of her bowling equipment.
For the second straight year, Highland sophomore Gracie Dunne will be participating as an individual Monday during the girls version of the Division I sectional. She reached state as a freshman, finishing 40th overall.
The Hornets do not have a girls team.
Dunne, who has bowled on the boys team all season, was at Spins Bowl-Akron on Monday to support her teammates. She also brought her equipment with her at Esterle’s request.
“We had one our kids use Gracie’s urethane ball in practice the other day,” Esterle said of the two-handed Dunne. “It kept his angles a lot tighter and it was key. We knew she was coming, so we told her to bring it with her.”
The player, sophomore two-hander Davis Slatkovsky, shot his his career series of 646 with the ball, including 248 out of the gate, to finish third overall individually in leading Highland to the sectional title.
The Hornets finished with 4,287 total pinfall, leading throughout the tournament and topping the field by 158 pins. They are joined by Cuyahoga Falls (4,129), Medina (3,768) and Akron Ellet (3,729) as district qualifiers, with the Orangemen gaining the final spot by 79 pins over Akron Hoban (3,650) in the 17-team field.
The format was three regular games and six Baker System games, with the top four teams and top four individuals who were not part of advancing teams earning district berths on the OHSAA sectional-district oil pattern.
Individual qualifiers included Brunswick sophomore Mathew Valenzeno, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy junior James Wiggers, Hoban junior Christian Kleinman and Tallmadge senior Bobby Higham.
The Division I Northeast District boys tournament is set for 10 a.m. Feb. 23 at Roseland Lanes in Oakwood.
GAME PLAN WORKS
Esterle admitted the Hornets had a game plan coming into the sectional minus Dunne.
“The kids came together today and we had a little bit of a game plan,” Esterle said, admitting Davis’ switch was part of it. “All the other kids bowled right along with him.”
Joining Slatkovsky were seniors Thomas Nook (623) and Gabe Kasper (620), sophomore Lucas Less (618) and senior Tyler Oboy (593) — all finishing among the top 12 in the individual standings.
“We almost had five kids shoot 600 today … just one spare away,” said Esterle, who also has been without junior Andrew Talpas, who has been out due to illness for the past 10 days. “Both of our subs shot 600 today.
“Lucas and Davis usually switch back and forth. Lucas shot 650 in the Suburban League postseason tournament. Within the past two months he has really gotten better and been really helping us. He used to be a wild-card, but he is becoming a player.”
Highland held a 51-pin lead after the opening two games and then shot 1,187 during Bakers (197.3 average). The Hornets had two of the three 1,000 regular games. The one glitch was a 147 in Game 5 of Bakers.
“Our Bakers went well, but (Lanes) 7 and 8 was not a good pair for us all day. The carry was iffy and we missed some spares. But the other two pairs were good to us,” Esterle said
BEST PERFORMANCE
Ellet coach Doug Sandor said the Orangemen turned in their top performance of the season in securing the final qualifying spot. They sat third most of the day before being passed by Medina during the final two Baker games.
Senior Austin Dennis led Ellet and the tournament with a 692 series, followed by juniors Logan Bennett (623) and Owen Hopkins (517).
“We did just about everything right today. Austin Dennis, our anchor, was out of his mind. HIs mental focus was just off the charts,” said Sandor, whose team missed the cut by 247 pins a year ago. “I think he had only two non-strikes during Bakers. Him and Logan shot over 600 and just made their spares.”
“This is really a transition year for us. One brand new bowler (Caden Saller) as a senior bowled all three games and all the bakers and really stepped up. And (Hopkins) has a 150 average and shot 517 today. Just the mental effort was big for us. They worked hard all year.”
Sandor felt the efforts of Dennis and Bennett were key.
“This is the best we’ve bowled all year … it wasn’t even close. They fought for each other and cheered each other on,” Sandor said. “Being this shot was more difficult, they just came to play and focused. Austin and Logan really led them.”
Medina turned in the high Baker series of 1,227 (204.5 average). The Bees sat sixth after four Baker games, 27 pins behind Hoban for the final qualifying spot. But they shot 221 and 226 the final two games to jump the field and into a district berth.
“I just told the guys this is it, our last time, let’s go get it and put good Bakers up,” Medina coach Jarrod Rodriquez said. “We struggled the first two Bakers (172-171), but I told the guys they have to want it and they showed up.
“The energy went up. We had good energy all season and we finished it out. Teamwork was the key today. We really didn’t have one guy who really shined. Everyone showed up when we needed it most.”
The Greater Cleveland Conference champions were led by senior Cameron Lupica with 591. He was the lone Medina player to bowl all three regular games, although freshman Shane Rodriguez had 225 in Game 3.
“Our goal was to come in, have fun and finish out the season,” Jarrod Rodriguez said. “That was pretty good motivation for them.”
Although Cuyahoga Falls never fell below second all day, Bakers again were a struggle for the Black Tigers with 1,080 (180 average).
“The three normal games wee great. Bakers … we have some work to do,” Cuyahoga Falls coach Dan Stuczynski said. “But they played as a team in the three regular games and we had three kids average over 200 so I’m really proud of them.”
Senior Robert Rompf led the Black Tigers with a 659 series, finishing as tourney runner-up overall. Senior Adam Walters and sophomore Jonathan Rasch both shot 632 to finish among the top five individuals.
“In the Bakers, we had a couple of tough breaks on first shots, let it get to our heads a little bit and missed some spares,” Stuczynski said. “I still think bowling is 90 percent mental, so if we can keep that 100 percent strong, we’ll be in a good spot.
“We’ll continue to practice our spares. But I’m confident that we’ve got this.”
INDIVIDUALS MOVE ON
Valenzeano turned in the top qualifying individual score with 624, finishing sixth overall.
Wiggers (577), Kleinman (561) and Higham (555) were14th through 16 individually.
Higham gained the final individual spot by just one pin over Walsh Jesuit’s Ryan Tackett and Copley’s Michael Molnar and four over Buckeye’s John Ambrose.
Although no hardware goes with a sectional title, it still was a goal for Esterle when he saw where the Hornets stood in the standings.
“It does mean something to win. I told them after the first three games that we have a chance to win this thing, so let’s do it,” Esterle said. “We’re getting our (district) spot, but let’s win it.
“We’re here, so did I want to win? Yes, once I knew we had a chance.”
But a win next week at district would be that much sweeter after a Valentine’s Day victory.
NOTEBOOK: Teams again bowled on their own pair of lanes, moving after each game and after every two Baker games. … High team game was by Highland with 1,082 in Game 2 after shooting 1,071 in Game 1. … Highland and Medina each had 228 in the Bakers to lead. Medina shot 209, 228, 221 and 226 over its final four Baker games — the only team with four 200 games. … Barberton had just four bowlers and did not participate in Bakers. …Kasper turned in the high individual game of 252, with Romph and Slatkovsky shooting 248. .. Only four pins separated Medina, Tallmadge and Hoban for the fourth sport after the three regular games. The Blue Devils shot just 114 and 139 their final two Baker games to miss the cut by 238 pins. … Our thanks to tournament director Ray Stalnaker for his assistance with this report.
