By BILL SNIER
COLUMBUS — It was a record-setting conclusion to Division II state bowling tournament weekend Saturday at HP Lanes.
Bellefontaine Benjamin Logan earned its first boys title with a 3-2 best-of-five Baker System match play win over defending champion Marion Pleasant in OHSAA Division II boys finals.
It came after Marion Pleasant, which stopped Coventry to earn the title a year ago, opened the title match with a 300 — the first Baker System 300 game in Division II state tournament history.
But the two teams saved the best for last as Benjamin Logan earned the title with a 270-257 win in Game 5. Benjamin Logan was the No. 7 seed following qualifying.
Marion Pleasant, the No. 4 seed, stopped No. 1 seed Coldwater 3-2 in the semifinals, winning Game 5 253-203. Coldwater finished qualifying with 4,456 total pinfall, 161 pins in.front of second-place Mechanicsburg.
Coldwater’s three-game regular game total of 3,347 was just 20 behind its own state Division II tournament record set in 2016. This was the Cavaliers’ 12th state appearance with five state titles.
Marion Pleasant was making just its second state appearance after its 2024 win.
Senior Jarrett Buckenroth led Logan with a 738 series, good for fourth overall, and senior Landon Stoodt added 691.
Pleasant, which returned six players from its 2024 title squad in then its first state appearance, was led by senior Dawson Hall’s 652 series, sophomore Tucker Ludwig with 631 and sophomore Bryan Brandt with 612.
COMING UP SHORT
Two other area teams fell short in their quests to reach match play.
Rootstown, making its third state appearance, held down the final qualifying spot following the three regular games. But the Rovers had two Baker games of 167 and 158, finishing with 3,881 — 39 pins out of the cut.
“We didn’t get much carry and we missed way too many one- and two-pin spares. If we don’t do that, we shoot between 1,020 and 1,060 every game,” said Rootstown coach Thom Butcher, whose team did shoot 1,004 in Game 3.
“It is what it is. Those two Bakers, I have no idea what happened. They felt some pressure and couldn’t get past it. In that 158 game, we missed three easy spares in the middle of the game. That doesn’t help much.”
Rootstown senior Justin Miller also bowled just one week after having surgery.
“He did well in Bakers when he caught his second wind,” Butcher said. “But he wasn’t carrying in the second game and he missed some corner-pin spares that he usually doesn’t. He said he was fine, but …”
Senior Nick Moorehead led the Rovers with a 666 series, but shot just 189 in Game 2.
“When I saw the ball he was throwing in the second game wasn’t finishing, I should have had him switch out … and that’s on me,” Butcher said. “But they were grinding, trying as hard as they could.”
Miller finished with 569 and senior Anthony Cambareri added 570 for the Rovers, who have just four players overall returning next season.
“All but one were seniors here, so I have no idea what’s going to happen next season,” Butcher said.
Carry also was a problem for East District champion Indian Valley, which finished 16th overall with 3,397. The Braves struggled in Bakers, with a high game of 163.
“Starting right out, we were sticking pins and the boys got upset and really never recovered,” Indian Valley coach Bryce Miller said of his team, which was making its first state appearance.
“You try to calm them down and the nerves get them and I guess that happens. It sure is disheartening. We’ve worked on that all year … we know we’re better than that.”
The Braves, who also battled illness among a couple of starters all week, will have six players returning, including two freshman starters. They were led by senior Colton Long’s 632 series and 549 from senior Brent Irwin.
Champion, the Northeast District champion, also struggled, finishing 15th with 3,673 — 682 pins less than its winning score at Roseland Lanes. The Flashes high regular game was 962.
Senior Garrett Martin, who shot 300 during the district, led the Flashes with 619 and junior Derrick Campbell added 571.
NOTEBOOK: Attendance both days in Division II was at 750 fans. … The boys teams averaged 986 per game, with a high of 996 in Game 3 among the 16-player field. … Only one player — Degraff Riverside’s Cooper Crouch — was an individual qualifier out of the top 10 scores. … According to OHSAA bowling administrator Emily Mason, no decision has been made or contract signed for the 2026 state championships site. … The format for qualifying was three regular games and five Bakers — a change this season after a vote among coaches to raise the Baker games from three to five. Sectional and district tournaments each have six, but there is no match play involved following qualifying. Match play is best-of-five Baker style. … The Division I teams take the state tournament stage March 7 (girls) and 8 (boys) also at HP Lanes. Tickets are for sale online only at www.ohsaa.org/tickets