By BILL SNIER
COLUMBUS — Perry High School coach Joe Altimore III made it simple before the title match of the 19th annual OHSAA Division I Girls Championships.
“Let’s do what we’re supposed to do and make them have to take it from us,” Altimore told his Panthers. “Lets not give it to them.”
Perry didn’t give it away. Vandalia Butler simply took it Friday at HP Lanes.
The Aviators, making the cut for the first time in three straight trips to the state finals, halted the Panthers’ hopes with a 3-1 win during the best-of-five Baker System match-play finals in a battle of the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds.
It came after the Panthers, trailing by 40 pins in Game 1 of the title match, came storming back with five straight strikes at the end for a 159-145 win to take a 1-0 lead.
“We just basically told them remember it’s a process … that it takes three out of five games to win,” Butler coach Mark Seelbaugh said. “We need to remember who we were and who we are and go bowl our game and our Bakers.
“They did that, and that’s where that mental training paid off. They settled down. The more we advanced, the more comfortable the girls seemed to get.”
Both teams opened Game 2 with missed spares, but both then went on three-strike runs before both teams left 9-pin spares in the fifth frame. But while Perry had just one strike the rest of the game, the Aviators added a double and another strike in the 10th for a 205-194 win.
“If we do what we’re supposed to do, and they beat us, good job. They beat us, and that’s what happened,” said Altimore, who has been a part of nine straight Panthers state appearances, 13 overall. “Game 1 was amazing for us. That team was just so good.”
Butler came charging back in Game 3, starting with four straight strikes while the Panthers finished the game with only four in falling 212-162.
In Game 4, the Aviators started with a double, left a 4-7-10 split in the third, but then covered that with four straight strikes into the seventh. Perry, following a missed spare in the third, ran off three strikes of its own and later added a double into the ninth.
But after Butler had a 7-pin spare to open the 10th frame to give Perry a chance, junior Arielle Clapper, needing a double in the 10th to send the match to Game 5, left a 10-pin on her opening shot. The Aviators held on for a 222-216 win to earn the title.
“I knew I needed to strike out in the 10th frame and the pressure got to me,” Clapper said. “I threw two amazing shots, but they just weren’t the shots we needed.”
Altimore had nothing but praise for his anchor bowler.
“When Arielle first came to us, she was a three-step bowler throwing a backup ball,” Altimore said. “We would tell her something and, in two shots, she did it … things it takes months to learn. She works hard and gives me everything she can give me.
“She knows when she makes a bad shot, she knows why and she fixes it. I’m super proud of her.”
Butler and Perry traded qualifying leads all day, with Butler holding a six-pin lead after the three regular games. The Aviators then outshot the Panthers 889-865 in the Baker portion to earn the top seed.
“We were a little tight in the Baker games, but we finally came through, stuck to our process and the arm swings started to get free and they did well,” Seelbaugh said.
Junior All-Ohioan Elizabeth Koewler led Butler with a 632 series, her career high, and senior Sage Malott added 598. Seniors Jolene Powers (587), Ashlin Conley (568) and Mary Williams (552) also were key for Butler.
“Elizabeth has only been bowling for two years and Sage is our most experienced player. Everyone else was just clustered in there,” Seelbaugh said. “Our fourth and fifth bowlers really were big for us today. They stayed strong and consistent.”
What brought about the change from the past two seasons?
“I think experience and confidence. The first time we came here, most of these girls were freshmen and sophomores and it was a little too big for them,” Seelbaugh said. “Last year, they remembered the first year and they were tight and had a bad first game and couldn’t climb out.
“This year, we put it all together. We do a little bit of mental coaching with some coaches from Miami (Ohio) University and it paid off. They just rose to the occasion.”
THREE PANTHER ALL-OHIOANS
Clapper led a trio of Panthers who made All-Ohio with a 662 series on games of 222, 217 and 223. Right behind her, the first person on second-team All-Ohio, was senior Jenna Boyer with 656. Senior Kiele Poling earned the final All-Ohio spot on honorable mention with 608.
“I know I missed a lot of spares I needed to pick up,” Clapper said. “But finishing second shows how well Joe coaches and how good our program is. We can bowl under any circumstances to the best of our ability.”
Boyer called making All-Ohio “honestly amazing for me … it’s a huge accomplishment from where I started here.”
She said the push to the final match started last year when the Panthers missed the cut to match play by just 19 pins.
“We wanted this so much and we were all so pushed after that happened,” said Boyer, who will be attending and bowling at Indiana Tech next season.
Poling felt the loss was the end of a journey without a good ending.
“It was different for sure. It was something we had been waiting so long for,” Poling said. “It was nice having that energy. Joe has been telling us for so long that it was nice to get there, but it just didn’t go well.
“At the beginning, it felt amazing.”
Although Poling was happy with All-Ohio, she felt let down by her final game of 156.
“I was struggling with my shoulder and had a lot of issues hitting my target. My shoulder was open and then I closed the door and everything went through the nose,” Poling said.
Altimore was proud of his team and the work they put in to reach the team’s first state title match.
“They work so hard all season long. I can’t thank them enough for the commitment they give me,” Altimore said. “I just ask them to trust me and believe in what I’m saying.
“I can’t even be sad. I’m sad because the season is over, but they did everything I could ask of them.”
Junior Alex DeVore also added 594 for the Panthers.
EARLIER MATCHES
The Panthers opened match play with a 3-1 win over Federal League rival Green, despite struggling to a 128 in a Game 2 loss. They won the other games 196-143, 199-179 and 160-158 in Game 4.
“There’s a history there,” Altimore said. “But they’ve had a solid program for several years so props to them for getting here.”
In the semifinals against eight-time state participant Kettering Fairmont, the Panthers had three 200 games en route to a 3-1 win, losing Game 2 190-170.
The Aviators got to the title match with a five-game win over Celina, taking Game 5 201-179 after rallying from a 2-1 deficit to win Game 4 191-170.
UP NEXT FOR PERRY
The Panthers lose three seniors in Poling, Boyer and Avery Wilt, who made several clutch shots to key the match win over Fairmont.
“Jenna is a firecracker. She wants to shoot 900 every time so I have to reel her in once in a while. Kiele worked her butt off. She is as stoic as they come and shows very little emotion, which I have zero issues with,” Altimore said.
“Avery is super smart and will be going to Ohio State. She’s just amazing with all she’s involved with. She’s just a busy kid. But once she’s in a groove she’s fine.”
And about next season?
“We have about four girls that look good coming up as long as they show up for summer camp,” Altimore said. “We have promise.”
And another step has been accomplished.
There is only one left for Perry.