LORAIN — After losing two key seniors off of his 2025 state Division I runner-up team, Boardman head coach John Lucansky had a simple message.
“We lose a couple of key guys, but we’ll be back,” Lucansky said after his team’s 3-0 loss in the state finals to Ashland in March 2025.
The Spartans made their coach look like a prophet.
Despite losing All-Ohio player Austin Rule and Don Bagdassarian to graduation, the Spartans will return to state as a district champion as Boardman topped a 21-team field during Sunday’s OHSAA Division I Northeast District boys bowling tournament at Rebman Recreation.
The Spartans, who took the lead after Game 2 for the first time and then led throughout the six-game Baker System round, finished with 4,360 total pinfall. They also posted the high Baker series of 1,286 (214.3 average).
It comes a year after Boardman broke the state record for a three-game set in the Division I state tourney with 3,302. Sunday, the Spartans finished with 3,074 to stand second behind Amherst Steele heading into Bakers.
The top five teams and top five individuals who were not members of advancing teams move on to the Division I state championships, set for 10:30 a.m. March 6 at HP Lanes in Columbus. Sunday’s format was three regular team games and six Baker System games.
Joining the Spartans will be Lake, which earned the first state trip in school history for boys bowling with 4,303, 57 pins behind Boardman; Steele (4,246), which will make its first appearance since 2024; Cleveland St. Ignatius (4,223), which finished fourth at state a year ago after losing to Boardman in the semifinals; and Avon Lake (4,222), which returns after being state runner-up to Beavercreek in 2024.
Avon Lake finished 114 pins ahead of sixth-place Perry (4,108). Berea-Midpark, which was in the top five following the three regular games, finished seventh, 115 pins out of the cut. The top five remained consistent throughout the Baker round.
Senior Brayden Rudge led the Spartans with a 651 series. Senior Chase Realty added 633 and senior Jessy McCutcheon, also an All-Ohio player a year ago, had 622.
Lake was led by junior Andrew Venus (690) and senior Josh Trent (686), who both finished among the top eight individuals to make the all-tournament team. Junior Noah Earles also had 631.
Junior Cooper Wilson led St. Ignatius with 643 and junior Teague Green added 633. Steele was led by junior Ethan Burich’s 650 series and 644 from senior Garrett Smith.
Senior Jeffrey Toth led the tournament and Avon Lake with a district-high 725, one of three 700 series. Senior Luke Slogar also added 684 and freshman Cooper Poling had 644.
INDIVIDUALS ADVANCE
All five of the advancing individuals made the all-tournament team, with the cut being 685 for those eight honorees.
Louisville sophomore Owen Emerick threw the final six strikes for 200 in Game 3 to shoot that number and earn his first trip to state by 16 pins.
He will be joined by district runner-up and junior Hayden Eagon-Mohlmaster, who shot a district-high 289 his final game, leaving a 7-pin on his 11th shot to finish with 716; Olmsted Falls junior Matthew Jernejcic (701), who finished third overall and shot 258 his final game; Tallmadge sophomore Chase Jonke (699), who had 256 and 248 his first two games; and Twinsburg senior Jeremy Stapleton Jr. (695), who shot 246 his final game.
Eagon-Mohlmaster and Jernejcic were the only two players to advance while bowling as individuals.
The Division I girls will complete tournament weekend at Rebman Recreation at 10 a.m. Monday, with the top five teams and top five individuals again receiving invitations to state.
NOTEBOOK: Nearly 420 fans attended Sunday’s Division I boys event, bringing the weekend total to just over 1,000 so far including the two Division II events. … Tickets must be purchased online for Monday’s event on the OHSAA site. No cash is accepted at the door. … Perry posted the high Baker game of the event with 249 in Game 2. … In all 12 teams shot 4,000 or higher, making it one of the highest scoring Division I district events in history. … A total of 38 players shot 600 or better. … Defending Division I state individual champion Zachary Mayle, a Parma Padua Franciscan sophomore, finished 36th with 601 and failed to advance.