LORAIN — Perry High School head bowling coach Joe Altimore III has a simple philosophy when it comes to dealing with his girls team.
He stated it a year ago, when his Panthers claimed a Division I district title at Roseland Lanes.
“What I’ve been preaching all year was you can only do something about the shot you’re about to make,” Altimore said. “You can’t do anything about the one you made a frame ago or the ones you haven’t thrown. You have to stay in the moment and make the best shots you can make.”
It carried the Panthers to their best finish ever at the OHSAA Division I state tournament — runner-up to champion Vandalia Butler.
Despite losing three seniors — two of whom made All-Ohio — the Panthers don’t rebuild. They simply reload.
Perry defended its Division I Northeast District title Monday, taking the lead after Game 3 of the opening three regular teams games and continuing to add to its advantage in claiming its fifth overall district title and earning its 10th straight state trip at Rebman Recreation. The record includes three district runner-up finishes.
The Panthers, who shot a tourney-high 930 in Game 3, added a high Baker System series of 1,119 (186.5 average) to finish with 3,737 total pinfall — 221 pins ahead of the 19-team field. Senior Arielle Clapper,, who finished fourth individually to make the all-tournament team, led the Panthers with 580 and junior Alexis Reeves added 505. They were the only two Perry players to bowl all three games.
The top five teams and top five individuals who are not members of advancing teams move on to the Division I state finals, set for 10:30 a.m. March 7 at HP Lanes in Columbus. The district format again was three regular team games and six Baker System games.
Joining the Panthers at state will be Wadswortjh (3,516), which will make its second straight state appearance and third overall; Austintown Fitch (3,504), which will make its first appearance since 2018; Wooster (3,484), which will be making the first state bowling team appearance — boys or girls — in school history; and Nordonia (3,455), which captured the 2023 state title.
The Knights finished 65 pins ahead of sixth-place Akron Hoban and 93 ahead of North Olmsted in the final standings.
Suburban League champion Wadsworth, which led after Game 2, was led by senior Addison Martin (565), who earned the eighth and final spot on the all-tournament team (top eight scores overall). Juniors Aubrey Masada (523) and Cassidy Myers (522) also aided the cause.
Fitch was led by senior Emma Casey (554) and junior Delaena Iagullli (537). Senior Natalie Barnes (570), another all-tourney team member, led Nordonia and sophomore Madeline Ayers added 513. The Knights moved into the top five after dropping to as low as seventh.
The Generals, who had suffered disappointment in the past two sectional tournaments before earning a district berth, led after Game 1 with 892 and advanced despite a tough Baker stretch with consecutive games of 125, 135 and 136. Junior Mackenzie Jentes led Wooster with 545 and senior Ainsley Shuttler added 509.
INDIVIDUALS MOVE ON
The top three individual state qualifiers — all from nonqualifying teams — finished 1-2-3 in the individual standings.
Medina Buckeye senior Aubrey Reuter led the tournament field with 609, followed by Parma Padua Franciscan sophomore Olivia Hanna (607) and GlenOak freshman Mikayla Tucker (589). Tucker’s sister, Brooke Tucker, was a 2022 individual state qualifier for Canton McKinley.
Joining them will be North Olmsted senior Andi Plowman (579) and Walsh Jesuit junior Marley Draft (575). Clapper was the lone team qualifier to finish among the top six.
This completes Northeast District postseason action. The East District will hold its Division tournament for both boys and girls at 10 a.m. Feb. 25 at Shawnee Lanes in Chillicothe with just one team and one individual advancing to state in a combined tourney with the Southeast District.
NOTEBOOK: Reuter posted the high game with 219 in Game 2. … Perry led after three games with 2,618, 54 pins ahead of Wooster. … There were only five 200 Baker games shot — three by Perry, including a high of 212 after opening with 203 and 202. The Panthers and Wadsworth were the only teams to post 900 team games. …Despite the poor weather 250 fans were on hand, bringing the weekend attendance for district play up to over 1,500 for four events.