By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

The high school bowling season is officially here as teams in eight schools sponsor the sport in Portage County.

Those eight schools — seven with both boys and girls bowling teams and Southeast hosting a girls team — are spread among four conferences to compete for league honors, individual titles and bragging rights.

Several of the teams have already started their season as two preseason tournaments were hosted on Saturday.

The Metro Athletic Conference tournament including Field, Ravenna and Streetsboro rolled off at Spins Bowl in Kent and the Suburban League took its teams to Kent Lanes including Kent Roosevelt.

Crestwood and Rootstown in the Chagrin Valley Conference and Southeast and Garfield in the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference, begin its match schedules this week.

With several teams coming off appearances at the state tournament in 2024 and others looking to defend their conference championships, the bowling season will be an exciting one as athletes demonstrate their outstanding abilities on the lanes at local bowling establishments.

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS

The Rootstown Rovers boys and girls teams both won four straight league titles in the Portage Trail Conference and both are looking to repeat that success this season as they join the Chagrin Valley Conference.

The boys team has advanced to the state tournament three of the last five years and the Rover girls earned seventh place at the OHSAA state championship tournament in 2025.

Bryan Boveington will coach the boys team in his first year and Andy Day has coached for four years and will be joined by his daughter, Emma Day, as an assistant coach.

STREETSBORO ROCKETS

The Streetsboro Rockets girls finished in fourth place at the MAC preseason tournament and the boys in eighth.

In that first event, Jordan Brigham earned a spot on the Girls All-Tournament team, rolling a 426 series and a high game of 155.

The boys best was rolled by Cameron Cromlish, a 366 series with a 149 game.

Matt Stump is the Streetsboro coach.

FIELD FALCONS

The Field varsity bowling teams finished sixth for the girls and fourth for the boys in the MAC preseason at Spins Bowl.

Leading the way for the Falcon boys was a freshman, Brayden Burnett.

Burnett rolled a 576 series that included the Falcon boys high game of 227. Also topping the 200 mark was junior Peyton Hover rolling a 202 game on his way to a 519 series and junior Tristen Reuting striking the pins for a 210 game and a 551 series.

For the girls, junior Makayla Doak rolled a 390 high series that included a 139 high game for the Lady Falcons.

Scott Bower and Beth Dyer are the boys and girls varsity coaches this season for Field.

BOWLING PREVIEWS

All coaches are currently providing their previews and expectations for the season with information on athletes provided this week in Portage Sports.

Watch Portage Sports for the outstanding seasons expected in high school bowling circles this season.

BOWLING PREVIEW SCOREBOARD

MAC PRESEASON

STREETSBORO BOYS: John Comely 108-119-130 357, Zachary Kalinowski 81-98-79 , 258, Kamden Silvis 80-88, Nathan Wilson 74-100-98 272, Cameron Cromlish 99-118-149 366, Brendan Neal 69.

STREETSBORO GIRLS: Ava Clark 105-107, Natalie Southerland 87-110, Kendall Clark 116-111-134 361, Amy Rein 131-146-100 377, Jordan Brigham 142-155-129 426, Lindsey Gallavan 100, Alivia Comely 79.

FIELD BOYS: Peyton Hover 202-129-188 519, Chance Balis 141-188-165 494, Brayden Burnett 157-192-227 576, Kalel Holmes 186-146-159 490, Tristen Reuting 188-153-210 551.

FIELD GIRLS: Makayla Doak 139-131-120 390, Teaghyn Clay 128-118-113 359, Melinda Walker 62, Allison Hinkle 122-113-109 344, Kasey Cannon 130-94, Aleayah Smith 101-91, Audrey Flores-Soler 126.