By Susan Jenior

Staff Writer

KENT ROOSEVELT PREVIEW

The Kent Roosevelt girls and boys teams are ready to compete this season with new coaches Al Petrosino (boys) and Eric Hartline (girls) leading the way.

The JV team and assistant coaches are Ryan Horn and Cory Hartline.

For Petrosino, it is his first season with the Rough Riders, but his third coaching high-school bowling. He previously coached the Stow girls.

Last season, the Roosevelt boys struggled, finishing with a 2-11 record. The Riders’ girls team was 8-4.

Returning bowlers for the boys include senior Braydon Darkow, juniors Braden Latacki and Bernie Rosenberg and sophomore Eli Logsdon.

The teams are competing in six tournaments this season and the coaches are looking to help rebuild both the boys and girls bowling teams.

“These kids are fantastic to work with and they are willing to learn,” said Petrosino. “We are looking forward to a great season with high games, series and doing very well in our tournaments.”

STREETSBORO PREVIEW

Matt Stump is in his first year as the varsity bowling coach for Streetsboro.

“As a first-year coach, I am excited to take over the program and build a foundation.”

“We will field a varsity girls team for the first time in multiple years and we expect to compete throughout the year and grow as bowlers,” said Stump.

Returning bowlers for the boys include seniors Preston Lytle, Jayden Vyse and Logan Foster. Lytle is a three-year lettermen.

The returning girls include junior Kendall Clark and sophomore Amy Rein.

Stump is looking forward to watching the promising newcomers progress throughout the season, including, for the boys, freshmen Grayson Gano, Bentley Mrak and junior Cameron Cromlish, and for the girls, sophomore Alivia Comely and freshmen Lindsay Gallavan, Gianna Wiley and Natalie Southerland.

“I am looking forward to Streetsboro growing as a team, becoming better bowlers, growing as people and knocking down some pins,” concluded Stump.

CHAMPIONSHIP IN COLUMBUS FOR ROVERS

For the Rootstown Rovers, that trip to Columbus became much shorter and a lot more fun on the way home from the Ohio High School Bowling Division II Kick-Off Tournament.

As both the boys and girls teams qualified for the stepladder finals and enjoyed success, it was the girls team who returned back to Rootstown with the team championship.

Andy Day, coach of the Rover girls, said, “They struggled early and came together as a team when it mattered the most.”

Although earning their way to the stepladder, the Rovers landed in ninth place leading toward the championship rounds.

Four, three-game Baker matches later, the Rovers had defeated Mechanicsburg, Urbana, Napoleon and Bucyrus in head-to-head competition to earn the championship.

“It was a great experience for the younger girls, who bowled JV last season and a bright spot for the two seniors,” said Day.

“I just kept telling them all day that this is good practice for when we come back in March,” concluded Day, setting one of the goals for the team to return to HP Lanes for the OHSAA Division II State Bowling tournament at the end of the season.

The Rovers’ boys enjoyed their own success, finishing in fourth place in qualifying and ultimately earning ninth place overall at the event, with Justin Miller named to the All-Tournament Team in fifth place bowling games 226-214-204 for a 644 total.