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SPRINGFIELD — Northridge Lanes General Manager Chuck Kearney already missed the boat on high school bowling once.

As the manager at Spring Bowl in St. Bernard 40 years ago, Kearney had bus loads of high school students from all over Cincinnati bowling after school.

But when expenses became too high — particularly with transportation — the schools stopped bringing the kids.

"We were never really smart enough to develop leagues," Kearney said. "We should've. We had a lot of kids in there. We should've tried to develop some competition between them.

"It was right there, and we let it slip right by us."

If they had, bowling may not have taken so long to become Ohio's fastest growing high school sport.

In 2006, high school bowling officially became an Ohio High School Athletic Association-sanctioned varsity sport.

There are more than 800 member schools in the OHSAA. According to an OHSAA survey, there were 467 boys and girls bowling programs with 3,280 participants last season.

This season, those numbers have risen to about 550 programs, said Greg Coulles, the Ohio High School Bowling director — and that doesn't count numerous club teams still waiting to earn varsity status from their districts.

Like a lot of other bowling proprietors throughout the state, Kearney understands the effect younger bowlers can have on his game.

"I see growth," said Kearney, who houses both Kenton Ridge and Northeastern at Northridge Lanes. "I don't think it's ever going to step back. The kids love it. They look forward to it.

"We're creating some adult bowlers somewhere down the road — and that's what it's all about."

The proprietors

There are more than 25,000 youth bowlers in Ohio. Without high school bowling, many never would get to represent their schools in a varsity sport.

"It gives the kids who love the sport the opportunity," said Coulles, who also is Centerville High School's head coach.

If not for the bowling proprietors around the state, high school bowling never might have become a reality.

"They're really the ones that wanted this," Coulles said.

The OHSAA wants 150 schools participating in a sport before they'll consider sanctioning it. It wasn't until Commissioner Dan Ross saw the sport in person that it became reality. It was Ohio's first new sport in 13 years.

'A big feeling'

Kenton Ridge sophomore Chris Via started bowling early: as a 1-year-old.

He comes from a family of bowlers and is following in their footsteps.

"I try to bowl every day if I can," Via said, "but I usually bowl five or six days a week."

At 5-foot-6 and 130 pounds, he doesn't look tall enough to play basketball or strong enough to wrestle.

On the lanes, however, Via is a beast. He's averaging 200 pins per match — and he doesn't need to be

6-5 to do it. In high school bowling, students of all sizes can compete.

"It doesn't matter how tall, short, big or fast you are," said Urbana boys coach Phil Baker, who also operates Southwest Bowling Center in Urbana, "as long as you can score."

There also is a multitude of scholarships available at the collegiate level for boys and girls.

"(High school bowling) is a great advantage for kids to accelerate their game," Baker said. "There are a lot of opportunities for that that not every basketball or football player will get."

Via bowls the fifth spot in the Cougars' Baker lineup — where five bowlers take turns rolling frames to compile a team score — meaning he's taken part in many tense moments.

Like a basketball player on the foul line at the end of a game, Via knows his performance may be the difference between a win and a loss.

"It's a lot of pressure, but I thrive on it," Via said. "It's a big feeling."

The team aspect

Although bowling may seem like an individual sport to many, the high school ranks are a competitive team-based sport. The OHSAA awards team and individual titles, similar to wrestling and track and field.

It's also classified as an individual sport by the OHSAA. Any individual who wants to enter the state tournament from a school without a bowling team may do so.

There also is no blackout period for coaches — similar to swimming, gymnastics, golf and tennis — allowing them to spend as much time with their bowlers as they'd like.

Fan support is coming on strong, too. For the Central Buckeye Conference tournament at Northridge Lanes, there were nearly 300 people in attendance Friday night. Bleachers were provided to allow fans a better view.

"It's wall to wall," Kearney said. "It's just jammed. You can barely get in the place. (The parents) are screaming and hollering, not just for their own kids but for their school."

'It's a rush'

On Jan. 18, Kenton Ridge's boys team earned one of its biggest wins, beating powerhouse Stebbins 3,127 to 2,789.

"My hands were shaking the whole time," sophomore Drew Snyder said. "It's a rush."

It was the first varsity win against the Indians in four tries for the Cougars.

"It's amazing, especially when you shoot like that," said Dustin Snyder, Drew's twin brother and teammate.

The Cougars are constantly cheering for each other , slapping high-fives and chanting "1,2,3, Hambone!" after they roll four consecutive strikes.

"You have to keep the spirit up," Dustin said. "We try to stay hot and carry it all the way through."

Varsity versus club

Five schools in Clark County — Shawnee, Kenton Ridge, Northeastern, Greenon and Northwestern — compete at the varsity level. The other schools — Tecumseh, North, South, Catholic Central and Southeastern — all have club teams that receive no school funding but may compete in the state tournament. Many of the varsity teams had competed in the old Simon Kenton High School Bowling Conference before the state allowed teams to compete at the varsity level.

Several schools, such as Tecumseh, should earn varsity status next season. North and South will combine into one Springfield High School varsity program next season. Emmanuel Christian also has plans for a team.

Tecumseh coach A.J. Malloris and his boys and girls squads are the only club team in the Central Buckeye Conference. Both of the Arrows' teams finished with winning records in the league, but no one on a club team will earn a varsity letter.

"It's heartbreaking for the kids," Malloris said. "They're very good, and their record shows it."

Possible roadblocks

Coulles said there are a few things that may hamper high school bowling's growth in other parts of the state.

"I think the biggest problem we're going to have is: Do we have enough bowling centers for everyone who wants to bowl?" Coulles said.

There are 81 boys and girls programs in the Southwest District. In the Southeast District, there are just 11 boys and eight girls programs. There is interest in that region of the state, but a lack of bowling centers.

"(Athletic directors) would say: 'We're interested, but where are we going to bowl?' " Coulles said.

Another problem is lane availability at the centers that do sponsor teams. They're not going to throw out paying customers for high school leagues.

"We want bowling centers to be prosperous," Coulles said. "We have to bowl when they're empty."

'Nothing but good'

Baker, the Urbana coach sees "nothing but good things" to come from high school bowling.

He constantly gets requests from high schools asking how they can make bowling a reality at their school.

Plus, the youth bowlers at his lanes are always talking about representing their school when they grow up.

"There's something for them to look forward to," Baker said.

After two years as a varsity sport, all the hard work put into getting high school bowling a sanctioned varsity sport is finally coming to fruition — bowling is here to stay.

"All we needed was an opportunity," Baker said, "and we knew it would catch on."

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0365

or mcooper@coxohio.com.

By The Numbers

467 Boys and girls high school bowling teams in the state of Ohio last season.

3,280 Ohio high school students who competed in bowling last season, according to an OHSAA survey.

22 300 games bowled by high schoolers in the past two years, according to OhioHighSchoolBowling.com. Five have come from bowlers in the News-Sun's coverage area.

1 300 game bowled by a female high school bowler in the past two years, according to OhioHighSchoolBowling.com.

5 High schools in Clark County that have varsity bowling teams.