Mechanicsburg finished the 12-game qualifying round with the seventh-best total (2,253) to make the 10-team cut. Centerville (2,590), Xenia (2,538) and Butler (2,415) finished 1-2-3 to also advance.
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That didn’t intimidate the Indians, though.
“I felt like we had a shot at it from the second we walked in,” Mechanicsburg freshman Peyton Leeson said.
Mechanicsburg (419) finished third in the two-game quarterfinal round behind Centerville (444) and Fairborn (429). The Indians (427) had the highest total after the semifinal round and carried that momentum into the finals. Mechanicsburg’s team of Elijah Mayberry, Bryen Dewitt, Deacon Morgan, Jack Wolf, Aiden Shelton, Andrew Lynch, Ethan Edwards and Leeson capped off the final round with 496. Butler (456) finished second and was followed by Centerville (435) and Xenia (398).
“I was hoping for it,” Mechanicsburg coach Matt Mayberry said. “We have some incoming freshman that are really good. We have a senior and some middle classmen who are very good. I thought they were more than capable of doing it.
“They’ve been bowling since they were little guys, most of them. They’ve been bowling a long time.”
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Mechanicsburg is 14-4 overall in dual matches and 6-1 in the Ohio Heritage Conference, one game behind Greenon for the conference lead. The Indians have the top three bowlers in the OHC with Leeson leading the conference with a 209.3 average. Shelton is second at 200.4 and Mayberry third at 200.3. Those three are the lone OHC bowlers averaging 200 or better.
“Nope. No nerves,” Leeson said of facing the GWOC juggernauts. “Just throwing the same shot as always and bowling. … Everyone is happy. Win or lose we had a good day bowling.”
Kenton Ridge also qualified for the semifinal round.
Greenon’s girls gave Xenia a run in the final round before finishing second at the Bash. Xenia won with 360 (202-158) and Greenon finished at 354 (187-167). Centerville (127-175—302) was third and Mechanicsburg (155-103—258) was fourth.
Mechanicsburg was fifth and Greenon sixth in qualifying in the 14-team field. The top eight teams advanced to the quarterfinals.
“We’re a young team. We have one senior and the rest are sophomores and freshmen,” coach Josh Gossett said. “I think we’re going to be strong for the next three or four years. I was impressed with how well they bowled today, but I know they have the talent.”
Greenon’s team of Lacey Webb, Jada Jones, Taylor Blanton, Mikayla Blair, Mackenzie Blair, Makenzie Gossett and Kay Devore is 10-4 overall in dual matches and leads the OHC at 5-0. The Knights came 66 pins from qualifying for the state tournament last season.
“I just wanted to make the cut,” said coach Gossett, whose team missed last year’s Baker Bash due to the weather but was granted permission to travel Monday. “We had a chance to win it at the end but had too many single pins open.”
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