COLUMBUS — Sam Massie had a big day. Clinton-Massie did not.
At the OHSAA Division II Boys Bowling Championship tournament at HP Lanes in Columbus, Massie finished as the fourth overall individual, earning first-team All-Ohio honors.
“He carried the team,” Clinton-Massie coach Tyler Hayslip said. “Sam was dialed in from (Thursday) at practice and he did not miss a beat (Friday). He was just a different type of focused. He showed the reason why he is a good bowler.”
Last season, Mason Keck finished as state runnerup. The team was eighth overall in 2023, losing to No. 1 seed and eventual state runnerup Coldwater in the first round of match play.
As a team on Friday, the Falcons were ninth in the qualifying round but only the top eight advanced to the match play round.
Marion Pleasant won the tournament, defeating Coventry in the championship match.
“We missed some easy spares,” Hayslip said. “We got to the baker round and kinda lost steam, lost our identity with making sure we’re staying clean (no open frames). They put a little extra pressure on themselves.”
Clinton-Massie started well with a 1,018 game. Massie led with a 268 game but Keck had a 239 as the Falcons soared. But they followed that with an 851 game, basically taking all the lustre off that first-game shine. They came back with a 956 game.
Hayslip said the team was excited after the opening but the second game was completely out of character.
“We had some poor shots,” Hayslip said. “We didn’t make spares like we should have.”
The team was eighth after the first three games, which was good enough to make the final cut. But there were three baker games to go before the Falcons moved on to match play.
However, the Falcons were not able to regroup in the baker games. They had games of 169, 183 and 158.
“Shooting 510 baker three games was frustrating and everybody was frustrated,” said Hayslip. “They didn’t have the confidence going in to the bakers like I thought they should have.”
Each of the past two seasons, the Falcons have graduated just one starting member of the team — Gavan Hunter in 2023 and Brandon Moritz this coming spring.
So there will be plenty of talent coming back for a third straight state tournament and, this time, a bigger finish in the team standings.
“The kids left today … upset,” Hayslip said. “They left and they left a little hungry, upset that they didn’t pick up their senior. I think they had a little crawl in the stomach, a little fire.
“A lot of time is going to have to be put in during the summer. It’s going to make them better and make us better as a team and that gives us a chance to come back for a third state run.”
SUMMARY
March 1, 2024
OHSAA D2 Boys
Bowling Championship
@HP Lanes
TEAM 1018, 851, 956 (2825) bakers 169, 183, 158 (510) 3335
CM: Sam Massie 268, 192 232 (692) Wyatt Smith 198, 211, 164 (573) Mason Keck 239, 123, 192 (554) Corvin Pittenger 186, 165, 189 (540) Brandon Moritz na, 160, 179 (339)
