Spartans double their state titles

Boardman High’s two state team championships for the school have been by the ladies.

When Boardman’s girls bowling team won the state title last week, it marked the first since the school’s softball team championship in 2001.

“All year long, I’ve been telling the girls that they were the best team in the state,” Coach Al Dohar said recently, following his girls’ bowling crown at Shawnee Lanes in Chillicothe last week.

Boardman was 14-0 in head-to-head regular-season matches and won five of six tournaments in which it competed.

With 15 other teams at state, Boardman bowled through three regular and three Baker games to take the No. 2 spot after the field was cut to the top eight.

In head-to-head best-of-five Baker competition, the Spartans beat No. 7 Coldwater, 3-0, in the quarterfinals and No. 3 Hubbard, 3-0, in the semifinals. Boardman then beat Westerville Central, 3-1.

In the championship match, Boardman won the first two games, then lost the third.

“We blew a couple spares and had a couple splits,” said Dohar, “but in the fourth game, we won by 14.”

One indication of Boardman’s strength early was in the Kickoff Classic in Columbus where the Spartans finished fourth, ironically, to the team it beat for the state title: Westerville Central.

In the semifinals of the Kickoff Classic, Boardman lost, 3-2, but climbed uphill since.

In the district meet at Hall of Fame Lanes in Canton, the Spartans were runners-up to Canton GlenOak, losing by a total pinfall count of 14.

“Those were the only two blemishes on our record all year,” said Dohar.

At Chillicothe, Tiffany Terlecki made first-team all-state, Ciarra Moran was second team and Amanda VanFossan was honorable mention.

“Terlecki is one of the bright spots coming back,” Dohar said of the junior who had a team-best 642 at state.

Ciarra Moran averaged 221 in regular games all season and had 639 at state.

“She was a down a little, but not enough to hurt her,” Dohar said of Moran’s output.

Terlecki placed fifth, Moran was eighth and Van Fossan finished 13th with 615. Hubbard sophomore Samantha Dudley had an area-best third with 652 and also gained All-Ohio as did Eagles teammate Amanda Cornell with a sixth-best 641.

Moran, Van Fossan, Rachel Dugan and Angela Kaczowka are seniors; Tiffany Dugan and Tiffany Heffron are other juniors and Becca Babnic is a sophomore.

Tiffany Dugan was one of the starters at state.

Moran also qualified for state twice as an individual her freshman and sophomore years and as a junior with the team. Moran’s previous state appearances resulted in finishes of 43rd and seventh and then third in 2009.

The Federal League provided good competition, but Dohar was insistent that the Spartans include area teams on his schedule.

“We made sure we booked Hubbard, Fitch, Struthers, Canfield, Harding, Mooney and Ursuline,” Dohar said of quality programs locally.

“We don’t want to lose our local ties. We believe that this area is as strong as any in the state.”

Also out of league, Boardman bowled against Garrettsville Garfield in a regular-season match in January. Garfield had a nearly decade-long 99-match home winning streak before the Spartans snapped it.

Next year, Boardman added Cuyahoga Falls to its 22-match season.

In the three years the Federal League has had sanctioned bowling, Boardman’s girls have finished second, first and first.

Moran, Rachel Dugan and Kaczowka were also first-team All-Federal League selections.

Dohar is assisted by his brother, Michael, and son, John.

Noteworthy

Tom Simon had back-to-back 300s and 846 in L & M Mixed Doubles at Holiday on March 1. Simon’s opening game was 246.

Ray Grow’s 837 in Belchyk/Action Plumbing Classic at Holiday included a 290.

Barb Baker’s 702 was the top set and Susan Mineo’s 297 was top game in C-G Pro Shop at Wedgewood on March 2.