Canfield, Fitch, Champion bowlers off to state

Ben Shoman rolls historic 800 series

By greg gulas

sports@vindy.com

WARREN

Canfield High’s Ben Shoman didn’t feel as though Sunday would be an extraordinary day.

He did, however, expect his Cardinals’ team to finish in the top five and advance to next week’s state bowling championship in Columbus.

Shoman’s 289 roll and 813 series, both career highs, topped all individual charts at this year’s northeast district championship as Canfield (4,187) finished runner-up to Fairport Harding (4,225) at Crest Lanes.

Two other area teams — Austintown Fitch (fourth, 4,082) and Champion (fifth, 4,073) — qualified for the state tournament, joining Cleveland Benedictine (third, 4,151) as the five district representatives.

“It was just a feeling when I got up, but I really didn’t expect to bowl that well today,” Shoman said. “My mindset is to always bowl my best and help the team, but today just happened to be a career day and I’ll take it.

“Going to the state for the very first time is a great feeling,” Shoman said. “If we keep bowling like we did today, then we’ll be fine next weekend.”

Shoman’s 813 series was the first 800 series in northeast district competition since the Ohio High School Athletic Association began sanctioning in the 2006-07 season.

The only thing separating Shoman, a sophomore, from perfection was a pulled ball.

“I already had a strike in the 10th frame but pulled the ball to the left on my 11th throw,” Shoman said.

Shoman’s teammate, Andrew Letscher, rolled a 698 series which was second best overall while his 255 roll was sixth overall.

“I got up in the morning and threw up twice,” Letscher said. “Being sick, I started out slow so to finish with a 698 was a good finish. Ben was phenomenal today and the key to our second-place finish.”

Canfield coach Carl Hurd is in his seventh season. He said making a first trip to the state is an extremely gratifying feeling.

“It’s a very exciting time for our team, especially the seniors,” Hurd said. “They’ve worked hard all season long and this is their reward.

“I cannot say enough about Ben and Andrew’s performance today,” Hurd said. “Both players stepped up when the others were struggling and that was the key.”

Fitch, which finished fourth overall at the state a season ago, will join the Falcons girls team as the only school from the northeast district to qualify both teams for state.

“These boys have worked hard all year,” Falcons coach Dino Balkan said. “We started to peak right before sectionals and during both sectional and district competition it was like no one could miss.”

Fitch’s Kyle Codrick rolled a 246, which was good enough for 11th overall, but the Falcons still remained seventh heading to the Baker portion of the meet.

“The mood was energetic for everyone today,” Codrick said. “We struggled our last game, but in Baker’s we kicked it up a notch and that was the difference.

“During the season we weren’t as strong in Baker, but started to come around starting in the sectionals,” Codrick said.

D.J. Learn, who had a 524 series, is one of five seniors on the Falcons’ squad.

“The Baker’s did it for us today,” Learn said. “It’s just a great feeling to know that the seniors will end their careers with a trip to the state, also knowing full well that we have the talent to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish.”

Champion missed the roll-off by eight pins at last year’s state competition, but did have the state individual champion in Dan Simmons.

They also will rely on Jared Gould, who rolled a 631 series, He was 16th overall.