BEAVERCREEK — High fives were everywhere as the host Xenia Buccaneers earned girls and boys varsity bowling match wins over Springfield, Nov. 29 at Beaver-Vu Bowl.
The congrats and encouragement wasn’t just within the girls team, or the boys team, or even the junior varsity teams. It was a regular occurrence to see a member from the Buccaneers’ varsity girls team go over and congratulate a boys team member, or to see a varsity bowler give a fist bump or a high five after a JV players’ thrown strike.
Encouragement abounds among the Bucs this season.
“The kids get along really well,” Bucs coach Robert Rose said. “Ninety five times out of a 100, it’s good. But they get along so well at times, that it becomes silliness. It’s a blessing and a curse, but what’s nice is that there is no negative competition between the boys and the girls teams. They’re very supportive of each other. If a girls bowler shoots a 190, nobody’s upset that they got beat by them. Instead, they’re happy for them.
“It’s a blessing for myself and the coaching staff that there’s no animosity on this team. Long term as we get into February, I think that kind of attitude will help this team to become even more successful.”
There was plenty to celebrate in Thursday’s Greater Western Ohio Conference wins over Springfield. The girls team notched a 2,108 to 1,881 win over the Wildcats to remain undefeated through two matches this season; and the boys earned their first win over the still-young season by a 2,270 to 1,890 score.
Senior Kailee Palecek led the girls team with a 191-213 — 404 series. Caity Moody tossed a 188-184 — 372, Gillian Miller rolled a 173-183 — 356, Kelsie Rose turned in a 166-167 — 333 series and Gracie Howell finished with a 127-198 — 325 series in the Bucs win.
“I have five varsity girls back, and a new varsity bowler in Gracie Howell who had a 189 in her first varsity match on Tuesday (Nov. 27 in a match win over Tippecanoe) and backed that up with a 198 game today,” said Rose. “She’s been a pleasant surprise. The other girls have improved over the summer too, so I have some pretty good expectations from this team this season. … Kailee will be a four-year letterman, Caity was Player of the Year last year. They should be a very good squad.”
In the boys varsity match, Cameron McPherson and James McDaniel each rolled two-game series over the 400 mark. McPherson rolled games of 212-204 for a 416 series, while McDaniel had a match-best single game of 241 to go with a 161 for a 402 series.
Sam Bahorik rolled a solid 235 single game, Aaron Adkins tossed a 188, Zane Eneix turned in a 167 and Dalton Hinders rolled a 166 single game in the Bucs win.
Rose said the boys team didn’t bowl very well in a season opening eight-point loss Nov. 27 to Tippecanoe.
“Today we were several hundred pins higher than what we bowled at Tipp City,” he said. “I have seven of what I consider to be very solid bowlers. Springfield has been a district qualifier the last couple years. Although they may have lost some kids, it was still a very competitive match.”
Both Buccaneer teams get back in action at noon on Saturday, Dec. 1 in their first regular season tournament. Xenia has been invited to compete in the Ohio High School Kick-Off Tournament, which will be held at the Columbus Square Bowling Palace, 5707 Forest Hills Blvd., in Columbus.
