State qualifiers
(Top 5 district placers advanced to the state tournament)
Teams
1. Fairmont 4,567
2. Fairborn 4,464
3. Troy 4,425
4. Kenton Ridge 4,417
5. Mechanicsburg 4,340
Individuals
1. Chris Eldridge, Fenwick 760
2. Trent Knoop, Sidney 736
3. Cody Goodlett, Middletown 708
4. Jared Brewer, Glen Este 706
5. Brian Knotts, Butler 699
MIDDLETOWN — Fairmont bowling coach Rex Wolfe is a man of his word.
No sooner had the Firebirds finished their final game at the boys Southwest District championship than Wolfe, clippers in hand, made a beeline for the restroom. He came out minutes later, minus the goatee he has had for more than a decade.
“My face feels a little cold, but it was worth it,” he said.
The Firebirds won the boys district title at Eastern Lanes in Middletown on Monday. Fairmont led after the first three games and maintained its lead through Baker play. Greater Western Ohio Conference foes Fairborn and Troy were second and third, respectively, with Kenton Ridge and Mechanicsburg rounding out the state qualifying teams.
A state trip has been the Firebirds’ focus since this time last year when Fairmont missed the cut. It was the first time in the 10-year history of the state tournament that Fairmont did not advance.
“Not to take anything away from any of the teams that qualified last season, but it was us beating ourselves last year and that made it even worse,” Wolfe said. “So this is what we’ve wanted ever since.”
The Firebirds came out firing as juniors Zach Grubb (724) and Ryan Wolfe (698) were both in the top 10 after the first three games. Grubb, however, was quick to downplay the fact that he had the fifth highest series among the more than 150 district bowlers.
“We won as the Fairmont Firebirds and that’s all that matters,” Grubb said. “Losing here last year gave us the inspiration we needed to get to state this year.”
Well, that and the added incentive of having their coach clean-shaven.
“We did it for the hair,” Grubb said, smiling.
While Wolfe, too, was smiling Monday, another win will mean he loses even more hair.
“If they win state, I told them I’d shave my head,” he said.
Wolfe’s clippers will be packed and ready to go as the Firebirds head to Columbus for the state tournament Friday and Saturday.
FINALLY: The Fairborn boys got a fair share of ribbing from their female counterparts over the past decade. The Fairborn girls, after all, qualified to state seven consecutive years starting in 2003 and won the state title in 2006.
The boys came close the past two seasons, missing the state cut by a total of 27 pins at the past two district meets, but never advanced — until now.
The Skyhawks clinched their first state berth with a second-place district finish.
“We thought we had it with this team and it came to fruition,” Fairborn coach Jack Gregory said.
While Wolfe lost some hair as a result of the district title, the state-bound Skyhawks plan to give their coaches dye jobs as Gregory and coach Jeff Fulton will soon be brunettes.
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