“They really started coming together and getting closer as friends,” Beavercreek coach Bob Bobbitt said. “They began trusting and counting on each other.”
They also shifted their goals, from being GWOC champions to state qualifiers instead. The Beavers did one better as Beavercreek defeated Fairmont, 3-2, in the Division I State Bowling Team Championship on Saturday at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
“The kids accepted the challenge and wanted to perform well for themselves and each other,” Bobbitt said. “It was back and forth in the finals; it really could have gone either way.”
The Firebirds led 2-1 in the championship match, but the Beavers came up big in Game 4 with a 225 to Fairmont’s 168, forcing the decisive fifth game. Beavercreek edged out its conference rival, 217-182, for the win and a second state title.
“It’s fun to coach with and against people you know,” Bobbitt said. “And in our conference, all we do is beat up on each other all season.”
The GWOC is a bowling powerhouse, as the past three boys D-I champions are from the conference — Beavercreek, Centerville and Fairmont. The Beavers’ win marks the fifth state bowling title for a GWOC team since 2015.
Beavercreek had more to celebrate than a team title as junior Carson Shroyer won the individual state title, rolling a 707. He edged out a competitive field, as just three pins separated the top three placers.
“Carson has been solid all year, but the last three or four weeks, I’ve seen him pushing a little harder,” Bobbitt said.
Fairmont girl wins state, team 2nd
It could not have been closer for Fairmont sophomore Danica Roseberry, as the Firebirds bowler claimed the girls D-I individual state title by just a single pin. Roseberry edged out Aiyana Godwin, of Troy, 661-660, Friday at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl.
“I was in disbelief,” Roseberry said. “It was really competitive.”
The 15-year-old, who has been bowling since she was 4, is her own toughest critic.
“I am very hard on myself,” Roseberry said. “I hold myself to really high standards and really push myself.”
With a state title in hand, Roseberry also helped the Firebirds fight their way through team match play.
After narrowly claiming the eighth and final spot for the championship round, Fairmont posted head-to-head wins over top-seeded Uniontown Green (3-0) and conference rival Centerville (3-2) to advance to the final.
But Macedonia Nordonia came out on top, 3-0, as the Firebirds finished the season as state runner-up. The Centerville girls finished third.
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