Lakewood Lancers girls bowlers excel in clutch to beat Heath

On Dec 16, 2022

HEATH — Thursday did not start the way the Lakewood girls wanted, but it wasn’t long before the bowling ball began to spin in the other direction.

The Lancers rallied to edge host Heath at Park Lanes during a nail-biting match, 1,722-1,687, between the Licking County League’s top teams. The teams were separated by just nine pins before Lakewood put the match away during the second of two Baker games.

“Personally, I think I do better under pressure because I know, ‘I actually have to do this.’ It was just more fun to play somebody that was really close to us,” Lakewood junior Nevaeh Wall said. “We like really good competition because it makes all of us better.”

Lakewood trailed 770-733 following the first game, but the Lancers flipped the score during the second. Heath won the first Baker by one pin, 163-162, before the Lancers used three strikes and three spares to bowl 157 and put it away as the Bulldogs were done in by six open frames.

Wall rolled the day’s high game of 199, recording four consecutive strikes and six total, and her series of 338 trailed just the 348 from Heath senior Summer Mohler. Lakewood’s Amy Smith and Vica Pletcher each rolled a high score of 155, and Peyton Mellring added a high score of 143 as the Lancers collectively were not at the top of their game but made it to the finish line.

“It was crazy. The first game we did lose, and a couple of us had our heads down,” said Wall, who helped the Lancers win the LCL and Division II district championships last season. “I have been looking forward to this match for a while now, and I really wanted to win. I told them, ‘If you give up now, they already win.’ We didn’t give up. We kept getting marks, kept getting strikes.”

Heath has just two players with prior varsity experience in its lineup, but the Bulldogs, who had their string of five consecutive LCL titles snapped last winter, simply have reloaded. Mohler, who bowled games of 184 and 164 on Thursday, has taken on a lead role, recently recording a personal-best 235.

“The beginning of the season started out rough for me, but I have really been doing a lot better,” Mohler said. “(The 235) was really surprising to me because last year I struggled quite a bit and I didn’t have very many games over 200.”

Kirsten Cheek opened Thursday’s match with a 183, notching strikes on five of the first six frames, and Alexis Martin with a 143 and Kayleigh Goings 132 also started strong. Kat Boyd has a 254 to her credit this season.

Heath and Lakewood will have a rematch Jan. 10 at Village Lanes in Thornville.

“We have a lot of new people on the (varsity) team this year, but we have really grown together,” Mohler said. “We are getting really good. We have been really successful, and we hope to continue to get better and get those higher scores.”

Heath boys stay on top

After rolling his second perfect game on Dec. 5 against Licking Valley, Heath’s Bryce Holmes set a high bar for himself. He was not happy with his games of 177 and 204 on Thursday, but the Bulldogs had plenty of reason to smile.

Heath enjoyed highlights throughout its lineup as the Bulldogs remained unbeaten in LCL play with a victory against Lakewood, 2,003-1,638. Tyler Hudson recorded consistent games of 179 and 183, and Oliver Walton added high games of 160 and 169, Payton Love a high game of 146 and Reese Henderson 144 for the Bulldogs, who rebounded from their first loss to Maysville earlier in the week.

“We play well as a team. We all get along,” said Holmes, the defending Division II district champion. “Attitude is No. 1. That really can bring a game down. … I don’t really get mad at myself. I just try to see what I am doing wrong, take note of it and work on it next time.”

Junior Koda Warren had four late strikes to record a Lakewood-best 188 in the second game, but he was not happy with his 316 series as he and senior teammate Stewart Poulnott stayed on the lanes to practice following the match.

Poulnott rolled games of 139 and 147. Jerry Loudermilk added a high game of 141 and Logan Streets a 133 for the Lancers, who are replacing four players from last season.