Experienced roster should lead to more success for boys bowling

By JEREMY SCHNEIDER

IMA SPORTS

When the Maumee boys bowling team took to the lanes to start last season, the Panthers had a young, inexperienced roster. Yet, they nearly qualified for the state tournament.

That roster now has experience to go with its talent, and coach Alex Burton said the success of the last few years does affect the expectations for this season.

“This season most of that youth is now experienced and ready to go for this season, so I am looking forward to seeing this team take the next step,” he said.

The Panthers finished seventh at the Division I district tournament last season. Back from that team are senior Jayden Collins, and juniors Tommy Parker, Antonio Valadez and Josh Pero.

Collins and fellow seniors Sam Johnson and Matt Mullins have been with fourth-year head coach Burton since he started as the head coach.

“When I think about who will step up this season, I have three names that come up — all three of my seniors this season, Jayden Collins, Sam Johnson and Matt Mullins,” Burton said. “Seeing their yearly improvement has me excited to see what they will do in their last season with Maumee.”

Last year wasn’t a one-season fluke for Maumee; it was their second straight trip to the district tournament. The Panthers also set the record for highest win total in program history last year along with the second highest team match and Baker game scores in history.

Every time they head to a match or tournament, Maumee is now among the hunted. According to Burton, his players are dealing well with the pressure.

“One notable difference this season compared to the past is the majority of the varsity roster are returners,” Burton said. “This roster has experience with bowling in high pressure moments, and this will be the key difference when comparing our program with other schools.”

That experience and recent success moves the goal for the Panthers. While making district tournaments is a great accomplishment, they’re aiming for more.

“The past couple of seasons, the Maumee bowling program has proved it is one of the best in the Toledo area,” Burton said. “Last season, we went 12-3 overall and 6-0 against (Northern Buckeye Conference) opponents and qualified for the District Tournament, which made it two straight seasons. With an experienced and strong roster returning this season, I expect we can continue this district qualifier streak and our goal is to make our season last a little longer and qualify for the state tournament.”

Photo courtesy of Pride of the Panthers

Reach IMA at insidemaumeeathletics@gmail.com