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Lake TWP, Ohio —
With its first round of Federal League play in the books, the Lake boys varsity bowling team isn’t far from where coach Richard Nelson thought it would be.
At 3-6 and 2-4 in Federal League play, the Blue Streaks have managed to hold their own with a tough conference schedule that includes perennial powers North Canton and Perry.
“We may not quite be on the level of a North Canton or a Perry, but we will definitely continue to battle them,” Nelson said of his young squad.
The Blue Streaks have shown growth through their first nine matches of the season, including league wins against Jackson and GlenOak.
Sophomore Tyler Nelson, the Blue Streaks’ leading scorer through nine matches with an average of 212, had a cumulative score of 416 in a narrow road loss to Alliance, and sophomore Jeff Jagger was close behind at 392. In a roll-off, the Aviators were able to take advantage of their home lanes for a 47-39 edge.
Jagger’s brother Jeremy, senior Trevor Nelson and junior Quinton Hughey round out the starting five. The group has developed a palpable chemistry through the early weeks of the season, according to their coach.
“I have six guys total on varsity and our sixth guy, David Oxford, at any point I can pull him into a match and he fits right in. There is good camaraderie, and the guys pull together well. I can see the team battling through adversity and getting through their struggles a little quicker,” Nelson said.
With two big tournaments coming up in the final week of the year, the Blue Streaks have a chance to break from match play and compete in a more high-profile setting with a post-Christmas tournament at Midway Lanes and a New Year’s Eve tournament at their home venue, Park Center Lanes, where they are the defending champs.
With another round of Federal League competition looming after the holidays, the Blue Streaks could use two strong performances in their upcoming tournaments to propel them into the second half of the year.
“Consistency is the biggest challenge right now, being able to bounce back from a bad frame,” Nelson said. “But I’ve seen a team that is coming together, and one of the key things with a young team is continuing to get that experience.”
With its first round of Federal League play in the books, the Lake boys varsity bowling team isn’t far from where coach Richard Nelson thought it would be.
At 3-6 and 2-4 in Federal League play, the Blue Streaks have managed to hold their own with a tough conference schedule that includes perennial powers North Canton and Perry.
“We may not quite be on the level of a North Canton or a Perry, but we will definitely continue to battle them,” Nelson said of his young squad.
The Blue Streaks have shown growth through their first nine matches of the season, including league wins against Jackson and GlenOak.
Sophomore Tyler Nelson, the Blue Streaks’ leading scorer through nine matches with an average of 212, had a cumulative score of 416 in a narrow road loss to Alliance, and sophomore Jeff Jagger was close behind at 392. In a roll-off, the Aviators were able to take advantage of their home lanes for a 47-39 edge.
Jagger’s brother Jeremy, senior Trevor Nelson and junior Quinton Hughey round out the starting five. The group has developed a palpable chemistry through the early weeks of the season, according to their coach.
“I have six guys total on varsity and our sixth guy, David Oxford, at any point I can pull him into a match and he fits right in. There is good camaraderie, and the guys pull together well. I can see the team battling through adversity and getting through their struggles a little quicker,” Nelson said.
With two big tournaments coming up in the final week of the year, the Blue Streaks have a chance to break from match play and compete in a more high-profile setting with a post-Christmas tournament at Midway Lanes and a New Year’s Eve tournament at their home venue, Park Center Lanes, where they are the defending champs.
With another round of Federal League competition looming after the holidays, the Blue Streaks could use two strong performances in their upcoming tournaments to propel them into the second half of the year.
“Consistency is the biggest challenge right now, being able to bounce back from a bad frame,” Nelson said. “But I’ve seen a team that is coming together, and one of the key things with a young team is continuing to get that experience.”
