WOOSTER —  The strikes may have not come in bunches early for the Ashland High School boys bowling team but once they got loose, the X’s came in a flurry.

So much so, the Ashland boys captured the first Ohio Cardinal Conference bowling tournament Saturday at Wayne Lanes, defeating runner-up Wooster.

For the Ashland girls, they put up a valiant fight all day long but lost in a five-game Baker Game set, finishing runner-up in the OCC to a talented Lexington squad that tossed a final game 233 set that bested the Arrows’ 173 game.

"They made history," commented Ashland boys coach Mark Dreibelbis. "They started out slow and I got on them and just asked them to focus more because I think they just thought they were going to come here and just go through the motions and walk away with a win and it wasn’t happening today because Wooster came to bowl."

"Then they picked it up, slowed down a little bit and then when the Baker Games started I knew we were OK because they jelled as a team and finally started bowling together," he added.

Two standout bowlers attained Most Valuable Player status in the tournament as Ashland sophomore Haven Leiter led the boys with a 668 series and Wooster junior Allie Leiendecker set the pace for the girls with a 674 set.

Also making the All-OCC Team for the Ashland boys were juniors Jonathan Caugherty (619) and Kage Bartman (599). The other members of the winning Ashland squad were Ethan Fike (585) and Chase Dreibelbis (487), with Avery Brown, Michael Steward and Mason Wrobel also on the varsity team.

"I’m super proud of this team," coach Dreibelbis said. "This is our first tournament win. We’ve been close before and we finally got over the hump."

Also making the All-OCC Team for the boys were Chase Whitesel of Lexington and Wooster’s Garrett Fleming and Justin Huffman, both juniors. 

The Lexington and Ashland girls teams made it a day to remember as they hooked up on a five-game battle to decide the outcome before Lady Lex got hot in the end, dialing in on a number of strikes in the final contest to pull out the hard-fought win. Both teams were given a rousing round of applause for their competitiveness and sportsmanship.

Ashland won the first game 167-163, lost the second by a 192-148 count and fell in the third game by a 162-136 margin before rallying in the fourth game to take a 161-154 decision to send it to a final game. 

"After our singles matches, we were only 20 pins down from Wooster to get that second spot, so I did go and tell the girls to let them know it’s time to stop messing around," Baker said. "Then they really picked it up in the Baker Games. That last game was intense and I just looked over at Lexington and they were just on fire and they didn’t stop. They didn’t even give us a chance to catch them.

"But I’m very proud of my team, they did awesome."

Joining Leiendecker as an OCC first-teamer was teammate Alexis Cichello, a senior.

"It feels really good because I tried really hard and I wanted it, so I just bowled as best as I could," noted Leiendecker, who said the shot was pretty consistent. "It was different between every lane but it was pretty nice, pretty much what I was used to because it’s my home house. Lots of people came from all around and there was a lot of support and also I know the lanes very well so it was nice."

She said her Wooster squad competed right up to the end, missing out on getting into the championship match since Ashland out-bowled them in the end.

"We bowled really well for us, I mean we bowled so well it was either a win or loss but it was so nice." 

Wooster girls coach Tracie Leiendecker felt it was a good day all-around and the final match between the Lexington and Ashland girls made it a memorable first OCC tournament.

"I can only say every time I hear that mentioned I get goosebumps because this is what it’s all about," she noted. "When we started this program — this is our ninth year — we were just a lonesome team that wanted to bowl and we were fortunate enough we got accepted by the Stark County Conference and then we grew our own conference, it’s quite an achievement so we’re excited. Some of the athletic directors came out and were enlightened about what we’re all about and I saw some superintendents, some of the administration from the schools who got to experience this for the first time.

"They want to know what it’s about because it’s starting to grow and grow quick and there was some excitement in the air, down to the finals."

Coach Leiendecker says her Wooster squad battled all day but the Ashland girls were up to the challenge and just bested them for the second spot to bowl in the finals.

"We bowled nine games and I know Wooster for certain missed it by 37 pins, and over nine games, that’s three marks, so you look back and there’s several chances and opportunities we had," she said. "But I have to say Ashland did an incredible job today with their program. It’s only their second year and to look at them both in the finals, a shout out to their coaches for doing a fine job."