State Bowling Feature: Hillsboro returns to state for 5th time in 6 seasons
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
There is the old saying that the cream rises to the top, and for the Hillsboro Indians boys bowling team for the 2019-20 season that has most definitely been the case. The Indians have restructured their team with various top players graduating from last season, and they have a new head coach, but what has stayed the same is their hard work and effort have left them returning to the state tournament.
This year, the Indians will be bowling in the OHSAA Division II State Tournament, as their most recent visit to state saw them bowl in Division I, where they placed 10th overall. The Indians have a new first-year head coach Dan Snapp, and longtime assistant coach Shane Ison returned to the team after being away last season.
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All in all, with 20 wins as a team and just four losses, the Indians might not have been the same undefeated regular-season team they were accustomed to being, but once the postseason arrived, the Indians flipped the switch.
First-year head coach Dan Snapp spoke about the season and how everything came together for the Indians this season.
“It’s been nerve-wracking. It’s been exciting. Unfortunately, I don’t have a bowling background, which doesn’t help me a whole lot, but I’ve got Shane Ison, who’s helped me tons and taught me,” Snapp said. “Even the kids have taught me about bowling. It’s been a big learning experience for me, stepping in and trying to figure things out.
“They’ve got the talent, and I knew that they had the talent. My son’s bowled for three years and I’ve watched them, so I knew that if they could put it all together, they would do well. They have come together as a team and bowled as a team, and when one person’s struggling, the next person picks it up. It’s been very promising.”
The Indians — who were 10th at the state tournament in Division I last year — were second in the Frontier Athletic Conference Tournament, then followed that with a sectional tournament championship. They came back with another impressive performance by winning the SE District championship to advance to the state tournament this Friday in Columbus at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, as they are just one of 16 teams in the state for Division II to do so.
Assistant coach Ison has seen this program at its very best, and after a break for one season, he’s returned to help the program continue their success.
“The beginning of the year, we had a lot of unknowns. We didn’t even know who our starting five would be. We lost a lot of kids from last year’s bowling team to this year’s bowling team, and watched them kind of grow throughout the season,” Coach Ison said. “I know right before our FAC tournament, we had a little struggle toward the end of the season with some team unity and things like that.
“At the FAC tournament, they kind of came together, and every step since then has been good. It’s been really fun to watch. We had three seniors on our team, and they’ve stepped up right here toward the end of the season, took the leadership role and made the young kids realize how good they could be.”
Hillsboro have three seniors, two juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen on their varsity roster. The leading scorer for the Indians is freshman Zach Ison with a season average of 217, as Ison also bowled a perfect 300 game this season.
Ison is followed by senior Bryce Bledsoe (191), junior Jawuan Jones (189), sophomore Hunter Springer (186) and senior Tyler Snapp (183). Next is senior Hayden Miller (180), and rounding out the season averages are junior Zach Burns (175) and freshman Ovid Wilson (170).
Snapp is one of the three seniors on the roster, as this will be his second trip to the state tournament. Snapp spoke about how even though his individual numbers aren’t where they were last season, he’s still confident in himself and the team.
“This season started off a little slow toward the beginning. We were not bowling as a team, but now we’ve kind of found that. Last year, I averaged 197, but this year I’m averaging lower than that, but I won’t give up.
“Our team winning districts and sectionals has been a confidence booster, and making state, it’s exciting.”
One of Snapp’s best moments actually came at the district tournament.
“I bowled a 256 at districts,” he said. “A few people were struggling, and then me and my other teammate (Ison) bowled over 200. In the first game, I was frustrated, and I just calmed down and then I just kept on going.”
Snapp’s teammate Hayden Miller has battled adversity all season long, but he is now playing his best bowling to date for this season.
“It’s been a pretty rough season because I had a broken hand like right before the season started. I was bowling left-handed actually. I was on JV till like late January, then I got my cast off and I got cleared January 20,” Miller said. “I started bowling two-handed after that. That secured me a spot on varsity, so that was good. Now I’ve got a brace, and I’m actually able to bowl one-handed with it again, so I’m doing it a lot better now.”
Miller also spoke about the team, as he is a two-time state qualifier with the Indians.
“We’ve got a pretty solid team, so I think we’ll do a good job at state and hopefully go further than we have before, which is first,” he said. “We still have a lot of talent, so I think we have a good shot at making the cut. After that, it’s anybody’s game.”
Bledsoe will be bowling in his second state tournament as well, and he described his season as “all over the place.” At times this season, Bledsoe has been at the very top of his game with a score in the 250s at the beginning of the season.
“As an individual, I have been all over the place. Thank goodness we’ve got good alternates to play because I have been all over the place,” Bledsoe said. “A good example, at the Muskingum tournament I went from one of the highest scores there the first game to not even playing after the second game. I just dropped straight off to like 130s or 140s immediately. It was like all the talent was there, then all gone.
“You’ve got to accept that you’re going to make bad shots and make sure you leave what you can make. You can’t get emotional about it. You’ve just got to keep your head in the game and grind it out. I’ve been on a pretty good hot streak all the postseason, starting toward the end of the regular season. I’ve been doing great, scores have been going up, just being a better bowler.”
Like his teammates, Bledsoe talked about the team aspect for this season.
“Since the postseason — sectionals and districts and whatnot — we’ve been working hard, like everybody’s sticking with it and trying to the very end,” Bledsoe said. “That’s all you can do. Just try as hard as you can, as long as you can.
“This year, we really have a more balanced team. Last year, we had two or three guys who could shoot like 250s, no problem. This year, though, we’ve got a lower average, score-wise. We’ve scored lower, but everyone on the team is closer in average. It’s just a more balanced team.”
Like his teammate Bledsoe, Jones this season has also had his share of ups and downs but has overcome them to help get the Indians back to the state tournament.
“As an individual, it started out wonderful. At the beginning, it started great, and then toward the center of it I kind of had a little downfall,” Jones said. “But toward the end, the outcome is I’ve gotten back to my game just mentally, mostly, and I’ve gotten able to shoot well with my team and help them actually get some more wins. It’s been a good process.
“(The process) it’s never what you think. You always think ‘Good, I’m in a good spot.’ You never want to settle at something. You always want to keep trying and improving, because once you stop and wait a second, the moment will just go away.”
Burns is making his first trip to the state tournament, as he’s worked his way from the JV team at the start of the season to now being a member of the state-qualifying varsity team.
“Since the beginning of the year, I was maybe shooting 160s. From then to now, I’ve been shooting 200s and 180s,” Burns said. “I just started focusing more and took it more serious than I usually would. It’s pretty hard because you’ve got to actually keep your mindset and stay focused. I usually, if I have free time, I’ll come out to bowl and practice.”
Burns spoke about the match where his season changed.
“I think it was the Unioto one. I was bowling JV, and I bowled maybe a 220. That’s when they realized I wasn’t bad. The next few matches, I was a varsity alternate. It felt pretty good because I realized I had potential. It’s been pretty good. It’s pretty competitive,” Burns said.
Springer was a member of the state HHS team from a year ago, and though he has seen his share of struggles too, he too has also improved on his season by continuing to put the work and practice time in.
“I haven’t bowled as great as I did last year, but I think I can do good at state,” Springer said. “I had some pretty good matches. I bowled like a 240 or something like that. I think that was when we went against Miami Trace and Washington Court House, at LeElla Lanes.
“It’s pretty fun. I would literally live at a bowling alley if I could. It takes a ton of practice. I swear I’m always at a bowling alley practicing and stuff. It takes a lot of work.”
Though Ison is a freshman, he’s been the standout player for Hillsboro this season as he bowled a 300 game for the first time in his life as it took place in Washington C.H. against the Blue Lions and Miami Trace.
“I had a lot of adrenaline (during the 300 game),” Ison said. Probably the sixth frame (when he realized he was bowling perfect), my dad, Coach Ison, pulled me back and said ‘it’s just bowling, it’s just strikes, it’s OK. You’ve done this already, so many times.’ I was feeling good that day. It’s really rewarding, everyone around you is saying ‘good job’ and complimenting you, recognizing it’s a perfect game.”
Ison also bowled a 266 at districts, which changed the momentum in favor of the Indians after having just a six-pin lead after game one.
“I had a good feeling because the game before, the last five frames I struck,” Ison said, “I struck the first two frames, spared the next two and I struck out the rest of the game. I just tried to not focus on ‘scoreboard watch,’ as our team calls it. Just bowl what you can bowl, and that’s all you can do.”
Fellow freshman Wilson began his season on the JV team, but now is a member of the varsity squad, and he did so with a lot of practice and work.
“I started out on JV, but I worked up to varsity. It’s been very, very fulfilling,” Wilson said “Every day I’d practice and just keep a right mindset. (I would practice) about an hour to two hours every day.”
Wilson spoke about the first game he bowled at the varsity level this season, as he even laughed about the first game he bowled.
“In one of our matches, our alternate spot was open, and our coach brought me up. I actually got to bowl in that match, and I did pretty good,” Wilson said. “I shot around 200. I was nervous. My first shot, I threw in the gutter, but I spared it and I did great the rest of the day.”
Wilson gave his thoughts on the team making state and himself being a freshman on the state team.
“I’m looking forward to the experience and being there for the first time as a freshman. It’s mind-blowing. I knew we could do it. I knew it at the beginning of the season. We were doubted on by a lot of people saying we were too young and weren’t experienced, but we kept at it and did what we could do,” Wilson said.
Coach Ison said he wants to see this group have success at state.
“This is five times out of the last six years. I really want to see them make the top eight because I always tell kids at the state bowling tournament, you have 16 teams, you make the top eight and it goes to head-to-head match play and it’s the best two out of three. If you get in that top eight, any one of those eight teams could win state,” Coach Ison said.
Ison said that he considers the Indians “underdogs” as they enter the tournament, but that adversity may ultimately help the team.
“It’s kind of the underdog story. We’ve been quiet all year,” Ison said. “Some of the past eight teams have won big tournaments and have returners coming back. This year, Zach’s a freshman and he’s the highest average on the team.
“That’s kind of a good thing going in, when you’ve got the bull’s-eye on your back. I think we’re not the hunted this year, we’re the hunters. I like that a little more. I think this team likes that a little more.
“With our making it five out of the past six years I don’t think it’s a surprise [to make state], but I think it’s a little bit of a surprise how well they’ve done this season,” Ison continued. “I think our kids have done great. They’ve come together, they’ve learned, they’ve all improved on their averages, their attitudes, their knowledge of the game — everything from A to Z, I see this team had to work harder to get to this point than a lot of the other former state teams.”
This year, the Indians will be bowling in the OHSAA Division II State Tournament, as their most recent visit to state saw them bowl in Division I, where they placed 10th overall. The Indians have a new first-year head coach Dan Snapp, and longtime assistant coach Shane Ison returned to the team after being away last season.
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All in all, with 20 wins as a team and just four losses, the Indians might not have been the same undefeated regular-season team they were accustomed to being, but once the postseason arrived, the Indians flipped the switch.
First-year head coach Dan Snapp spoke about the season and how everything came together for the Indians this season.
“It’s been nerve-wracking. It’s been exciting. Unfortunately, I don’t have a bowling background, which doesn’t help me a whole lot, but I’ve got Shane Ison, who’s helped me tons and taught me,” Snapp said. “Even the kids have taught me about bowling. It’s been a big learning experience for me, stepping in and trying to figure things out.
“They’ve got the talent, and I knew that they had the talent. My son’s bowled for three years and I’ve watched them, so I knew that if they could put it all together, they would do well. They have come together as a team and bowled as a team, and when one person’s struggling, the next person picks it up. It’s been very promising.”
The Indians — who were 10th at the state tournament in Division I last year — were second in the Frontier Athletic Conference Tournament, then followed that with a sectional tournament championship. They came back with another impressive performance by winning the SE District championship to advance to the state tournament this Friday in Columbus at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, as they are just one of 16 teams in the state for Division II to do so.
Assistant coach Ison has seen this program at its very best, and after a break for one season, he’s returned to help the program continue their success.
“The beginning of the year, we had a lot of unknowns. We didn’t even know who our starting five would be. We lost a lot of kids from last year’s bowling team to this year’s bowling team, and watched them kind of grow throughout the season,” Coach Ison said. “I know right before our FAC tournament, we had a little struggle toward the end of the season with some team unity and things like that.
“At the FAC tournament, they kind of came together, and every step since then has been good. It’s been really fun to watch. We had three seniors on our team, and they’ve stepped up right here toward the end of the season, took the leadership role and made the young kids realize how good they could be.”
Hillsboro have three seniors, two juniors, one sophomore and two freshmen on their varsity roster. The leading scorer for the Indians is freshman Zach Ison with a season average of 217, as Ison also bowled a perfect 300 game this season.
Ison is followed by senior Bryce Bledsoe (191), junior Jawuan Jones (189), sophomore Hunter Springer (186) and senior Tyler Snapp (183). Next is senior Hayden Miller (180), and rounding out the season averages are junior Zach Burns (175) and freshman Ovid Wilson (170).
Snapp is one of the three seniors on the roster, as this will be his second trip to the state tournament. Snapp spoke about how even though his individual numbers aren’t where they were last season, he’s still confident in himself and the team.
“This season started off a little slow toward the beginning. We were not bowling as a team, but now we’ve kind of found that. Last year, I averaged 197, but this year I’m averaging lower than that, but I won’t give up.
“Our team winning districts and sectionals has been a confidence booster, and making state, it’s exciting.”
One of Snapp’s best moments actually came at the district tournament.
“I bowled a 256 at districts,” he said. “A few people were struggling, and then me and my other teammate (Ison) bowled over 200. In the first game, I was frustrated, and I just calmed down and then I just kept on going.”
Snapp’s teammate Hayden Miller has battled adversity all season long, but he is now playing his best bowling to date for this season.
“It’s been a pretty rough season because I had a broken hand like right before the season started. I was bowling left-handed actually. I was on JV till like late January, then I got my cast off and I got cleared January 20,” Miller said. “I started bowling two-handed after that. That secured me a spot on varsity, so that was good. Now I’ve got a brace, and I’m actually able to bowl one-handed with it again, so I’m doing it a lot better now.”
Miller also spoke about the team, as he is a two-time state qualifier with the Indians.
“We’ve got a pretty solid team, so I think we’ll do a good job at state and hopefully go further than we have before, which is first,” he said. “We still have a lot of talent, so I think we have a good shot at making the cut. After that, it’s anybody’s game.”
Bledsoe will be bowling in his second state tournament as well, and he described his season as “all over the place.” At times this season, Bledsoe has been at the very top of his game with a score in the 250s at the beginning of the season.
“As an individual, I have been all over the place. Thank goodness we’ve got good alternates to play because I have been all over the place,” Bledsoe said. “A good example, at the Muskingum tournament I went from one of the highest scores there the first game to not even playing after the second game. I just dropped straight off to like 130s or 140s immediately. It was like all the talent was there, then all gone.
“You’ve got to accept that you’re going to make bad shots and make sure you leave what you can make. You can’t get emotional about it. You’ve just got to keep your head in the game and grind it out. I’ve been on a pretty good hot streak all the postseason, starting toward the end of the regular season. I’ve been doing great, scores have been going up, just being a better bowler.”
Like his teammates, Bledsoe talked about the team aspect for this season.
“Since the postseason — sectionals and districts and whatnot — we’ve been working hard, like everybody’s sticking with it and trying to the very end,” Bledsoe said. “That’s all you can do. Just try as hard as you can, as long as you can.
“This year, we really have a more balanced team. Last year, we had two or three guys who could shoot like 250s, no problem. This year, though, we’ve got a lower average, score-wise. We’ve scored lower, but everyone on the team is closer in average. It’s just a more balanced team.”
Like his teammate Bledsoe, Jones this season has also had his share of ups and downs but has overcome them to help get the Indians back to the state tournament.
“As an individual, it started out wonderful. At the beginning, it started great, and then toward the center of it I kind of had a little downfall,” Jones said. “But toward the end, the outcome is I’ve gotten back to my game just mentally, mostly, and I’ve gotten able to shoot well with my team and help them actually get some more wins. It’s been a good process.
“(The process) it’s never what you think. You always think ‘Good, I’m in a good spot.’ You never want to settle at something. You always want to keep trying and improving, because once you stop and wait a second, the moment will just go away.”
Burns is making his first trip to the state tournament, as he’s worked his way from the JV team at the start of the season to now being a member of the state-qualifying varsity team.
“Since the beginning of the year, I was maybe shooting 160s. From then to now, I’ve been shooting 200s and 180s,” Burns said. “I just started focusing more and took it more serious than I usually would. It’s pretty hard because you’ve got to actually keep your mindset and stay focused. I usually, if I have free time, I’ll come out to bowl and practice.”
Burns spoke about the match where his season changed.
“I think it was the Unioto one. I was bowling JV, and I bowled maybe a 220. That’s when they realized I wasn’t bad. The next few matches, I was a varsity alternate. It felt pretty good because I realized I had potential. It’s been pretty good. It’s pretty competitive,” Burns said.
Springer was a member of the state HHS team from a year ago, and though he has seen his share of struggles too, he too has also improved on his season by continuing to put the work and practice time in.
“I haven’t bowled as great as I did last year, but I think I can do good at state,” Springer said. “I had some pretty good matches. I bowled like a 240 or something like that. I think that was when we went against Miami Trace and Washington Court House, at LeElla Lanes.
“It’s pretty fun. I would literally live at a bowling alley if I could. It takes a ton of practice. I swear I’m always at a bowling alley practicing and stuff. It takes a lot of work.”
Though Ison is a freshman, he’s been the standout player for Hillsboro this season as he bowled a 300 game for the first time in his life as it took place in Washington C.H. against the Blue Lions and Miami Trace.
“I had a lot of adrenaline (during the 300 game),” Ison said. Probably the sixth frame (when he realized he was bowling perfect), my dad, Coach Ison, pulled me back and said ‘it’s just bowling, it’s just strikes, it’s OK. You’ve done this already, so many times.’ I was feeling good that day. It’s really rewarding, everyone around you is saying ‘good job’ and complimenting you, recognizing it’s a perfect game.”
Ison also bowled a 266 at districts, which changed the momentum in favor of the Indians after having just a six-pin lead after game one.
“I had a good feeling because the game before, the last five frames I struck,” Ison said, “I struck the first two frames, spared the next two and I struck out the rest of the game. I just tried to not focus on ‘scoreboard watch,’ as our team calls it. Just bowl what you can bowl, and that’s all you can do.”
Fellow freshman Wilson began his season on the JV team, but now is a member of the varsity squad, and he did so with a lot of practice and work.
“I started out on JV, but I worked up to varsity. It’s been very, very fulfilling,” Wilson said “Every day I’d practice and just keep a right mindset. (I would practice) about an hour to two hours every day.”
Wilson spoke about the first game he bowled at the varsity level this season, as he even laughed about the first game he bowled.
“In one of our matches, our alternate spot was open, and our coach brought me up. I actually got to bowl in that match, and I did pretty good,” Wilson said. “I shot around 200. I was nervous. My first shot, I threw in the gutter, but I spared it and I did great the rest of the day.”
Wilson gave his thoughts on the team making state and himself being a freshman on the state team.
“I’m looking forward to the experience and being there for the first time as a freshman. It’s mind-blowing. I knew we could do it. I knew it at the beginning of the season. We were doubted on by a lot of people saying we were too young and weren’t experienced, but we kept at it and did what we could do,” Wilson said.
Coach Ison said he wants to see this group have success at state.
“This is five times out of the last six years. I really want to see them make the top eight because I always tell kids at the state bowling tournament, you have 16 teams, you make the top eight and it goes to head-to-head match play and it’s the best two out of three. If you get in that top eight, any one of those eight teams could win state,” Coach Ison said.
Ison said that he considers the Indians “underdogs” as they enter the tournament, but that adversity may ultimately help the team.
“It’s kind of the underdog story. We’ve been quiet all year,” Ison said. “Some of the past eight teams have won big tournaments and have returners coming back. This year, Zach’s a freshman and he’s the highest average on the team.
“That’s kind of a good thing going in, when you’ve got the bull’s-eye on your back. I think we’re not the hunted this year, we’re the hunters. I like that a little more. I think this team likes that a little more.
“With our making it five out of the past six years I don’t think it’s a surprise [to make state], but I think it’s a little bit of a surprise how well they’ve done this season,” Ison continued. “I think our kids have done great. They’ve come together, they’ve learned, they’ve all improved on their averages, their attitudes, their knowledge of the game — everything from A to Z, I see this team had to work harder to get to this point than a lot of the other former state teams.”