Ottawa High School bowling excited to get rolling again

The high school bowling season would normally get started with the first practices in late October/early November. However, COVID-19 has pushed the calendar back a few months.

The good news is teams were given the go-ahead to get going last week, and Ottawa High School bowling coaches – Mark Andrews for the Pirates and Levi Ericson for the Lady Pirates – couldn’t be more excited.

“It’s nice to see the kids with smiles on their faces and having fun. I’m just hoping it can stay like this and we can have a full season.”

—  Ottawa boys bowling coach Mark Andrews

The boys roster this season features three seniors, three juniors, five sophomores and a freshman.

“The seniors on both these teams have worked really hard over the years, so it was exciting and a relief to see they are going to get to compete for however long the season will be,” said Andrews. “It’s nice to see the kids with smiles on their faces and having fun.

“I’m just hoping it can stay like this and we can have a full season.”

The Pirates will have seniors Ty Trovero, Zander Parise and Kevin Hernandez; juniors Colin Sheridan, Dakota Bowers and Theo Woodrum; sophomores Landon McAlpine, Nelson Brandt, Nolan Alexander, Sean Miller and Dustin Gende; and freshman Aaron Goff.

“Ty and Zander will be the captains this year,” said Andrews, “and both bowled very well as juniors, and Nelson was right there in the running for regional last season, so I expect those three to be the leaders on and off the lanes for us. Some of the younger guys got a taste here and there of varsity bowling last season, have come a long way during the offseason and will be asked to contribute more. We also have pretty good depth this year as well, so that’s a plus for us.

“I feel we’ll have a solid team.”

The Lady Pirates will feature a small roster of five bowlers, but Ericson is hoping the facts that four have a ton of experience and they all get along so well will translate into victories as the season moves forward.

He feels with seniors Michaela Boaz and Alex Graham-Harris, as well as juniors McKenzie Lewis, Sara Meyer and Laura Paul, the Lady Pirates have the capability to put together a solid campaign.

“Out of the five girls on the roster, four are returning bowlers,” said Ericson. “The seniors, Michaela and Alex, are both four-year bowlers, and two of the juniors, McKenzie and Laura, have bowled each year as well. We also have a first-year bowler in Sarah, but I think while she’s inexperienced, she’ll really help us and improve along the way.

“It’s has been exciting to see how the girls have progressed over the last couple of years, and I can’t wait to see what they do this season. I know they all worked hard in the fall in our open gyms.”

According to Andrews, both squads are tentatively scheduled to open their seasons on Thursday, Feb. 4, on the road with a match against rival Streator.

“I’m just so happy that they are all able to be here and are getting a season,” said Ericson. “Throughout this school year, there has been so much uncertainty surrounding everything, so to finally see the girls be able to come here, practice, and eventually compete is really a great thing to see.”