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St. Marys senior Jack Boos qualified for the Division I state tournament with a 621 series at last week's district tournament.
ST. MARYS - With only two teams advancing to the state tournament, the St. Marys boys bowling team ended its season when it finished 231 pins behind Western Buckeye League rival Wapakoneta in the district tournament.
On the ride home, coach Scott Ross got the final results and made an announcement: the season wasn't over for everyone.
Senior Jack Boos had claimed the second and last individual qualifying spot, with his 621 series good for seventh place overall with five of the six bowlers above him on a state-qualifying team.
"Before we realized he was going as an individual, a lot of them were just upset that it was going to be the last time that he was going to be on the team with them, because he's the only senior and he's a super kid," Ross said. "I didn't realize how much the kids were going to miss him until we were done and they were all pretty upset about it, giving him a hug and all that.
"It was a very odd feeling in the van on the way home. All the kids wanted to be happy for Jack, (even though) they were all bummed we didn't make it as a team. But he's such a good team player, he just kept saying 'I just wish it was the team.' But then after he thought about it for a while, I think he was more excited about it."
Boos earned second-team All-WBL honors as a junior as the Roughriders finished runner-up in the league, won the sectional and finished third in the district.
But he was injured at the start of his senior year and didn't regain his top form until late in the season.
"He wouldn't let me take him out, even though there was multiple times I thought he should rest," Ross said. "But it was his senior year, so he toughed it out. He worked through that, and now he's throwing the ball really well."
At the same time, as the lone senior, Boos became the leader for a St. Marys team that last reached the state tournament in 2020, before he joined varsity.
"Leadership-wise, I was feeling pretty good," Boos said. "We've got some good boys on the team, and they've got their own ways, they've got some experience themselves. So I don't try to tell them anything, just try to keep their heads up, get them in the game a little bit more, don't let them get discouraged. So I think with my experience, I can help them get some good shots in, get a good line, help them with what they're doing."
As Boos rounded into form around the WBL tournament, the Roughriders were rolling in with a 9-0 regular-season record in the league. Celina, the 2022 champion, slipped to fourth in the tournament, helping open the door for St. Marys.
Wapakoneta led after the first three games, but the Roughriders made up the ground in the baker games, rolling a 3,667 in the six bakers to beat the Redskins by 92 pins and earn an outright league championship.
"We've had an amazing team and an amazing program, and that's what there is to love about it," Boos said. "I don't care if I had a bad game here or there, a good game here or there, it's the team that does good that I care about. That's what I'm going to miss."
St. Marys won the sectional, with Wapakoneta and Celina right behind to follow the Roughriders to the district tournament.
Ashland repeated as district champion, leaving the WBL rivals jostling for a single spot.
"We did what we could, I was proud of the boys," Boos said. "Obviously, we got third, but I just want them to keep working hard, get better for next season. But it was little things like spares. Spares are what get us going, get us to the higher part of the leaderboard."
But Ross thought he had four or five bowlers capable of an individual berth if the team didn't make it. Dallas Allen of New Holland Springfield took second overall with a 714, but from there the top of the leaderboard was filled with Ashland and Wapakoneta bowlers.
Boos turned in a solid if unspectacular day, and it proved to be enough.
"He didn't have one really monster game, but a lot of kids struggle with lane transition," Ross said. "As the lanes change, they won't adapt quick enough, have a couple bad shots, and then they'll inevitably have a bad game.
"There was a kid there that had a 256 first game for Celina, and in all reality, I didn't think Jack would make it because I saw how high that game started. But his second two games weren't very good. So Jack just plugged away, covered his spares well. I think his high game was only around 214, 215, something like that. Just three real good, solid games."
After he graduates, Boos is looking to become a firefighter, and hopes to join his school's team if there is one or else continue bowling in leagues.
Before that, though, he has one more week with St. Marys. The plan is to head down to Columbus with Ross and his son Will, a freshman on the team, tonight and hopefully get a practice round in before the tournament. Several of the other Roughriders are planning to come down Saturday in support.
This week, Ross has been coaching him on how to target the lanes at Wayne Webb's Columbus Bowl and hoping to get him to take one more good shot per game.
"He probably already throws seven, eight good shots a game, so we're looking for one or two more a game," Ross said. "Just one more good shot a game can put you from 210 to 220. Just one more good shot a game can put you from 620 to 660, and the 660-700 number's pretty good there."
"Just getting it off my hand a little better, looking down lane more, what the ball's doing and whether I like it or not," Boos said. "I just feel like I've got to keep my head up no matter what happens. Represent, obviously a little bit more with me being an individual. Making us proud."
