OAKWOOD, OH - Heading into the District Meet, the Alley Cats were eyeing a second consecutive season, clinching a berth into the State Meet. On Sunday, the Wildcats would compete at Roseland Lanes, looking to take the next step to a State Championship.

In this year's District Tournament, the team held the lead for most of the day but ultimately dropped the last two Baker games, finishing in second place. Youngstown Boardman surged ahead, with impressive performances from their bowlers, including 258 and 237 in the final two Baker games, pushing them to first place.

Sophomore Teague Green led the team with a standout 248 and a 702 series, followed by junior Mason Melgaard with a 256 and a 694 series. Senior Grady Wilson rolled a 253 with a 691 series, senior Tyler Liebert with a solid 225 and 621 series, and sophomore Cooper Wilson shot a 252 in his second game for a total of 468 in two games.

With a three-game total of 3354, the team was 108 pins ahead of Boardman at the break. However, after the break, Boardman posted a 1334 across six Baker games, which was 140 pins better than the Cats' 1194, securing the win. 

The Wildcats finished as District Runner-Ups and are heading back to the State Championship for the second straight season. 

Looking ahead, the team will compete in Columbus on March 8th at HP Lanes, starting at 10:30 a.m. This marks the first time in school history that the bowling team has made it to the state competition in consecutive years. With the memory of last year's near-miss, where they lost by just one pin, they are determined to finish strong and take care of some unfinished business. The team is excited for another opportunity to perform at their best.