The Upper Valley’s 2016-17 bowling season has morphed into one of transition. Gone are longtime coaches and some teams’ best bowlers. But with that comes opportunity, allowing for the development of younger athletes and up-and-coming coaches trying to make their mark.
Stevens High might have the best chance of the bunchto bring home a state championship, with Shawn Wadsworth’s largest senior class in program history and a talented sophomore in Ian Fitzpatrick who could compete for an individual title in New Hampshire. The Cardinals are also riding the wave of optimism surrounding their athletic department after Stevens football broke the school’s long title curse last month.
Vermont bowling, on the other hand, has become an unknown. Top bowlers such as Hartford’s Wyatt Connor and Windsor’s Tristan McMullen and Katey Comstock represented Vermont’s best last season. Now, both programs will have to do what they can to fill in the gaps with all three having graduated.
Longtime Hartford coach Mark Hamilton retired to help bowling continue to grow in the Green Mountain State, leaving Ryan Hoisington to take the helm with a roster filled with underclassmen. Windsor’s Steve Bly, on the other hand, has seniors but is missing his rotation’s punch. He will look to Brandyn LaBarron for big numbers.
Oxbow and South Royalton continue to develop. First-year Olympians coach Kim French will be without top bowler and captain Connor Bean, now at Union College. South Royalton’s Shannon Palone will look to fourth-year bowler Ethan Britch for experience and leadership.
Joey Raymond, Hartford — Hartford coach Hoisington is intrigued with the talent the young freshman has shown in his inaugural season. On a team made up of underclassmen, Hoisington said he will take the long road in developing Raymond into his lineup’s focal point.
Coby Hussey, Stevens — Chase Hussey, Coby’s brother, was a force for Wadsworth’s group several seasons ago. The Cardinals hope, with an experienced varsity roster, that the younger Hussey can also provide that same spark.
Ian Fitzpatrick, Stevens – A lot rides for the Cardinals on this young sophomore, whom Wadsworth praised for his work over the season’s first few weeks. He also represents the team’s future with a large senior class on its way to graduation.
Ethan Britch, South Royalton — Britch, a fourth-year starter, will do his best to replace last year’s go-to bowler, Robert Ingham. In the middle of another rebuilding year for the Royals, Britch could compete for an individual title in Vermont.
Brandyn LaBarron, Windsor — The Yellowjackets’ one-two punch of Tristan McMullen and Katey Comstock, who brought Windsor its second state bowling title and an individual state champion, is gone. It’s a tough act to follow for the senior LaBarron, but if Windsor has any hopes of defending its championship, a lot of it rests on his shoulders.
Coach: Ryan Hoisington (1).
Last Year: Finished fourth in Vermont. Wyatt Connor finished second behind Windsor’s Tristan McMullen for the individual state title.
Home Facility: Maple Lanes, Claremont.
Returnees: Sophomores — Cole Gardner-Buisson, Alexis Johnston, Camden LeBrun, Dalton Lemay.
Newcomers: Freshmen — Joey Raymond, Peyton Wardwell.
Analysis: Hartford bowling is suddenly an unknown commodity after Mark Hamilton stepped down from the program after seven seasons and eight seniors, including top bowler Wyatt Connor, graduated.
Hartford graduate Ryan Hoisington takes over with a group made up of all underclassmen, but he said this season doesn’t feel like the team is starting from scratch, just rebuilding in a big way.
“It’s definitely a rebuilding year for us,” he said. “But a lot of these kids have the determination and the right attitude going into it. I think we’re going to make progress this season. The pieces are in place. … It’s more like a new beginning. These kids are quick learners.”
Hoisington is looking to freshman Joey Raymond to step into a big role in the Hurricanes’ lineup and sophomore Cole Gardner-Buisson to develop into Raymond’s set up man.
“I think we’re going to surprise some people,” Hoisington said.
Coach: Kim French (1).
Last Year: Finished seventh in Vermont. Connor Bean placed 22nd in the state individual tournament.
Home Facility: Gold Crown Lanes, St. Johnsbury, Vt.
Returnees: Seniors — Mikayla Wheeler, Dylan Vaughn. Juniors — Nicole Tuttle, Spencer Penny, Steele LeHaye. Sophomore — Justin Mather.
Newcomers: None.
Analysis: In addition to Bean, the Olympians also lost Montana Miller, who also represented Oxbow at the state individual tournament, along with two other senior starters. Kim French also replaced three-year head coach Seth Bean with a roster that has plenty of turnover.
Justin Mather showed promise in his freshman year and will take another step in his development this season. Mather was Oxbow’s point man in the rotation last season.
Coach: Shannon Palone (4).
Last Year: Finished 10th in Vermont.
Home Facility: Valley Bowl, Randolph.
Returnees: Seniors — Ethan Britch, Phoenix Russell. Juniors — Bradford Jones. Sophomore — Gabriel Howe.
Newcomer: Sophomore — Christopher Lamson.
Analysis: Fourth-year varsity bowler Ethan Britch leads the way this season for the Royals as the team looks to fill the void left by last year’s upperclassmen-heavy roster.
“We lost the power in our team last year, so we are having to rebuild,” said South Royalton head coach Shannon Palone. “Last year, we had three senior boys that were a force.”
Robert Ingham was one of Vermont’s top 16 individual bowlers last season and is the kind of highlighted power that the Royals will need to replace. Michael Howe, one of last year’s seniors, has returned to work with South Royalton’s youngest bowlers, a group of seventh-graders who, the Royals hope, represent the team’s future.
Coach: Shawn Wadsworth (5).
Last Year: Finished second to champion Keene in the New Hampshire state tournament.
Home Facility: Maple Lanes, Claremont.
Returnees: Seniors — Makayala Bailey, Jack Fitzpatrick, Coby Hussey, Sara Wadsworth. Juniors — Riley Dickinson. Sophomore — Ian Fitzpatrick, Matt Szelangowski, Ethan Simino.
Newcomers: None.
Analysis: Stevens head coach Shawn Wadsworth is hoping to ride the wave of athletic success that has surged through the school’s ranks this season with his biggest senior class since Stevens bowling joined the New Hampshire varsity ranks five years ago.
“We had 27 kids come out for bowling this year,” Wadsworth said. “We even had two or three football players join the team. That has never happened.”
Stevens, which lost talented bowlers Dan Simino and Tyler Matheson to graduation, will be powered by sophomore Ian Fitzpatrick, the Cardinals’ most promising up-and-coming bowler. Coby Hussey will have a bigger role to play in a group of four varsity athletes, but Wadsworth said he is eager to see how Fitzpatrick can develop with talent and experience around him.
“We expect a lot out of him,” he said. “He’s got to keep a good head on his shoulders.”
Coach: Steve Bly (5).
Last Year: Won second Vermont state title in three years. Tristan McMullen was Vermont’s individual state champion.
Home Facility: Maples Lanes, Claremont.
Returnees: Seniors — Brandyn LaBarron, Troy McCabe. Juniors — Tatyana Malikowski, Haleigh Bean.
Newcomers: Sophomore — Grace Gonthier. Freshmen — Rayce Gilbert, Grayson Frazer, Jared Storms, Wyatt Bean.
Analysis: The Yellowjackets lost two of the top bowlers in the state to graduation, Tristan McMullen and Katey Comstock, leaving fifth-year head coach Steve Bly with a inexperienced roster and a chance to rebuild the ranks.
“We have a young, inexperienced varsity team compared to what we’ve had over the last four years,” Bly said. “There’s some big shoes to fill with the likes of Katey Comstock and Tristan McMullen. It’s definitely been an adjustement at practices, and it’s hard to replace kids like them. But I’m optimistic.”
Bly is looking to senior Brandyn LaBarron for leadership this season with a team made up largely of underclassmen.
“I’ll be looking to get some big numbers from him,” Bly said.