Siblings, youth could provide the right mixture for boys’ bowling team
The Worthington Christian varsity boys bowling team lost one of the key cogs from last year with the graduation of Atherton Bunner.
The good news, according to coach Matt Hamilton, is that there are two Bunners left. The Warriors return senior Edmond Bunner and sophomore Sebastian Bunner.
“Bowling is kind of unique because I’ve had a lot of siblings over the time I’ve been coaching,” Hamilton said. “Sometimes (siblings) get overly competitive with each other, but it’s not like that with the Bunners.
“Each of them is so unique, and they are very supportive of each other and help each other. They all have different bowling styles and personalities. This year it’s going to be like having two completely different individual bowlers with the same last name.”
Atherton Bunner, who had a 176.8 average and was a first-team All-Central Buckeye League (CBL) selection a season ago, was the only bowler Worthington Christian lost to graduation.
However, Hamilton believes seniors Nehemiah Smith and Edmond Bunner could play key roles this season. Smith, who had the team’s highest average (209.5), was a first-team selection for the C Division of the Central Ohio High School Bowling Association Conference (COHSBAC). Edmond Bunner (183.8) joined his brother Atherton on the Central Buckeye League’s first team.
“They have the opportunity to do some special things this season,” Hamilton said. “They both broke the school record of 666 for a three-game series with a 671. Nehemiah then came back and broke the record again with a 730.
“They both do a lot of bowling in the off-season. I could see them both averaging over 200 this year.”
Worthington Christian also returns juniors Jacob Sanders (151.6), an honorable mention All-CBL last season, and Ezekiel Blankenship (147.9), as well as sophomore Sebastian Bunner.
Freshmen Matthew Rivera and Ezra Sweigart could be good additions to the team.
Half of the squad is made up of a sophomore and two freshmen, but Hamilton knows how young teams can evolve over a season. He saw that happen with the boys’ team last year when the Warriors had two sophomores and one freshman.
“The young players took that step up to become pretty solid players last season,” Hamilton said. “From what I have seen so far, (our returnees) have improved a lot from a year ago.”
The young bowlers will be tested in the team’s two conferences as well as the postseason. The Warriors came close to capturing both the CBL and the COHSBAC championships in the 2024-25 season. WC was the CBL runner-up with a 5-1 record, finishing behind Whitehall (6-0). Buckeye Valley (4-2), Ready (3-3), Grandview (2-4), Columbus Academy (1-5), and Bexley (0-6) rounded out the rest of the league.
In the COHSBAC’s C Division, the Warriors finished 9-2 to tie Hilliard Davison for second behind Hilliard Bradley (11-0).
WC placed seventh (3,516) at the Division II sectional tournament and was one of 12 teams to advance to the district. Pleasant (4,477) and Heath (3,832) took first and second.
Edmond Bunner was third overall with a 671. Other top finishers for the Warriors were Atherton Bunner (51st, 509), Smith (tied for 57th, 504) and Blankenship (72nd, 477).
At the district tournament, WC took fifth overall with a 3,683, well behind state qualifiers Marion Pleasant (4,438) and Mechanicsburg (4,083).
Smith, who tied for 12th with a 614, was the team’s top finisher. Atherton Bunner (tied for 19th, 580), Edmond Bunner (31st, 552), and Sanders (tied for 40th, 509) rounded out the scorers.
For the Warriors to improve on their postseason finishes, Hamilton said his team must win at the numbers game.
“When I list my bowlers, I have numbers in my head,” Hamilton said. “You have your ones (the top bowlers), twos, threes, fours, and fives.
“Last year, Edmond and Nehemiah were solid ones, and Atherton was a solid two. This season, Edmond and Nehemiah are going to be solid ones again, but Zeke and Jacob could be solid twos and maybe even ones.
“What we need is the freshmen and sophomores to step in and provide solid support. I’m comfortable with what the juniors and seniors are going to do, but you need that fifth and sixth person to be there to fill in the holes.”