MIDDLESEX TWP — Students looking to wear Mars High's blue and gold colors now can do it by racking up strikes and picking up spares.

That's because the Planets have a new home at Mystic Lanes.

Mars, in its first year competing in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League, is sporting both a boys and girls team this season.

The only other scholastic bowling team in Butler County is at Karns City.

Mars and KC are joined in the WPIBL's Section 7 by Burrell, Penn Hills, Plum and St. Joseph.

The bowling team at Mars might be new, but head coach Dave Greene has experience with the sport at the high school level.

"I previously coached the bowling team at North Hills High School," said Greene, who owns Mystic Lanes, located on Route 8 in Valencia. "I bought the lanes here about five years ago and was pushing to get a high school bowling team started, but I think it was going to take a parent to get it going."

Enter Martha Jones, who approached Greene last year about starting a team at Mars High and using Mystic Lanes as its home.

"I didn't start bowling until college," said Jones, who lives in Adams Township. "My son, Bernie, and I got involved in a bowling league at Mars Lanes a while back. I thought it would be nice to start a team for the high school and it went from there."

Greene and Jones received approval from the Mars School Board last spring and the boys and girls teams competed in their first official match Nov. 19.

Not surprisingly, the Mars teams are small in number compared to many of their opponents. The boys varsity and junior varsity teams combined have 10 bowlers, while five bowlers comprise a varsity-only girls squad.

The boys varsity team is currently 2-6 while the girls are 3-5.

"We didn't hold tryouts," said Greene. "Pretty much any kid that showed up became part of the team.

"Our bowlers range from kids who are knowledgeable about the sport to kids who had only bowled once or twice before joining the team," he added.

Several bowlers already have left their marks.

Junior Dylan McNany is Mars' top bowler with an average of 164.

"I've bowled in a league on Saturday mornings for about six or seven years," said McNany, a junior from Middlesex Township. "I got my average up to about 140 by the time I was 12 years old. It's taken a few years, but with a lot of practice, I've gotten better."

Greene and Martha Jones hope support for and interest in the squads grow.

"We have a few parents who help out with the team," Greene said. "But as of right now, there is no official booster organization. It sure would help to have one.

"Financially, we're basically going on a wing and a prayer for money to support the team."

"Any time there are kids from (Mars High School) in here, we throw a bug in their ear," Jones said. "Hopefully, the freshmen, sophomores and juniors will be back next year and we'll pick up new bowlers for next season."

Word-of-mouth has paid off for the team in that respect.

Senior Beth Ann Schmiedel, of Evans City, has an average of 128, but also bowled a game of 234 earlier this season.

"I kept trying to get one of my friends, Colleen Sippey, to join," Schmiedel said. "Finally, she came to a practice and she liked it and joined the team.

"It's just a lot of fun," added Schmiedel.

"All the kids are putting forth a good effort," said Greene. "We just need to get more involved."

Mars boys bowlers include Ethan Gressang, Chris Hardt, Dan Jones, Bernie Jones, Lucas Kelly, Greg Leysens, Chris McKinnis, Dylan McNany, Andrew McClellanand Sam Tracey.

Members of the girls team are Colleen Sippey, Miranda Huber, Amanda Kopinski, Alexis Mathlage and Beth Ann Schmiedel.

The Planets finish the season with two home matches: Wednesday against Burrell and Feb. 3 against Karns City.