Now it’s the boys turn?

First-year Butler varsity bowling coach Bob Cupp is thinking that way.

The high school season gets under way Wednesday with the Golden Tornado girls beginning the campaign as defending state champions.

“Our starting five on the girls side should be very solid again,” Cupp said. “We just won’t have the depth they had a year ago.

“The boys team could be ready to make a strong run at the regional and state level. The team is deep, has experience and a definite leader.”

That leader is senior Jacob Cookson, who averaged 198.8 a year ago “and should easily average over 200 this year,” Cupp said. Garrett Sexton (188) joined Cookson as a regional bowler last season.

Cody Rosenbauer (181) is a third returning senior starter. Rounding out the starting five for Wednesday’s opener against Mars are sophomore Matt Wetzel and freshman Nick Huff.

While the girls team has eight bowlers, the boys had 20 try out. Cupp kept 13 of them.

“Our varsity boys team will run nine or 10 bowlers deep,” the coach said. All of these kids can put up numbers and if the conditions are challenging, they can handle it.”

Butler’s girls return three starters from their state title team — juniors Megan Paul (178) and Mikayla White (159), senior Kelly Bintrim (170) — and each was a regional qualifier.

Other starters will be senior Ciara Pellegrini and junior Baylee Verner, with freshman Abby Bagley a candidate to crack the topfive.

“That top five is very strong and we’ve got a couple of pretty good newcomers,” Cupp said.

Knoch

Tyler Hawk returns for his fourth year as coach of the Knights and returns two solid starters in senior Brett Miner (189) and junior Joel Zacherl (173).

The boys won their first-ever section title last year, placed third at regionals and fifth in the state.

“We’ve got a tough act to follow this year,” Hawk admitted.

North Allegheny has been moved out of Section 2 of the WPIBL, replaced by first-year program Armstrong Central.

“Butler is its usual powerhouse, but I think we can finish in the top two, right there with them,” Hawk said.

Brock Pendred, a senior, is up from the JV squad to help the varsity this season.

Knoch’s girls team consists of five bowlers, most notably freshman Chelsea Cimbala and senior Denver Hilliard.

“Our girls are more experienced this year and I can see us working our way into the top three in the section,” Hawk said.

Mars

Ralph Jockel enters his second year as coach of the Planets. He has seven boys and eight girls on the team.

“We’ve got a couple of pretty good boys in seniors Josh Bartley (170) and Justin Schell (172),” Jockel said. “We can build a team around them.”

On the girls side, senior Valerie Cesare (134) leads the way with freshmen Allison Bruce and Nicole Blythe, along with sophomore Carly Arentt, expected to make an impact.

“There were some matches last year where we only had three girls available to bowl,” Jockel said. “That situation should improve now.

“I think we can make a move upward in the section with both of our teams.”

Karns City

Doug Morrow enters his sixth year as coach of the Gremlins, by far the smallest school in the section.

Five boys return from last season in juniors Jacob Walker, Austin Haid and Jon Garing, sophomores Draven Hileman and Zach Williams.

Other contributors will be juniors Tyler Krumpe, Derek McElravy and Tyler Pollock, the latter bowling a 242 in a Tournament of the Stars competition recently.

“We’ve got some good young bowlers and we’re just looking to build off last year,” Morrow said.

Brittany Weitler, a junior, is the Gremlins’ lone returnee on the girls side. Sophomore Emily Pakutz and freshmen Courtney Sutton and Catherine Eakin are expected to help out that squad.

Seneca Valley

The Raiders have 10 bowlers — only two girls — on the roster in this their second season.

“I have to work a little harder in getting the high school kids interested,” coach Terry Cochran said. “We’ve got a number of eighth-graders, but they’re not ready yet.”

Jon Elluinger (189), a junior, leads the boys team. Other top bowlers on the squad include juniors Brett Zasabni and Sean Bonham.

The Raiders have no seniors on the squad.

The two girls on the team are junior Hayley Hardcastle and freshman Samantha Weber, both averaging around 150.