Determined seniors bring bowling back to Mars High School
ADAMS TWP — When COVID-19 arrived in 2020, the Mars varsity bowling program went dormant.
Now two Planet seniors — Adam Rohrbaugh and Aidan Alessio — are trying to wake it up.
The pair have put together a Mars bowling club team this season, with hopes of having it develop into a varsity program again in the next year or so.
“We went bowling with some friends during the summer and we had a blast,” Alessio said. “It made us think about bringing bowling back to the high school as a sport. We believe kids should have that as an option.”
Rohrbaugh and Alessio were able to get three classmates — seniors Rayane Lahlou and Kaden Gratton, along with freshman Gus Coffield — to round out their five-person team.
They got Gina Rohrbaugh, Adam’s mother, to serve as coach. A club team must have an adult coach to compete.
“They are two great kids and I was happy to help,” Mrs. Rohrbaugh said. “I’m not much of a bowler myself, just do it recreationally a little bit, and I told the kids if they got a list of names and numbers of schools and athletic directors to call, I would place those calls and put together a schedule.
“The kids deserve the credit. They did all the legwork.”
Alessio and Rohrbaugh ordered team shirts and got a sponsor to help with the cost.
Mars scrimmaged Butler on Tuesday. The Planets lost to Moon and defeated North Hills earlier this season.
“We’re self-taught bowlers. We haven’t had a coach,” Rohrbaugh said. “Now we’re teaching the other guys on the team.”
Rohrbaugh and Alessio average between 150 and 160. Coffield is averaging around 100.
“I’m just learning the game and the team aspect of it,” Coffield said. “I learned you don’t win or lose a match yourself. It’s everybody. I’m having a blast doing this. I’m going to do everything I can to bring this back next year.”
Mrs. Rohrbaugh pointed out that opposing coaches “have been great about offering the kids tips and to help them facilitate their efforts to bring this program back.”
The Rohrbaugh family will be moving to Alabama next year due to a job transfer. Mrs. Rohrbaugh said she hopes to “hand this off to someone else willing to run with it.”
Alessio and Rohrbaugh want to help recruit new bowlers for next year.
“We’re not gonna leave Gus hanging,” Alessio said. “And we want to leave a legacy behind. Getting this bowling team up and running, hopefully sustaining itself, means a lot to us.”
Rohrbaugh said they hope to get a girls team going as well.
“I think it’s important we have both,” he said.
Coffield is already asking classmates to consider joining the team next season.
“The goal is to get enough kids involved that we can move ahead (as a varsity sport),” he said.
Mrs. Rohrbaugh remains hopeful that the high school steps up, hires a coach and puts the new bowling program on solid ground.
“Bowling is a lifelong sport that everybody should try,” she said. “At least make it available to the students. That’s the big thing.”
