JEFFERSON TWP — Sending three bowlers to individual regional competition, a runner-up regional finish and placing fifth in the state ... not bad for a club team.

Such was the story of the Knoch High School bowling squad in only its third year of existence.

“The kids paid their own way all year, with the help of their parents and fund-raisers,” Knoch coach Tyler Hawk said. “That’s what made this season so special.

“A lot of people really cared enough to make it happen.”

The Knight boys won their first section championship and placed second in the regional to Greensburg Salem. Their first-ever appearance in the high school state tournament resulted in a fifth-place finish, 127 pins shy of qualifying for the step-ladder finals.

Three members of the boys team — Dylan Cimbala, Brett Miner and Tyler Laughner — almost couldn’t compete at the state tourney. Also members of the Knoch band, they were in Orlando, Fla., on a band trip planned more than a year in advance.

That trip happened to fall on the same week of the state tournament.

“We received a generous donation to pay for the boys’ flight back up here,” said Michelle Hindman, mother of Knoch bowler Kevin Hindman and a key fund-raiser for the program, said. “Tyler (Hawk) drove to the airport to pick them up Friday night and they were ready to bowl Saturday.”

Hawk drove to the Lehigh Valley airport — an hour away from the state tourney site of Ephrata — to pick up his team members.

“We wanted our best shot to do well at states and that was it,” Hawk said. “They were able to perform with the band Friday and bowl for us Saturday.”

“The band director allowed it. He said he couldn’t see denying those boys that opportunity,” Hindman said.

Sacrifices from plenty of people all season enabled Knoch to succeed on the bowling lanes.

Because bowling is only a club sport at Knoch, the team received no funding from the school district. The team sold pasta and hoagies as fund-raisers and Knoch bowlers did lane monitoring during the Pa. men’s state tournament at Family Bowlaway last year.

Money raised from the latter enabled the bowlers to pay for practice time during the season. The fund-raisers enabled the bowlers to get team jerseys for competitions.

“You have to find any dollar you can,” Hindman said.

Practice time, league time, membership fees to the Western Pa,. Interscholastic Bowling League, transportation to and from matches — funds for everything were paid from the pockets of the bowlers and their families.

Hawk donates his time as the team’s coach.

“It felt like we all accomplished this season together,” Miner said. “Our parents supported us and we supported each other. It’s a very satisfying feeling.”

Miner, a junior, joined Knoch seniors Kevin Hindman and Erica Johns in qualifying for individual regionals. Johns placed 14th at regionals, five pins short of qualifying to compete in the State Singles Championship. Hindman won the boys individual state title last year.

Dylan Cimbala’s father, Matt, is on the South Butler school board and helped get the bowling program formed three years ago.

“I knew Kevin had interest in bowling in college and having a high school team would help that,” Hindman said. “Matt’s son was interested as well, so Matt and I put our heads together to figure out a way to do this.”

Three years later, the program is going strong.

“We’ve still got some recruiting to do, but we have a fourth bowler — Joel Zacherl — who can get to regionals next year and some good kids coming from junior varsity,” Miner said. “I didn’t think we could get to states this year. Now I feel like anything’s possible.”

Cimbala is graduating, but younger sister Chelsea is on the girls team. Another Hindman, seventh-grader Bryan, is coming through the ranks as well.

“Bowling is established at Knoch High School now,” Cimbala said. “The parents helped us find a way and we feel like we did this on our own.

“The program will get bigger. It will grow. I’m hoping that one day, it will be school-funded. We’ve earned that.”