T-L Photo/RICK THORP Harrison Central’s Trevor Thompson eyes the lanes during Saturday’s Ohio Division 2 sectional bowling tournament in St. Clairsville. Thompson won the individual title with a 699, leading the Huskies, who advanced with a runner-up place in the team standings.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — It was a drama-filled afternoon at St. Clair Lanes on Saturday afternoon as three more teams and another trio of individuals advanced in the quest to reach the pinnacle of state bowling.

Carrollton, Harrison Central and Union Local finished 1-2-3 in the team standings at the Ohio Division 2 boys sectional event punching tickets for Friday’s district tournament at Sunrise Strikes in Zanesville.

Joining them in Muskingum County will St. Clairsville’s Joey Patrizi, Monroe Central’s Devon Harrell and Maysville’s Anthony Theisen — all of whom advanced via the individual qualifier route.

Trevor Thompson claimed his first sectional title for the Huskies. The junior fired games of 237, 208 and 254 for a 699 total that bolstered a Harrison Central squad looking to back it back-to-back state appearances. His crown ended the three-year sectional title reign of Bridgeport’s Gavan Graham. The senior was 12th with a 518.

“He was on fire,” Harrison Central head coach Bobbie Parkinson said of Thompson.

“We’re very proud of him. He carried the team.”

The Huskies had just one bowler in the top 13. But, as has been the case with the Huskies in recent memory, the team’s success was fashioned on overall team performance.

“One can bowl bad and someone else can come in a bowl like a rock star,” Parkinson said. “The boys showed it took all eight of them to pull it together. We had two subs come off the bench in the Bakers — Nate Willis and Nate Coffland.”

The Huskies started strong out of the gate, rolling a 930 in the first of three regular games. Things trailed off a bit from there, before picking up steam in the six Bakers. All told, Harrison Central finished with a score 3,653, 18 pins behind Carrollton.

“We just had a couple of flat tires,” Parkinson said. “We had one bad Baker. If we would’ve bowled a better one it would’ve made a difference.

“But I’m happy with the outcome.”

For the first time, Harrison Central will take both boys’ and girls’ teams to district. The boys will look to return to the state tournament after winning the district title last year. One boys team and two girls teams qualify to Columbus in two weeks, with one boy and two girls not on qualifying squads advancing, as well.

Union Local just missed sending its girls team Thursday. Saturday, though, its boys staged a rally in the Bakers to edge St. Clairsville for third.

The Jets finished with a score of 3,393, 40 pins better than the Red Devils. UL was, in fact, sixth after three games, but registered a 993 in the Bakers, including a 210 in the second one to surge ahead.

“Bakers are what pay the bills,” a smiling Union Local head coach Doug Stephens said. “We didn’t start strong at all. But, it’s not how you start, but how you finish.”

Nathan Brown and Chad Barbe, both juniors, spearheaded the Jets’ effort, finishing eighth and ninth, respectively, with scores of 541 and 536.

Union Local’s Cherika Koplets advanced as an individual on Thursday in Dover.

Despite not qualifying as a team, St. C. will be represented at district competition by Patrizi, who returns to Sunrise Strikes after finishing second overall with a 595. That included a 210 in his second game.

No stranger to advancing in the postseason, Patrizi has been a lynchpin for the Red Devils the last four years, and that’s why it came as no surprise to his head coach that he advanced.

“No one deserves this more than him,” St. Clairsville head coach Courtney Reinbold said. “He puts in so much time and effort.”

Joining Patrizi as an individual qualifier will be Harrell. The junior becomes the second Seminole bowler — and the first boy — to qualify for the district. His teammate, Shaylei Giesey advanced Thursday.

“He bowled really well,” Monroe Central head coach Jacob Hill said of Harrell, who bowled a 576, third overall.

“He stayed consistent and hit his marks. He was never under any pressure. He stayed calm. He just bowled really well.”