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The Hopewell Vikings participated in the annual Midwestern Athletic Conference (MAC) Tournament at Sim’s Lanes on Saturday submitting 4 teams into three different divisions featuring 12 schools, 36 teams and 190+ high school bowlers. To say the Vikings had a banner day for their program would be an understatement.

The plan was always next year.

The Viking Men were walking into the tournament with 4/5 of their Varsity starters being underclassmen. The Lady Vikings were starting five Juniors, two of which are bowling for their first time. They both faced senior heavy teams and were aiming to leave the tournament with top three finishes with the hope that experience would help next year where the goal would be to win the tournament.

The Vikings decided not to wait.

The JV Vikings started the action by winning the silver division. Junior Will Holland, who operated as the sixth man for the Varsity team all year, shot the highest game IN THE TOURNAMENT with a career high 248 and his first career 600 series with a 612. Holland led the JV Vikings to a tournament win as his finish was good for first team all-tournament, #2 overall in the division. Holland was followed by junior Aiden “AJ” Klette who added a 522 series and a second team all-tournament finish and sophomore Thomas Turino who made the all-tournament third team with a 451 series.

Holland, Klette, & Turino were joined by sophomore Jordan Jacobs and freshman Desmond Sembower who completed their division winning team.

Hopewell also submitted an underclassmen silver team led by sophomore Diego Ocasio who shot a career high 169 game and 399 series and sophomore Joe Bulebush who added a 389 series to the team rounded out by sophomore Sam Bologna and freshmen Nathan Cronin, Caleb Hughes and Frankie Taylor. Despite being made up entirely of underclassmen, this team finished 7/9 in their tournament division.

The Lady Vikings then took their turn, and they made it look easy.

After a third place finish last year, the Lady Vikings ran away with the lady’s division with a 175-pin victory started off by a team high 751 game to start the tournament. The Lady Vikings were the only team in the field to break 700 all day, had the highest game in each individual game, and posted the three highest scores in the tournament with a 751-690-678 series. The Lady Vikings defeated the three-time defending champion, Montour Spartans in a victory that showed how far the program has come in a few short years.

Led by FIVE all-tournament team finishes, Junior captain Annabeth Sembower posted the second highest game in the tournament with a 184 and the third highest series with a 527, good for all-tournament first team for the second straight year at the MAC for Sembower. She was joined on the all-tournament first team by fellow junior and third year letter winner Krysten Clary who led the Vikings in game 1 with a career high 170 game and career high 451 series to make the first team for the first time in her MAC career.

Juniors Marlee Page (385), Eileen George (383) and Danica Jackson (373) all made the all-tournament third team rounding out the effort for the Vikings where all five starting women as Juniors finished in the top 15 of the tournaments individually. Freshman Lacey Seretti was also able to contribute a few shots to the effort that saw the Lady Vikings win the prestigious title a year ahead of schedule.

Finally, the men’s gold team was up, and they took it down to the wire.

The Vikings over-achieved last year with a surprising second place finish in the tournament. They came into the tournament this year ranked second overall and were looking for a top three finish. Instead, the Vikings decided they were also going to be impatient, and they were going to win the tournament a year ahead of schedule as well.

The Vikings were led by junior Ayden Gault who put together the most complete tournament performance of his career so far. Gault shot a 245-216-196 and a 657 series individually and anchored the Vikings Baker game series throwing the tournament deciding tenth frame for the Vikings who defeated section rival and defending champions, New Castle, by 27 pins to win the MAC tournament.

Gault’s 245 served as the highest game in the gold division and his 657 series placed as the second highest total – good for first team all-tournament for the first time in his career.

Gault was followed by sophomore Max Butter who shot a 571 series and a 220 third game that saw the Vikings close the gap between them and the leader and give them a chance win the tournament. Butter earned all-tournament team second team honors for his performance.

Junior Aidan Heppner added a 218 game and 564 series, and sophomore Nolan Houy scored a 543 series to see both bowlers make the all-tournament third team. Houy might have been the tournament hero, converting a huge 4-9 split in the second Baker game that changed all of the momentum in the Vikings favor.

The team was rounded out by senior captain Brayden Mowry, who admittedly struggled early in the day, but rolled out of the lead-off spot for the Vikings in their Baker games and went a perfect 6/6 with marks in the Baker format.

The plan was always next year, but the Vikings’ impatience changed everything.

This marks a tremendous day for the program and an outstanding start to the 2026 postseason that will see the Lady Vikings and the Vikings participate in the WPIBL championships this week.

The Hopewell Vikings bowling program authored a historic chapter on Wednesday at Sheffield Lanes, completing a clean sweep of the Rochester Rams. On a night defined by high stakes and Senior Night celebrations, both the Boys and Girls teams solidified their dominance heading into the postseason.

Entering the match with no margin for error, the Boys Varsity team needed a perfect 7-0 win to secure their second consecutive section title. They delivered exactly that.

The effort was headlined by senior captain Brayden Mowry, who turned his Senior Night into a career-defining performance. Mowry led all scorers with a career-high game of 253 and a career-high series of 636. Supporting the charge were juniors Ayden Gault (201) and Aiden Heppner (206). The Vikings finish the regular season with a stellar 9-1 match record and a 61-9 overall mark.

Already section champions as of last week, the Lady Vikings sought to etch their names in the school record books. With a sweep of the Rams, they finished the season at 9-1, tying the program record for the best season ever.

Led by junior captain Annabeth Sembower who shot a match best 457 series and a match high game of 169, the Lady Vikings did just that. Junior Krysten Clary added a 159 game, and a 445 series and junior Danica Jackson added a 160 game and 410 series to the win for the Lady Vikings.

The Lady Vikings also finish this season with an overall record of 61-9 and there will be a LOT to say about that a year from now when we celebrate what this special group of junior Lady Vikings has meant to this program and the culture of Hopewell Bowling.

MVP Honors went to freshman Lacey Seretti who finished the regular season by competing in her first varsity match and bowling over her average.

The men and women will both be in action next week during the WPIBL playoffs!

JV Highlights: “Nuclear” Numbers
The JV Vikings matched the varsity energy with a 7-0 sweep of their own. Junior Aiden “AJ” Klette put up “nuclear” statistics, recording his first career 200+ game (235) and 500+ series (573). Klette’s series was the second highest of the entire event, even outperforming Rochester’s top varsity junior.

Freshmen Caleb Hughes (164) and Richie Yeager (150), along with sophomore Diego Ocasio (374 series), all posted career highs.

MVP Honors were shared by Klette and Mowry for their career high performances.

After the match, the Vikings celebrated their lone senior – Brayden Mowry with a brief reception. In which, Mowry was introduced as the inaugural member of the newly formed 18,000 pin club.

Mowry finishes his career with 19,221 total pins over four years in which he accomplished the following: 4-year letter winner, 4-year varsity starter, 3-year scholar athlete winner, 3-year playoff qualifier, 2 section titles, 1 year as captain, 1 year of individual playoff qualifications, 0 missed practices and 0 missed matches over a 4 year career. Mowry’s 31-9 career record as a Viking stands as a benchmark for the program as it has turned a corner over the last few years.

Mowry’s contributions to the bowling program have been enormous, but his contributions to Hopewell as an athlete are also tremendous considering his career statistics. His successes on the lanes stand toe to toe with those of any of his peers. He’ll leave the program better than he found it and he leaves behind a very tall task for his teammates as they continue the program going forward.

The Vikings will attend the MAC Conference tournament this weekend where they expect to contend for podium finishes in all three divisions.

PERSONAL RECORDS

BOYS VARSITY: Brayden Mowry High Game 253, High Series 636

LADY VIKINGS: Krysten Clary High Series 445. Fiona Zelechowski High Game 131.

JV VIKINGS: Aiden Klette High Game 235, High Series 573. Caleb Hughes High Game 164. Richie Yeager High Game 150. Diego Ocasio High Series 374.

For the first time since 2014, and only the third time in program history, the Lady Vikings are Section Champions! They defeated New Castle 5-2 in a hard-fought match to clinch the title, securing a guaranteed seat in the Pennsylvania Regional Playoffs and a berth in the WPIBL Championships.

Junior captain Annabeth Sembower led the way with the most consistent performance of her career. In the highest-stakes match to date, she led all scorers with a 176-185-181 (542) series and delivered a massive tenth frame in Game 2 to seal the section title. Junior Eileen George also stepped up early, contributing a career-high 185 to help the Vikings dominate the opening game.

Game 2 proved more dramatic. After the Vikings took Game 1 by 140 pins, the Hurricanes battled back to keep the match tight until junior Danica Jackson took over. Jackson iced the game—and the section—by rolling a career-high 197, including a run of four straight strikes, to erase New Castle’s early lead. She finished with a career-high 444 series, earning team MVP honors for her heroics.

The Hopewell Boys fell 2-5 to the Hurricanes, marking the end of a historic 20-match winning streak dating back to the 2023-2024 season. Despite the loss, the Vikings achieved their primary objective: winning a critical third game to keep control of their postseason destiny.

After underperforming in the first two games, the Vikings found themselves in a must-win situation in Game 3. Sophomores Max Butter (201) and Nolan Houy (203) set the pace, but the real drama unfolded in the final frame. Trailing by 40 pins, the Vikings produced their best tenth frame of the year in front of a capacity crowd.

Junior Ayden Gault ignited the rally with two strikes. Butter and Houy followed with clutch marks, and senior captain Brayden Mowry added two strikes of his own. Needing a strike to seal the game, junior Aidan Heppner stepped up and struck out the tenth frame, securing an 18-pin victory. In the biggest moment of the season, the team scored 122 out of a possible 150 pins in the final frame. With a 7-0 win next week, the Vikings can still clinch a share of the section title and earn a first-round playoff bye.

MVP honors were earned by Max Butter, who scored well, but more importantly kept the Vikings buoyed as they struggled early in the match.

The JV Boys also faced a tough afternoon, falling to the Hurricanes. They were led by junior Aiden Klette (422 series) and sophomore Jordan Jacobs (420 series). Sophomore Sam Bologna chipped in the team’s high game of 162, while junior Revan Fazio celebrated a personal milestone with a career-high 148 game.

The Vikings complete their regular season next Wednesday at Sheffield. Following the match, the team will honor lone senior captain Brayden Mowry as they await their final playoff seeding.

LADY VIKINGS: Eileen George, High Game 185. Danica Jackson, High Game 197, High Series 444.

JV VIKINGS: Revan Fazio, High Game 148.

The Hopewell Vikings competed in a fun match against the Beaver Bobcats on Wednesday at Sheffield Lanes.

This marks the second to last home match for this year’s Vikings and involved a complete and total team effort to get huge wins for both teams.

The Vikings defeated the Bobcats 7-0. In what is becoming a theme for this season, the Bobcats rolled significantly above their team average for the match and made the match a very competitive one.

The Vikings were led by junior Ayden Gault who continues his hot streak with a match high game of 234 and match high series of 214. This marks the fourth consecutive incredible match for Gault who leads all Vikings with an average of 200.52 through 7 weeks of the season.

While Gault led the scoreboard he was followed very closely by his teammates in a great team effort. Senior captain Brayden Mowry added 212 and 224 games. Sophomores Max Butter and Nolan Houy added 201, 203, and 204 games. And junior Will Holland, making the first varsity start of his career added 195 and 204 games filling in as the sixth man and making a huge impact in a tough situation. Holland has managed to average over 180 when coming in for varsity duty this year and has given the team serious competitive depth when needed.

The Vikings exploded for a final game in the match of 1029, their third highest game of the season and the first time they’ve broken 1,000 in the third game of any match.

This takes the Vikings record to 7-0 as they head into the toughest part of their schedule. The next two weeks will determine if the Vikings will be making a third consecutive playoff appearance and what their positioning will look like.

The Lady Vikings also found themselves in a competitive match but took care of business defeating the Lady Bobcats 5-2.

The Lady Vikings were led by junior captain Annabeth Sembower who shot a match high game of 176 and a match high series of 447. Sembower was followed very closely by junior Krysten Clary who shot a career high 147 game and career high 422 series.

MVP honors went to junior Marlee Page who shot a 134 game in the match deciding game.

While this marks the first time the Lady Vikings have lost a point all season, the Lady Vikings remain undefeated and have all but clinched a playoff berth for the second straight year. While last year’s Lady Vikings waited until the last day of the season to qualify for the playoffs via the wild card, these ladies are set to clinch their spot early and claim a playoff spot in back-to-back years.

The JV Boys lost the first game of their match before battling back to win their match 5-2.

The Vikings were led by sophomore Joe Bulebush absolutely exploding for a career high 208 game and career high 519 series. This marks both the first 200 game and 500 series for Bulebush who has made a giant leap year over year. Sophomore Sam Bologna also contributed a career high 166 game in a season that is seeing him put up some higher-than-average scores as well. Freshman Desmond Sembower contributed a consistent 140-145-147 box score adding a 432 series.

The Vikings voted to award team MVP honors to Bulebush for both accomplishments.

The 6-1 JV Boys will battle against Beaver Falls next week, the only team to take a match from them so far this season.

The Vikings will be back in action next Wednesday in the first of two enormous back-to-back matches against Beaver Falls at Sims Lanes.

Before that, the Vikings would like to formally invite you to attend our first ever fundraising event this weekend at Sheffield Lanes! We’re hosting a 9-Pin No Tap Tournament Sunday at 1pm. It requires no experience and will be competitive with cash prizes but also a LOT of fun. We expect to see adult bowlers of all levels participating and it should be a great time. We’ll also have plenty of (GREAT) baskets to raffle off, two 50/50 drawings, and strike ball drawings for bowlers. You don’t have to bowl to participate in the 50/50 or basket games. If nothing else, come on down and get a pizza and enjoy the environment. We’re like to thank Sheffield Lanes for allowing us to host this event and the community for rallying around us.

Hope to see you Sunday, Roll Vikes!

LADY VIKINGS: Krysten Clary High Game 147, High Series 422.

JV VIKINGS: Joe Bulebush High Game 208 High Series 519. Sam Bologna High Game 166

The Hopewell Vikings defeated the Rochester Rams 7-0 in a match on tougher than expected lane conditions.

The Vikings were led by junior Aiden Heppner who shot a Vikings high 234 game along with a 611 series. Junior Ayden Gault added a 224 and sophomore Nolan Houy added a 201 to the Vikings victory.

Special congratulations to Rochester junior Jace Crawford who shot 255-232-230 for a 717 series. The highest series recorded in the Northwest Section to date.

The victory extends the Vikings season record to 5-0 earning 31 of 35 possible points, sweeping the first half of the season. Junior Will Holland received MVP honors for the boys after shooting well above his average for the day. Holland, serving as the sixth man, is bowling more than twenty pins over his average when providing relief in varsity matches so far this year.

The Lady Vikings had a better day, managing to bowl above their average for the match en route to a 7-0 win over the Rams. Junior captain Annabeth Sembower shot 466 to lead all scorers. She was closely followed by junior Eileen George adding a 422 series to the effort.

Freshman Fiona Zelechowski added her career high game of 122 and series of 310 to the ladies.

George earned MVP honors for the Lady Vikings just missing out on both her career high game and series.

The Lady Vikings also swept the first half of the season with a perfect 7-0 record including going undefeated in every game of every match so far this season receiving a perfect 35 of 35 total points.

The JV Boys earned a 7-0 victory themselves including many of their team members posting career bests. Sophomore Joe Bulebush and freshman Desmond Sembower each shot their career high games and series for the Vikings with a 181 and 472 for Bulebush and a 165 and 469 for Sembower. Sophomore Sam Bologna added his career best series of 420 earning his first ‘top 8’ game of his career and freshman Frankie Taylor cracked 100 for his career high game of 116 and series high of 256.

The Vikings will be back in action on Friday against Neshannock/Shenango at Sims Lanes.

LADY VIKINGS: Fiona Zelechowski High Game 11, High Series 310.

JV VIKINGS: Desmond Sembower High Game 165, High Series 469. Joe Bulebush High Game 181, High Series 472. Sam Bologna High Series 420. Frankie Taylor High Game 116, High Series 256.