2025-26 Fort Recovery boys bowling preview

Date    Opponent    Location        Time

Saturday, Nov. 15    Minster    Minster        9 a.m.

Saturday, Nov. 22    St. Henry    Celina        9 a.m.

Saturday, Nov. 22    Van Wert    Celina        1 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 29    Mississinawa Valley    Union City    10 a.m.

Saturday, Dec. 6    Tournament    Columbus    12 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 13    Minster    Fort Recovery    1 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 16    Minster    Celina        5 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 20    Marion Local    Coldwater    1 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 27    Parkway    New Bremen    1 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 29    Tournament    Bellefontaine    8:30 a.m.

Saturday, Jan. 3    St. Henry    Celina        1 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 8    Bath    Fort Recovery    5 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 10    Versailles    Versailles    1 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 15    Newton    Versailles    4 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 16    Memorial    Fort Recovery    5 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 17    New Bremen    Coldwater    1 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 19    Tournament    Bellefontaine    8:30 a.m.

Saturday, Jan. 24    Coldwater    Minster        1 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 26    Ansonia    Versailles    4:30 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 30    Ponitz    Fort Recovery    5:30 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 31    Fort Loramie    Fort Recovery    9 a.m.

Thursday, Feb. 5    MAC Tournament    New Bremen    4:30 p.m.

Home matches in bold at Miracle Lanes

Projected lineup

Gabe Acheson – Senior

Garrett Diller – Senior

Reece LeFevre – Senior

Anthony Roessner – Senior

A.J. Siefring – Senior

Riley Stammen – Junior

James Westgerdes – Junior

Leland Wilson – Sophomore

Key departures

Riley Grieshop

191.7 average pins, 440 series high

Eli Lennartz

175.4 average pins, 418 series high

Drew Backs

146 average pins, 203 game high

Top returners

Leland Wilson

195 average pins, 417 series high

Reece LeFevre

190.8 average pins, 427 series high

Gabe Acheson

187 average pins, 434 series high

Fast facts

•The Tribe made its first state appearance but fell short of making it into bracket play, placing 11th.

•This will be Jim Sheppard’s first year at the helm of the Fort Recovery boys, taking over for Corey Gerlach. He has served as an assistant coach for the Indians the past five seasons.

•This will be the first year that bowling is recognized as a full school sport at Fort Recovery, rather than just a club sport.

•Three Indians earned All-MAC honors last season. Gabe Acheson and Reece LeFevre both were named to the All-MAC second team, while Riley Grieshop was an honorable mention.

Matches to watch

Saturday, Dec. 13, vs. Minster

Minster was one of the three teams to beat Fort Recovery in the MAC last year. This will be the first conference match of the year and the only one in Fort Recovery, so the Tribe will look to start off on a strong note.

Saturday, Jan. 24, vs. Coldwater at Minster

FRHS was the only MAC school to beat Coldwater last season. If the Indians want to push up in the standings, this is a chance to keep the ball rolling.

Thursday, Feb. 5, MAC Tournament at New Bremen

The Midwest Athletic Conference Tournament is an opportunity to make up ground in the conference and will also act as a final tuneup before taking on the sectional.

Coach Jim Sheppard says

“We went to state last year and we’ve got a lot coming back this year, so our goals are going to be a little high. We’d like to get back to the state, finish well in conference.  A lot of these boys, I’ve had for four years now. I’ve been with them a lot when they were on JV and then when they moved up last year, so I know them well, they’re very coachable kids and they like to bowl. They like the competition.”

2024-25 season

The Tribe had an up-and-down season that ended with it making the state tournament for the first time in program history. The Indians finished 11th in the state after placing fourth at the district tournament and second at the sectional. The Indians ended with a 6-9 record and finished 3-4 in conference. While they lost to St. Henry three times (once in conference play), Minster and Versailles — the Tigers had the same record in the MAC — FRHS managed to beat MAC champion Coldwater during the regular season. In the end, the Indians ended in a three-way tie with Minster and New Bremen for fourth in the MAC at 7-7 after a fifth-place finish in the MAC Tournament.