MOAC special awards: Bobby Davis of Pleasant, Mason Sparks of Marion Harding top list

WALDO - Bobby Davis couldn't help but be a good bowler.

"Randy Bollinger is my uncle and he’s well known around here," he said of Bollinger being in the Marion Bowling Hall of Fame. "My mom (Rhonda) has been bowling for a while and when my grandma (Guyla Bollinger) was around she bowled.

"My parents getting me started at an early age got me interested in it. With my mom and grandma and uncle being so good at it, they could teach me and help me develop my game."

The Pleasant junior developed into a Division II state qualifying bowler this season and was named Mid Ohio Athletic Conference boys bowler of the year at the recent winter sports banquet at The Barn at All Occasions .

"Bobby was very much more focused this year," Pleasant bowling coach Jamie Byrne said. "Last year he missed going to districts, and he went to districts as a freshman. He came back this year very focused. His average in the MOAC is a 206. He was very consistent, and we had a much stronger boys team that he was able to rely on at some points and bring them up when it counted."

Marion Harding junior wrestler Mason Sparks advanced to the Division I state championships for the second straight year and was also picked as the MOAC's wrestler of the year.

"I like wrestling because it’s just me," he said. "I don’t have a team to rely on. You can’t put the blame on anyone else if you mess up. That’s why I like it."

Sparks dabbled with baseball and football, but settled on wrestling as his one sport. He started at age 4, finishing third in his first-ever tournament. He wrestled with elite club out of Columbus for nine years.

"Doors started opening and I got to travel to different places and I realized wrestling is what I like to do," he said.

River Valley's Mark McGuire was wrestling coach of the year after leading the Vikings to five consecutive league championships.

River Valley swept the girls basketball top awards at the MOAC banquet as Alexis Stevens was named player of the year and Tim Chiles was given coach of the year.

Marion Harding boys bowling's Ernie Indoe was coach of the year after leading the Presidents to a dominating effort in the MOAC, winning the regular season title with an undefeated record, dominating the tournament by more than 400 pins, and making a first-ever trip as a team to the Division I state championship.

North Union's Brent Markham led the Wildcats to an MOAC regular season and tournament championship as well as a first-time team berth into the Division II girls bowling state championships. He was named MOAC girls bowling coach of the year.

Clear Fork's Steve Bechtel was boys basketball coach of the year, while the Colts' Chance Barnett was player of the year.

Galion's Ted Temple was boys swimming coach of the year, and Galion's Sam Rigdon was boys swimmer of the year.

Ontario's Debby Henry was girls swimming coach of the year, and Ontario's Becca Gregg was girls swimmer of the year.

Galion's Marissa Snyder was girls bowler of the year.

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