Cedar Rapids Jefferson boys’ bowling team has championship potential

CEDAR RAPIDS — What’s fun without friends?

For defending Class 3A state bowling champion Aiden Mitts, as enjoyable as winning last year’s individual crown was, he’d like to share the experience with his teammates this go-around.

“It meant a lot to win the state championship last year,” Mitts said. “I just wish I would’ve done it with my team. We’re all good friends inside and outside of the bowling alley.

“For us to win this year, our whole team together needs to be on our best game and we, as a team, will win.”

Entering his junior season at Cedar Rapids Jefferson, Mitts defeated Marshalltown’s Damon Borton, 226-198, to capture last year’s title.

“Emotionally, it was pride within himself, pride for the school, pride for the sport,” Jefferson Coach Matt Fowler said. “He is really just a very nice and giving person. He wants to do it for the sport and for his team.

“He faced adversity quite a bit and he didn’t crumble in clutch situations.”

Mitts is just one of several impact bowlers returning to the J-Hawks’ lineup.

Myles Breemeersch, last year’s Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division Athlete of the Year, returns for his senior season. Breemeersch was one of 10 boys’ bowlers to throw a 300 game last year, and his 238.46 per game average was good for third in the state.

“(Breemeersch’s) got ice water in his veins,” Fowler said. “He doesn’t make too many mistakes in clutch times.”

Breemeersch has lofty aspirations for this year’s J-Hawks.

His goals?

“For us to be conference champs, all of us to qualify for state and hopefully win the state title as a team,” Breemeersch said.

Logan Boll and Mason Glassberg also return for Jefferson.

Boll, a senior, averaged 208.14 per game last season. Glassberg averaged 217.80 last year as a sophomore.

With all the talent coming back, it’s easy to see why Fowler, in his third year as head coach, also has high expectations for his 2022-2023 team.

“It’ll be both the goal and the expectation,” Fowler said of making the state tournament as a team. “This team is very talented, they grind and they want to go.

“They just missed out last year and we had two individual state qualifiers on that boys’ team, so it gave everybody that feeling that everyone wants to be there, as a team.”

Just how good could they be?

“For the conference, my 2013-2014 team still carries the high team average,” Fowler said. “But I have a feeling, talent-wise, this team can rank up with them and probably surpass them.”

The J-Hawks narrowly missed qualifying for the state tournament as a team last season. The top two teams from each region in the state qualifying meet make the tournament. Jefferson finished third.

“They’re a tight-knit group of guys that really work hard,” Fowler said. “It’s going to be a fun year with these guys.”

Jefferson’s season begins with a Mississippi Valley Conference triangular against Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Cedar Rapids Prairie on Dec. 1 at May City Bowl.