Daviess County High School senior Briar Harper has been named the 2020 Owensboro Times Boys’ Bowler of the Year.
Harper had lofty expectations for both himself and the rest of the team after strong runs at state last year. Though he didn’t earn a repeat trip as an individual, Harper was a key member in helping the DC squad make it all the way to the championship match as a team.
“I expected a good performance from myself and my team as well,” Harper said. “I knew we had gotten a lot better from last year.”
The DC senior put a lot of work into his game during the offseason, developing a strategy that would allow him to maintain good averages and perform well in tournaments.
“I thought I improved my mental game so I could keep myself calm and collected after bad shots or during bad scenarios,” Harper said. “I also worked on bettering my approach and stuff I did regarding my physical game to make me more consistent so I could adjust how I needed to.”
DC coach Byron Johnson said Harper’s dedication and poise helped him lead the team.
“We expected Briar to be the leader this year and he did so much like last year,” Johnson said. “He learned to harness his emotions and kept the team focused. He was constantly striving to get better and had a strong work ethic and determination, often helping other boys to get better.”
Harper said seeing his teammates show growth was one of the more rewarding parts of his final season at Daviess County.
“One of the biggest highlights was kind of helping the new kids on the team better their game, winning tournaments with them, watching them come out of their shell. It was just a fun experience,” Harper said. “I helped them get interconnected with the team. One had just joined and another had transferred from another school I knew that was going to be a hard transition for them, so I tried to make it as easy as possible.”
After winning the PRP tournament in Louisville midway through the season, the team came together and won a handful of year-end tournaments before a postseason run that included runner-up finishes at both region and state.
“After the PRP tournament, the boys came together and realized they were good enough to compete on the state level,” Johnson said. “Briar was a big part of that, but really it was a team effort.”
Being a part of the Panthers over the last few years have played a major role in Harper’s life. He’s continuing his bowling career at Kentucky Wesleyan College, where he also plans to start his journey to becoming a pediatrician.
Harper said he a lot of his opportunities were made possible because of his time with DC.
“Whenever I first joined the team, I never thought bowling at Daviess County would actually be such a big deal in my life or have such an impact,” he said. “As I got further along, I grew a connection with the coach, athletic director, students and teammates. It was really amazing watching the growth of every teammate I have had as well as myself. Bowling at Daviess County has truly been a blessing for me.”
