The Stevens High School bowling team’s bid for back-to-back NHIAA championships ended quickly on Saturday.

The Cardinals, who had won three of the last four championships and were the runners-up in 2023, were seeded second among 11 teams in Saturday’s state tournament in Raymond, N.H. They earned a bye into the quarterfinals, where they fell to Merrimack Valley, 3-2.

Despite the early exit, Stevens coach Shawn Fitzpatrick said he was proud of his team’s effort.

“They gave it their all,” Fitzpatrick said in a text.

Keene High School, the top seed, defeated Merrimack, 4-0, in the best-of-seven Baker finale to win the title.

Fitzpatrick said the season was a challenge after he lost two bowlers because of eligibility issues, but others performed better as the season went on.

“Several players stepped up and made incredible progress from where they started,” the coach said. “To my seniors (Maddox Foster, Devyn Corliss, Steven Rheaume) who are graduating, it has been a pleasure coaching you over the past three years. We’ll see what happens next year.”

The individual championship is Saturday. The Cardinals will be represented by Corliss, Rheaume and sophomores Lindsey Smrkovski and James Greco.