Team qualifies for districts again

By Cort Reynolds

NAPOLEON__The Bluffton High School boys bowling team finished a strong third out of 14 teams at the Div. II sectional tournament in Napoleon at River City Bowl-a-Way Lanes on Tuesday, February 10.

Bryan won the sectional team title with 3,957 pins. They were followed closely by Napoleon (3,907) and Bluffton (3,902), who finished just five pins behind the hosts.

Patrick Henry came in fourth (3,836). Only the top four team finishers qualified for the district tournament next week in Rossford.

“You can really say it was a team win today,” said Pirate head bowling coach Ben Nye. “We had seven bowlers returning from last year's district-qualifying team, and all seven of them saw meaningful frames today.” 

The Pirates bowled 886-962-947=2,795 in the opening three-game series, which placed them second after the first round of play. Only Bryan, with 10 more pins at 2,805, scored higher than the Pirates.

Junior Coby Dailey paced Bluffton with a three-game series of 201-199-216=616. He finished fifth in the 77-player tournament field.

Pirate sophomore Weston Johnstone rolled a 161-242-140=543 series to come in 21^st.

Senior Joziah Salazar came in 26^th with a 177-193-159=529 series.

In limited play, juniors Brady Montgomery and Xavier Navarro finished 65^th and 66^th, respectively. Montgomery rolled a strong 220 in game three, while Navarro bowled a solid 212 in the third contest.

“Navarro and Montgomery coming off the bench today was huge for us,” Nye noted. “Plus, our team’s ability to just be consistent after that first game was the difference in the end.” 

Junior Emmitt Kidd also rolled a 184 in game one, while senior Elijah Nye bowled a 163 in game one.

“It was the same when it came to the Baker games,” said Nye. “We were down after the first one, and than just put up solid scores every game after that. Proud of these boys today for never letting one frame get to them and proving they are a solid district qualifier.”

In the six Baker Games, the Pirates rolled 134-200-171-212-180-210=1,107 to finish third in that round. Napoleon won the Baker Series round with 1,257 pins.

Liberty Center senior Wesley Wilhelm rolled a 702 series to finish first overall.

UP NEXT
The Pirate girls bowl this Thursday in their sectionals at Napoleon. The boys Div. II district tournament is at Interstate Lanes in Rossford on Wednesday, Feb. 18.