The Berkshire boys bowling team won its match Nov. 22 at Wickliffe Lanes — outscoring its opponents from Willoughby South 2,191 pins to 1,868 pins.
The Berkshire boys bowling team won its match Nov. 22 at Wickliffe Lanes — outscoring its opponents from Willoughby South 2,191 pins to 1,868 pins.
After the match, Head Coach Kevin Johnson talked about the success his Badgers had on the lanes.
“It was a team effort,” Johnson said. “We were ahead by a little over 100 pins. I just told them to keep their heads in the game, concentrate, and to fill the frames, and that’s what they did.
“And in the Bakers, they rolled two Baker records, a 200 and 265.”
Added Mario Romagni, “We came out on top today; all the guys put in their best effort. The chemistry (was working well today). We were just going up there having fun, not really thinking about it.”
Throughout the match, Berkshire’s bowlers had much success filling frames and throwing strikes.
Berkshire won the first individual game by a pin count of 842 to 648.
Leading the Badgers in the first game was Ryan Kessinger, who threw a 236, followed by Mario Romagni with a 209 and Noah Valentino with a 200.
Kessinger’s 236 was only three pins away from tying the Badgers single game record of 239. Kessinger said he was successful against Willoughby South because he mentally prepared himself to focus on improving from his previous match the day before.
He recounted that he got into a flow state in the match against South.
“I just take my reactive ball and I just throw it, and it just works,” Kessinger said.
In the second individual game, Berkshire was led by Noah Valentino, who threw a 194, followed by Kessinger with 187 and Romagni with 166.
“Today was very exciting,” junior Noah Valentino said. “It was very exciting beating a powerhouse like South.”
Berkshire defeated South in the two-game individual series by a total of 159 pins, 1,586 to 1,427.
With a 159-pin lead going into the three Baker games (in which each of the five bowlers on the team bowls two frames), the Badgers were defeated 161 to 139 in the first game, but then came back with two excellent final Baker games to win the match.
In the second Baker game, the Badgers defeated South 201 to 145.
In the final Baker game, everything came together for the Badgers, who set a school record with 265.
For the record, Berkshire’s bowlers worked together to throw nine strikes.
They started off the game by throwing nine of 10 strikes and converting a one–pin spare in the seventh frame.
The final Baker game was stressful, Valentino said.
“It was very nerve-racking, having six in a row — someone’s got to break (the streak),” Valentino said. “It’s still exciting having a game like that.
“(In Baker games, the mentality) is just making sure you fill the frames, any mark counts really. (Team chemistry) is pretty important in Bakers, trying to keep each other up and making sure that nobody is down.”
Added Romagni, “I think we were all just working as a team (in the Bakers), just throwing the ball.”
With the victory, the Badgers boys bowling team improves to 1-1 on the season.
