Dixon bowlers come from backgrounds of all kinds

Plum Hollow bowling alley in Dixon was loud Tuesday night as the Dixon boys bowling team scattered pins when the ball hit the pocket just right.

That is a sight coach Allen Wickert has become familiar with, and it shows that the Dukes are priming for another deep run in the postseason.

“We have another good team this year,” Wickert said. “Last year, we had Joel [Spangler] make state, and a few other guys were right there.”

Spangler qualified for state last season as a junior, and Wickert thinks the senior has the ability to make a second consecutive trip this season. Fellow seniors Lucas Bonnette and Keenan Longan each advanced to sectionals last season, and were several pins away from advancing with Spangler.

The Dukes are loaded with talent and depth, and should contend for the Big Northern Conference crown. But while Dixon is mastering the alleys during meets, the bowlers keep practice and competition light, as some focus on other interests. Sophomore Brandon Hamburg thinks that is part of what makes them successful.

“I’ve been bowling since I was little, and I’m sure most of these guys have as well,” Hamburg said. “It’s a fun thing to do for us, but it’s almost more of a club than anything else.”

Hamburg believes that bowling is meant to be fun. He will be a key piece in the varsity lineup this season, a lineup that is comprised of kids with talent in a number of outside activities.

Spangler and Longan are involved in the Madrigal choir, and balance that with bowling.

Bonnette enjoys working on cars. When he isn’t bowling, he can be found in his natural habitat – the garage. Bonnette was 13 when he got his first car, a 1994 Jeep Wrangler. Even though he couldn’t drive it, he was constantly tinkering with the engine and various parts.

“I just work on it and fix it up,” the Dixon senior said. “It’s a lot easier in the summer, but I love being out there, even if the weather is bad in the winter. It’s just really fun.”

Bonnette wants to go to school at Highland Community College in Freeport next year to focus on becoming an auto mechanic. The college has a nationally recognized program, and Bonnette is excited to increase his knowledge about something that has always interested him.

Through a high school program, he is bussed to and from a vocational school at Whiteside Area Career Center in Sterling for automotive work from 8 to 10 a.m. each morning. When he isn’t working on cars, he bowls. For him, it is a way to have fun and interact with others who share similar interests.

Daniel Pottorf, a junior, has only been bowling for about 5 years, but could make a surge into the sectional meet. He told friends that he was going to be a good bowler, so he went out for the team.

“I just told my friends that I wanted to do this,” Pottorf said. “I wanted to be a bowler, so I went and did it. I hope I can make sectionals or state, but I’m just really glad to be on varsity.”

While bowling is a relatively new project, he is a skater first. He began roller skating at an early age, and picked it up again when he was 14. He now works at a roller rink, so he can skate often and work on tricks during his free time.

“I like to get out and be active,” Pottorf said. “Skating allows me to do that. Bowling is fun, too, and that’s what I like to do.”

Geoffrey Baker, a freshman, is another Dixon bowler who has to spread his time over the limited hours in a day. He plays the alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, plays football on the defensive line, and throws the shot put and discus on the track team.

He put in a lot of work over the summer honing his skills with the instruments, and thought he would take his bowling to the next level as well. Baker bought a heavier ball to aid him in his transition to high school competition, and he is excelling. Wickert expects him to make an impact on the varsity squad this season.

“I just like to have fun, and bowling is a good sport because it doesn’t require you to lift a bunch of weights or anything like that,” Baker said. “But it requires you to be competitive and smart.”

While most go their separate directions outside of the alley, making the pins fall keeps them coming back.

Dixon highlights

Daniel Pottorf

Class: Junior

Hobby: Skating

Lucas Bonnette

Class: Senior

Hobby: Auto mechanics

Geoffrey Baker

Class: Freshman

Hobby: Saxophone