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WEST CHICAGO – St. Charles East boys bowlers populated a block of lanes near a Geneva banner during Tuesday’s Upstate Eight Conference dual against St. Charles North.
Make no mistake, however – this particular segment of Bowling Green Sports Center still was a "Siii" of orange and black.
Following custom from 2014, the Saints shouted an elongated version of the Spanish word for “yes” to commemorate each strike, sounding off early and often while edging the visiting North Stars 3,188 to 3,014.
“It’s just something we just kind of thought up on the fly and it just kind of stuck, so we just kept it going,” Saints junior Kyle Middendorf said.
East rebounded from an opening game loss to the North Stars almost as casually to earn four of five possible points. One point each is awarded for single-game victories, while winning an overall series nets two more points.
Saints senior Cole Cartee paced the team with a 667 series, while juniors Owen Schmid (659) and Dean Mudlong (625) followed.
Schmid rolled the individual high with a 253 in his second game.
“This is just a big part of the process,” said Mudlong, a team captain. “Just keep closing frames, closing frames until we get to our end goal, which is state. It’s part of a process. We’re doing well. We’re on track right now. We want to follow through and see it at the end.”
East finished third among 12 teams at last season’s state meet and graduated three of its top four scorers, including Mudlong’s brother, Aaron, who now competes at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., west of St. Louis.
North finished sixth at regionals, missing the sectional cut by two places, but returns a solid group with plenty of optimism.
“It looks like it’ll be a pretty successful season,” North Stars coach Jason Svehla said. “We’ve got a lot of potential. We’ve just got to get more consistent.”
North freshman Blake Miller could attest. Despite leading the North Stars with a 666 series – 75 pins clear of sophomore Joey Rayner – Miller pondered a handful of lost opportunities after closing with a 194. He opened with games of 235 and 237.
Miller admitted he “got a little bit too tight toward the end” before ultimately conceding he had a “pretty good” day.
There’s no question bowling keeps him going. Miller said he bowled a 299 game during a recreational Sunday session at St. Charles Bowl, North’s home lanes. Perfection barely eluded him.
“Last shot,” Miller said. “Ringing 10 pin. … Just unlucky.”
Miller used bowling jargon to describe when the 10-pin is struck or wriggles but does not fall.
Such are the sounds bowlers strive for; typically, other noises do not faze them, not even celebratory shouts from the opposition.
“I mean, I listen to it,” Miller grinned. “It doesn’t really affect me. It’s just their team thing.”
The Saints also scream, “Heyyy, must be the money,” a nod to an old Nelly song, when a team member rolls three successive strikes, long known as a turkey in bowling circles.
“Every time we do a good shot – and even if we do a bad shot – we’re always there for each other and we’re always staying positive,” Middendorf said. “The whole team. … That’s what we do every single time. One person could be down, and then we have our whole team surrounding them and saying, ‘Hey, just keep it going.’ “
Bowling Green also hosted co-tenant Geneva’s UEC dual against Streamwood on Tuesday, providing plenty of bustle before adult league bowlers shuffled in.
That set might have been shouting "Siii" for another reason. South of the border fare at the nearby snack bar started at $3.75 for nacho chips and cheese.
WEST CHICAGO – St. Charles East boys bowlers populated a block of lanes near a Geneva banner during Tuesday’s Upstate Eight Conference dual against St. Charles North.
Make no mistake, however – this particular segment of Bowling Green Sports Center still was a "Siii" of orange and black.
Following custom from 2014, the Saints shouted an elongated version of the Spanish word for “yes” to commemorate each strike, sounding off early and often while edging the visiting North Stars 3,188 to 3,014.
“It’s just something we just kind of thought up on the fly and it just kind of stuck, so we just kept it going,” Saints junior Kyle Middendorf said.
East rebounded from an opening game loss to the North Stars almost as casually to earn four of five possible points. One point each is awarded for single-game victories, while winning an overall series nets two more points.
Saints senior Cole Cartee paced the team with a 667 series, while juniors Owen Schmid (659) and Dean Mudlong (625) followed.
Schmid rolled the individual high with a 253 in his second game.
“This is just a big part of the process,” said Mudlong, a team captain. “Just keep closing frames, closing frames until we get to our end goal, which is state. It’s part of a process. We’re doing well. We’re on track right now. We want to follow through and see it at the end.”
East finished third among 12 teams at last season’s state meet and graduated three of its top four scorers, including Mudlong’s brother, Aaron, who now competes at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., west of St. Louis.
North finished sixth at regionals, missing the sectional cut by two places, but returns a solid group with plenty of optimism.
“It looks like it’ll be a pretty successful season,” North Stars coach Jason Svehla said. “We’ve got a lot of potential. We’ve just got to get more consistent.”
North freshman Blake Miller could attest. Despite leading the North Stars with a 666 series – 75 pins clear of sophomore Joey Rayner – Miller pondered a handful of lost opportunities after closing with a 194. He opened with games of 235 and 237.
Miller admitted he “got a little bit too tight toward the end” before ultimately conceding he had a “pretty good” day.
There’s no question bowling keeps him going. Miller said he bowled a 299 game during a recreational Sunday session at St. Charles Bowl, North’s home lanes. Perfection barely eluded him.
“Last shot,” Miller said. “Ringing 10 pin. … Just unlucky.”
Miller used bowling jargon to describe when the 10-pin is struck or wriggles but does not fall.
Such are the sounds bowlers strive for; typically, other noises do not faze them, not even celebratory shouts from the opposition.
“I mean, I listen to it,” Miller grinned. “It doesn’t really affect me. It’s just their team thing.”
The Saints also scream, “Heyyy, must be the money,” a nod to an old Nelly song, when a team member rolls three successive strikes, long known as a turkey in bowling circles.
“Every time we do a good shot – and even if we do a bad shot – we’re always there for each other and we’re always staying positive,” Middendorf said. “The whole team. … That’s what we do every single time. One person could be down, and then we have our whole team surrounding them and saying, ‘Hey, just keep it going.’ “
Bowling Green also hosted co-tenant Geneva’s UEC dual against Streamwood on Tuesday, providing plenty of bustle before adult league bowlers shuffled in.
That set might have been shouting "Siii" for another reason. South of the border fare at the nearby snack bar started at $3.75 for nacho chips and cheese.