CHANNAHON – The packed house at Channahon Lanes was disappointed if the expectation was to see those gaudy numbers high school boys tend to shoot.
However, what was not disappointing to the home crowd Saturday was host Minooka winning its third straight boys bowling regional title.
The Indians finished with a 5,618 total for six games. Lincoln-Way West, which led after the first, third and fifth games, settled for second at 5,539. Joliet West was third at 5,371 and Lincoln-Way Central fourth at 5,355 to round out the four teams that earned berths in Saturday’s Sandburg Sectional at Orland Bowl. Lincoln-Way East was seventh, Joliet Central eighth and Providence ninth.
Lincoln-Way West sported the 1-2 individual finishers, as champion David Eggert rolled 1,330 for his six games, including a 279 in Game 3, and junior Eric Ullian finished at 1,221. Junior Kai Devine’s 1,204 led Minooka.
“It was a tough shot today,” Indians coach Derrick Rapsky said. “Normally, this is a high-scoring house. We’re usually around 3,200 or 3,300 [for three games].
“The conditions were tough, but our real downfall was that we missed so many one-pin spares. It became a mental factor.”
Minooka and Lincoln-Way West each had one game above 1,000, and that was it for the tournament. The Warriors’ best was a 1,023 in Game 3, which gave them a 28-pin lead at the break between sessions. The Indians shot 1,038 in Game 4 and moved 99 pins ahead.
In Game 5, Minooka settled for 829 and fell 15 pins behind Lincoln-Way West. The Warriors, however, closed with a 794 game and Minooka, which last week won its third straight Southwest Prairie Conference title and will be aiming for a third straight sectional crown next weekend, regained control.
“We needed to end on an odd game,” Lincoln-Way West coach Mike Vogler said. “I thought we had a chance to win it, we just didn’t make shots. Only two games all day over 1,000 is really unusual. This is our lowest score all year, by far. This is Minooka’s house, and they struggled, too.”
Following Devine for Minooka were senior Kody Bachar, fifth at 1,158, and junior Ryan Koesema, 11th at 1,105. Junior Jon Studer shot 935 for five games, sophomore Thomas Heniff 491 for three.
“We hit a couple of struggles, but we capitalized in the last game,” Devine said. “When you’re a bowler, you have to adjust to conditions. Some guys can do that and some can’t.”
Behind Eggert and Ullian for Lincoln-Way West were senior Anthony Castaneda at 1,028 and freshman Michael Nork at 1,016.
“We were all right, up 15 pins after five games, but we couldn’t do it the last game,” said Eggert, a senior who had no game scores below 200. “The conditions were tough. A 900 game today was pretty much a thousand. But I like when conditions are tougher because you can’t play one way, one line, the whole day.”
Joliet West coach Scott Gentile said this will be the first sectional for the Tigers since the Joliet Townships split programs.
“I told our kids not to be content with fourth place, but I would have taken anything in the top four,” he said. “The conditions were tough, and our kids got a little hard on themselves. When people from other regionals see our scores, they are going to wonder what was going on.”
Joliet West senior Matt Pesavento finished sixth at 1,153. Senior Elijah Lee totaled 1,101 and junior Jordan Anderson 1,083. Freshman Michael Grether rolled 562 for three afternoon games.
“Matt Pesavento was in the leadoff spot all day and set the tone,” Gentile said.
For Lincoln-Way Central, senior Jake Keagle finished eighth at 1,127. Junior Noah Selof had 1,102, sophomore Caleb Kirby 1,096, freshman Jack Davern 1,050 and sophomore Trevor Amir 980.
“We have a young team,” Knights coach Ken Fiore said. “This was a tough house to bowl in, and with the pressure and being young, it made it harder on some kids. We didn’t have one 200 game in the morning, but the way it all worked out, this was a nice team finish.”
The top 10 individuals not on advancing teams also move on. That group includes Providence’s first sectional qualifier, junior Jordan Chavez, who was seventh overall at 1,146. Also advancing as individuals are Joliet Central junior Tyler Theobald (1,095) and sophomore Cameron Johnson (1,042) along with Lincoln-Way East juniors Justin Lavin (1,091) and Peter Walsh (1,090).