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The Joliet area has a rich history in high school boys bowling.
The first state championship was conducted in 2003, and the area boasts two team titles, with Plainfield South winning in 2010 and Lockport in 2013. In addition, the area has had at least one team finish in the top nine every season.
But this year’s state finals, scheduled Friday and Saturday at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon, also will have a first. Five area teams – Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way West, Joliet West, Minooka and Plainfield Central – will participate for the first time, and as many as five area teams will compete for a state trophy. In addition, the area has three individual qualifiers.
The previous best team count was in 2015, when four qualified and all four placed in the top 10 – Lincoln-Way North (sixth), Minooka (seventh), Lockport (ninth) and Plainfield North (10th).
Lincoln-Way Central will make its first team appearance since 2008 when the Knights finished third under coach Ken Fiore.
Central has a veteran team with four seniors – Steve Plane, Trevor Amir, Ricky Wesel and Jerimiah Senko – to go with junior Jack Davern and sophomores Alex Nolan and Austin Zaker. Nolan was the sectional champion, and Plane won the regional, which shows the Knights’ balance.
What the team lacks in state final experience, coach Coley O’Connell doesn’t. O’Connell coached the Lincoln-Way North program that garnered a sixth-place team finish in 2015.
“Everyone has stepped up at some point during the season,” O’Connell said. “We have a pretty set lineup, but our subs are ready to go if we need them. We will practice the same way we have all season, get mentally ready and have fun at the finals.
“We have a good thing going right now, and even though this team doesn’t have the finals experience, we, as coaches, can get them ready from being there in the past.”
Lincoln-Way West advanced for the second consecutive year under coach Scott Ullian.
“Our goal was to get back to the finals,” Ullian said. “It’s been a different season with all the ups and downs, but this team came through when they needed to. We are going to O’Fallon and just relax and have fun. These kids have worked hard for this, and now it’s time to enjoy the moment, especially for the four seniors we have on the team.”
The Warriors’ lineup includes seniors Caleb Kirby, George Dennison, Matt VanderBiezen and Alex Kubitz. They are joined by juniors Michael Nork and Jeremy Sgartata and sophomores Cameron Jablonski and Tony Paul.
Joliet West qualified for the first time as a team and will be one of the youngest teams in the field. The Tigers are led by junior Michael Grether along with sophomores Kyle Siksta, Joey Lizzio, Lucas Pirc, Brock Whiteman and Julian Ramos.
With the makeup of the team, not many have expectations for the Tigers. However, that is not the case for coach Reginald Lee.
“There are expectations with this team, and this is great for the program,” Lee said. “This group won the Illinois Elementary School Association title, and we expected to get to this point. We will just focus on what we need to do and turn it up a notch. Yes, this is a young team, so enjoy the moment, learn and have a good time. You have to take advantage of the opportunities you have.”
Minooka will be making its sixth consecutive trip to O’Fallon under veteran coach Derrick Rapsky.
“We have four returning bowlers who have made the trip in the past,” Rapsky said. “All the guys on this team have the team-first mentality. It’s a special group, and once you are there, anything can happen.
“The one thing that has haunted us in the past are the lanes, and we just can’t seem to carry anything. Hopefully, with this group, we can solve that and this will be a great weekend.”
The Indians’ roster features seniors Zach Bosman, Tyler Koenig and Eddie Wozniak along with juniors Tim Frakes, Drew Toke and Jeremy Serchuk.
Plainfield Central is riding a high entering the weekend. The Wildcats were in 15th place after the first of six games in the sectional and still were 10th with one game remaining. But they pulled through, bowled their best and moved all the way to fifth to qualify for the first time as a team since 2011.
Seniors Canyon Covert and Karl Burns lead the Wildcats and are joined by juniors Nathan Brander, Ryan Arens, Jacob Elder and Nathan Miller.
“This team has believed in themselves and has never given up. That was proven in the sectional,” Central coach Gerald Oshita said. “We will have a normal week of practice and bowl in O’Fallon on Thursday afternoon. These kids have worked hard to get where they are, and we want to enjoy the experience and have fun.”
Competing as an individual qualifier will be Bolingbrook senior Alex Acosta, who will make his third finals appearance. On Monday, the IHSA announced that the at-large individual qualifiers include Lockport senior Alec Buchaas and Plainfield South junior Austin Griffiths, who tied with Plainfield Central’s Burns for a regional title.