Bowling Roundup: Scores and reports from around The Blast Zone

New Season — High School teams get started as amateur leagues roll along

Nov 20, 2024

bowling arena — Photo by Todd Diemer on Unsplash

Jordan Nailon / blastzonenews@gmail.com

RAL rallies to top MM in season opener

In their first real competition since winning the 2A State Championship last season the Lumberjills showed a little rust, but still wound up on top of their rivals from the other side of Lake Sacajawea.

R.A. Long opened the new prep bowling season with a 1947-1788 victory over Mark Morris, Tuesday, at Triangle Lanes in Longview. Jade Walters led the Lumberjills with a series score of 388, but the Monarchs saw Alex Perkins roll the highest single set and series scores with a round of 225 to open the day and a series score of 407.

Thanks to Perkins’ strong start the Monarchs were able to pick up a win in the first set (804-778), but they couldn’t keep up the pace in the second set and were unable to makeup ground in the Baker games.

“We had three turkeys (Perkins, Veronica Little and LIlly Lovingfoss) late in the first game to beat them,” Mark Morris coach Tiffany Kotera said. “But it wasn't enough to take the first Civil War.”

From left to right: Mark Morris’ Lilly Lovingfoss, Veronica Little and Alex Perkins pose for a photo in their turkey hats after rolling consecutive turkeys to help lock down a win in the first game of the season, Tuesday, at Triangle Lanes, against R.A. Long. — Photo courtesy of Mark Morris bowling

Walters finished on 388 to lead the Lumberjills on the day, while Hailey Wright scored a 328 on the day and Bailee Smith tallied 319 in the win.

After picking up the win, R.A. Long coach Shane Berridge noted he wasn’t entirely caught off guard by the early struggles in the first set. In fact, it’s become a tradition of sorts for the Jills.

“Our first couple of matches, there’s usually some bugs to work out and the girls tend to show up a little tight,” Berridge said. “I thought we had a great couple of weeks of practice and the girls were loose and bowled well at the Jamboree on Friday but we just came out a little flat.”

Abbie Wolters chipped in 305 points for R.A. Long and Destiny Ramirez rounded out the varsity scoring with a series tally of 297.

After the Monarchs picked up a win to open the match, R.A. Long had to buckle down and lean on experience, and pride, to get through to the brighter end.

“Having three seniors and four returners from a team that won the State Title last year allows you to lean on your veteran leaders when trouble brews and we did that today,” Berridge noted.

As for the Monarchs, LIttle was next in line behind Perkins with a series score of 332. Lovingfoss (295), Shelby Debolt (243) and Karis Costellaw (204) rounded out the varsity scoring for Mark Morris.

The Monarchs are struggling with turnout early in the season and only had nine eligible bowlers on Tuesday.

Mark Morris (0-1) is set to bowl at Ridgefield on Wednesday afternoon.

Return of the Jills

R.A. Long enters this season with high expectations after winning a state championship last winter. Apparently winning a State title is helpful for recruiting purposes because 57 Lumberjills found their way from the halls to the lanes for tryouts this year.

Sure, the Jills will have to replace individual State Champion Lilly Mattison and after she graduated last spring, along with State runner-up Ava Rodman, but they’ve numerous pieces from last year’s squad back and that should add up to a whole lot of pins down.

After wading into the season with a jamboree against Kelso and Mark Morris last Friday at Triangle Lanes, it became clear that senior Jade Walters will be expected to pick up the slack in both leadership and scoring.

“(She) will slot really nicely into our captain role with the graduation of Ava Rodman last year,” Berridge noted. “She didn't waste any time keeping the ship afloat when we had some rough water.”

Hailey Wright, a junior, and Bailee Smith, a sophomore, will also bring experience to the lanes this winter as R.A. Long looks to win a 2A Greater St. Helens League title, and more.

“(Wright and Smith) are two state returners who I think have a really great chance to take a huge leap forward in average and learn from Jade,” Berridge added. “They'll be people we look to this year and in the next couple years to fill those leadership positions left by some really great girls graduating from our program.”

R.A. Long (1-0) will host Columbia River on Wednesday at 3:15 p.m. back at Triangle Lanes.

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Lassies bust Union to open season

The Kelso girls bowling team has its eyes on vast improvements this season after spending last winter learning many of the tough lessons the game has to teach. On Tuesday, the Lassies took a step in the right direction when they opened the new prep season with a 1628-1238 win over Union at Triangle Lanes.

Notably, that team score was higher than any tally posted by Kelso last season.

“(They) went right to work today against Union,” Kelso coach Justin Fugleberg said. “To already hit that milestone this early with plenty of time to grow gives me hope that we will be in a good place by Districts.”

Returning varsity roller, junior Arianna Long, led Kelso with a match-high 309 series that included a score of 156 in the second game. Union was led by a 273 series from Isabella Ducket.

Kelso freshman Addison Gallagher performed well in her first varsity action with a series score of 280. Meanwhile junior Paige Molyneux finished on 265 and sophomore Layla Davenport landed on 262 to round out the Lassies’ scoring.

K-Town Pin Killers

This is the fourth season at the helm for Kelso coach Justin Fugleberg. In that time he’s been at the top of the heap and the bottom of the gutter, and everywhere in between.

This season, with 15 active bowlers on the roster, there’s more than several reasons to be hopeful that the Lassies will be able to pick up (and maintain) steam on the lanes.

“Our schedule this year allowed for more practice days before our first match, and it’s paid off as I’m impressed with the growth of the team already,” Fugleberg noted. “Our JV team also bowled well today which just shows me the program’s depth of talent. I’m looking forward to seeing how this team grows as the season continues.”

Kelso (1-0) will bowl again on Wednesday afternoon against Camas at Big Al’s Bowling Alley.