WCHS Bowling Teams

Our first "home" match of the season at our new home - Smyrna Bowling Center - was a non-district tussle with a former district foe, the DCA Wildcats.  Trying to create more "competition" for our team during the regular season, Coach Mark has set up several matches with high-achieving programs from around the state.  And this first test proved to be a great one for the guys.  The WC Boys won by a slim 11 pins over DCA today, 3660 - 3649.  Final points were 15-12.  The 'Cats were behind DCA from the outset, losing game 1 2-6, and down by 66 total pins.  Game 2 was a win for us 1200-1168, but the boys were still down 7-9 and by 34 pins.  And while we "win as a team & lose as a team," one bowler came thru in game 3 to save us today - Spencer Harp tossed 10 strikes for a super 278 game to help us pull out the 11-pin margin of victory.  Thanks, Spencer!   Harp also led the team in series with a great 694.  Other good bowling today was:  Eric Lane again on fire in game 1 with a 245, and finished with 645; Chris Branner with a 237-644; and Kyle Hubbuch with a 245-623.  Great finish, Wildcats...and way to hang in there and pull out a win in the end.  This kind of match builds the character we will need in the post-season!!

The LadyCats on the other hand had no trouble with a not-too-shabby DCA girls squad.  Our ladies rolled an 1137 in game 1 to sweep the first 8 points and go up by 283 pins, a lead they would never relinquish.  Laurel Everett had a VERY hot hand in game 1, striking a bunch on her way to a great 258 game.  Nice job, Laurel!  Laurel finished as our leader with a nice 627 series too.  Brittany Sisco stayed hot with a nice 222-590.  Final score for the LadyCats was 21-6, with pinfall totals 3248-2788.  Great job, Central!!

Last season the LadyCats started the season with a school-record game in the first match.  This year it was the guys turn!  With 4 new bowlers from our starting lineup of a year ago, this mens' team went sky-high in game 2 with a new school-record 1421 team game!  And it was the 4 "new" bowlers who led the team in a big way...Jr. Eric Lane led all bowlers today with an awesome 278 game & 751 series - his first-ever 700 series!  WAY TO GO, ERIC!  Rolling with Eric in game 2 were Fr. Kyle Hubbuch with a 257, Jr. John Petty with a 256, and Jr. Brett Miler with a nice 245.  The Wildcats first & third games were just "OK" but more than enough for the win as they swept past a very young Friendship Christian team 27-0.  Newcomer Hubbuch started his HS "career" with a great 708 series, and Miler finished with a nice 618 total.  GREAT BOWLING, Wildcats...and a GREAT start to the year!

The LadyCats also won 27-0 as the Friendship girls' team only fielded 5 bowlers.  Jr. Brittany Sisco led the way for the ladies with a nice 203-569 total.  Total pinfall for the match was 2908-1225.  Great start, LadyCats...we'll work on a new record for you next match!

Living up to expectations...not always an easy thing to do.  But when your school starts the new season as the defending State Champions, the expectations of everyone outside the team is high.  But our own players' desire to win is the real barometer of how this team will handle the upcoming season.  This past Saturday, the Central bowlers answered some of these questions!

The 2010 HS Bowling Jamboree is our annual kick-off to the bowling season.  And while we have had some minor success in past years, neither the guys or the girls had ever finished #1 in Team Series - until NOW!  Both the Wildcats & LadyCats took top honors in the Jamboree, and we added a few individual awards too.  The Wildcats started the day, and Jr. Spencer Harp was ready to go, as he started game 1 with the first nine strikes before a 7-pin kept him from completing the perfect game.  Spencer finished with a 279 game, good for Individual High Game in the Jamboree.  Way to go Spencer!  After a nice 1032 in game 1 (5 players), the boys fell off in game 2, but rebounded at the end of game 3 to finish with a 2956 total, which was 21 pins better than the Hardin Co boys.  Jr. John Petty led the team total with his fine 629 series, finishing only 11 pins from the individual series title.  Harp added a 618, Sr. Chris Branner had a 219-612, Sr. Seth Carey a 214 game, and Fr. Kyle Hubbuch added a 210 game.  The boys also had a second team in the event, and bowling well for team two were Jr. Eric Lane with a 209-603 total, and Brett Miler with a pair of 203 games.  Congrats to the Wildcats on your first-ever team award in the Jamboree!!

The LadyCats were minus starters Kirstin & Kaitlin Page, but still managed to SWEEP the awards this year!  The ladies took Team Series with a 2620 total, which won by only 29 pins over Hardin Co.; and Team Game with their 952 in game 2.  Individual awards were won by Sr. Dani Chaffin with a 572 series, and Jr. Brittany Sisco with a 235 game.  Dani added a 224 game, and Sr. Kerstyn Stansberry had a nice 218 in game 1.  All said, a great start to (hopefully) another great season for Wilson Central!

For the first time in the nine-year history of TSSAA High School Bowling, the State Champions are both from the same school…and that school is WILSON CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL!!!!! Both teams went into the finals this year with a confidence unlike any I’ve ever seen.  Then, they bowled with that same confidence!  First, the LadyCats.  After four trips to the State Tournament (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009) and TWO state Runner-Up trophies, these girls were ready to take the next step.  Only problem was, our opponent in the final match was the same one we had faced in our two previous trips - the Lady Tigers of Hardin County!  This time, our ladies were ready.   Led by Brittany Sisco’s 241, and Kirstin Page’s 222, the LadyCats blasted a 1205 game 1 score, to Hardin’s 979, AND took 7 of 8 points!  Game 2 was nearly as good, as we won 1133-999 and with 7 more points, our ladies were STATE CHAMPIONS after only TWO GAMES!!UNBELIEVEABLE!!  Then, in a move that is a testament to how great of  a TEAM we have, our starters all agreed to come out so the rest of the players could participate - even when they were told how they could’ve set several state tournament records if they stayed in!!  A very classy, good-hearted move by a wonderful group of girls!!  Other good scores from our ladies in the final match:  Dani Chaffin with a 245 in game 2; Kaitlin “Sparkplug” Page with a nice 223, and Laurel Everett a 207.   Here is the recap of our match: 

http://www.tssaa.org/2009Champions/StateBowling/DIGirls/Match7.htm 

The Wildcats started off a little slowly in game 1 of the finals vs. Soddy-Daisy, but still got a win 1140-1113.  Seth Carey “carried” the guys this game with an awesome 279 game!  Way to go, Seth!  Game 2 saw our guys totally take control of the match, as we won 6 of 8 points with a 1247-1156 score.  In the final game, our crowd was too good, the bowlers were better, and the momentum was all ours, as we rolled a 1256 to their 1180, and took 7 of 8 for the easy 21.5 - 5.5 victory.  Chris Branner rolled the last 11 strikes in game 3 for his own 279 game..way to go, Chris.  The Wildcats join the ladies as STATE CHAMPIONS!!!  Here is a recap of their match: 

http://www.tssaa.org/2009Champions/StateBowling/DIBoys/Match7.htm