A Warwick High School sophomore capped a remarkable postseason in March 2015 by finishing 11th in the Pennsylvania High School Bowling Championships’ boys singles event at Dutch Lanes in Ephrata.
Earlier that winter, he had won the Lancaster-Lebanon League individual championship, with a perfect 300 game along the way, then won the district title and placed fourth at the Eastern Regional championships.
The best of the best
“Top 24 kids in the state, so it’s a pretty big accomplishment to get here,” said Warwick coach Bill Bernstein. “It’s the best of the best, it’s a big stage. I think he bowled great.”
The Warwick sophomore rolled a 1,272 six-game series, landing him in the middle of the 24-bowler field. His games were 233, 204, 188, 257, 198 and 192. Preliminary scores determined seeding for the final round of ladder play.
Bowling beside the top seed
He shared a pair of lanes with the tournament’s top seed, who was on a tear and on track for a perfect game.
“We bowled on a pair with the number one seed who was just blowing through the roof, and he just tried to hang with him as best he could and had a couple of big games,” Bernstein said. “He had a couple of games that were a letdown to him, but at the state championship level, they’re still pretty good games.”
Staying focused on your own score while a lane-mate strings strikes can be hard, the coach said. “There’s no defense in this game. When the kids around you start to roll, just go with them.”
A quick rise
The bowler began bowling through an after-school program at Warwick as an eighth-grader and rose quickly through the high school ranks.
“He had two big wins in the league championship, and then a week later the district championship, so his expectation for himself is to win,” Bernstein said. “And you get to a stage like this where everybody’s expectation is to win, that’s why they’re here. It’s tough, it’s difficult. But I think as a sophomore he handled himself really well.”
A proud family
Both of his parents were at Dutch Lanes for the state finals.
“He’s had a ground-breaking year,” his mother said afterward. “We are not sure that anyone has done what he’s done this year, to win the Lancaster-Lebanon League tournament, to win the district tournament, to be fourth in regionals, and to be eleventh in states.”
“His dad and I are so proud of him, and we keep reminding him that this is a talent God has given him,” she said.
Two more years to build
Bernstein expected more to come.
“He’s got all the talent in the world, and he’s got two years to build on that,” he said. “It’s good for him, it’s good for the program, and it’s good for the sport. Now he’s got the experience, and I know he’s got the determination to get back here again next year.”
The goal for next season, the coach said, was to bring the whole team. “We talked about it today at the end about how he can get his team here as well.”
High school bowling in Pennsylvania
High school bowling in Pennsylvania is organized outside the PIAA, with leagues such as the Lancaster-Lebanon League running team and individual competition each winter. Bowlers advance from league and district tournaments to regional championships and finally to the state finals, where the top individuals in the commonwealth compete. A year later, Warwick’s bowlers did win a regional team title.
This article was originally published in March 2015.