As the boys bowling team looks to secure their third straight state championship, the team will look much different this year.
Last year the varsity team was made up of four seniors, a junior and a sophomore. Now, senior Cash Carns and junior Michael Stanger lead a young team which is shaping to be pretty good.
“It is slightly different in the fact that I don’t have anyone older to look to, but in terms of chemistry it feels like nothing has changed,” Carns said.
Not only did last year’s team win back to back state championships, but they also broke the state record multiple times over the two-year span.
“This team will have to stay close, learn from mistakes and consistently be putting in the work at practice to be as successful as we have been in the past few years,” Carns said. “We have a lot on the line and this team wants to defend what we’ve built.”
Not only is the team young, but they will be battling it out at the state tournament without one of their best guys.
Stanger played a big role in his sophomore season, but this year looks much different for him. Due to KSHSAA rules, Stanger is allowed to bowl for the school until he competes in PBA Junior Nationals, which falls between regionals and the state tournament.
Stanger competed in PBA Junior Regionals back in september
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to compete at the national level, even though it does require making some sacrifices,” Stanger said.
Head coach Ryker Percival is upset about the rule, and is fighting to make an appeal to get through to KSHSAA.
“My coach is doing everything to have KSHSAA give an exemption, despite being rejected a few times we’re still trying,” Stanger said.
If KSHSAA allows Stanger to bowl at state, the tables turn drastically for the Panthers.
Without Stanger, freshman Tyson Hart who averages around 190-200 pins per game steps in. Stanger’s average of 232 gives the team on average a 30+ pin bonus every game. In a series that’s 90+ pins.
In the event that Stanger doesn’t bowl, senior Remy Fowler, and junior Hunter Gibbon will have to play a big part in the team’s success at state.
“Michael Jordan says ‘talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships,’ I think we have that even if (Stanger) unfortunately can’t bowl with us at state,” Carns said.
The team has already bowled in a few of its tougher tournaments and triangulars, and have done well. They finished second in Bishop Carroll’s Invitational tournament early on in the year.
“We learned from that tournament,” Carns said. “We learned a lot from that and our meet with Maize. Most importantly we changed what we needed to and fixed our mistakes.”
If the Panthers do end up winning a third straight, the young squad will likely have a chance at a fourth one next year.