Valley teams compete for State Bowling Championships

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - North Alabama continues to compete for championships across the Valley. This week, area bowlers aim to bring home respective State crowns.

The AHSAA State Bowling Championships are set for January 26-27 in Gadsden, Alabama. The Championship format consist of two division for Boys and girls (1A-5A, 6A-7A).

“To see the light come from the players eyes and realize they can do this,” East Limestone Head Coach Mark Feris said.

" A lot of tour players may not be big enough to play football or tall enough to play volleyball, but anybody can bowl. it’s about giving it a try and giving it all your effort.”

The first day will consist of each team (5 bowlers) rolling three traditional games in each division. Total team pins will seed each school for Friday’s competition.

“Such an amazing opportunity, the girls have grown so much,” East Limestone senior bowler Abby Wilson said. " So its great to see them come together as we move to the final competition. I love the lanes for state so I’m super excited.”

“I’m definitively nervous even though that’s what’s kept my nerves high,” East Limestone bowler Ariana Fox added. “It’s not super far away but it’s far enough so I shouldn’t be this nervous, but our girls are ready and I’m so proud of them.”

The second day will consist of an eight-team single-elimination, three-round tournament in each division with each team bowling a best 4-of-7 Baker Format series. Team winners will be decided by the first team to win four games. Baker Format has each team using a lineup of 5 bowlers rolling 2 frames each.

“We make it to regional’s quite often, but we kind broken down when we got to Regional’s, Hartselle Head Bowling Coach Shana Coan said. “So my son, this is his fifth year on the bowling team, and first year we’ve made it to State, so’ we’re super excited.”

The team with the most pins doesn’t  automatically win the series at State. It is the best of 7 games. Once one school’s team has won four games, the match is over. The finals are tentatively set for boys at 10:30 A.M. to 10:45 A.M. and at 3:30 P.M. to 3:45 P.M. for girls.

“Regional’s could have went better, but state’s where it’s at,” Sparkman Senior Bowler Dalton Tologo said.

“We’re gonna take it home to State that’s the goal,” Sparkman Senior Bowler Alfonso Carrington. “Regional’s I say we did OK, but at state we’re gonna pull it back.”

“It’s pretty Cool, you’re just out here bowling like I have since I was a little kid and suddenly it’s a huge deal,” Sparkman Senior bowler Angela Webber added.

“I’m excited that we made it here for the third time actually,” Sparkman Senior Bowler Amaya Hambrick added. “And I like the fact that we are competing and we get to bowl at a high level and some people don’t get to do that so I like that.”

The finals on Friday for boys and girls will be televised by WOTM TV over the AHSAA TV Network of cable stations that choose to show the event and it will be live-streamed over the NFHS Network subscriber based platform.

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