While the seven active bowlers on FHC’s boys bowling team bowled over to the left of sophomore Olivia Smith and the rest of the girls team, there was a stark contrast between both teams’ numbers on Tuesday at Northfield Lanes.

“At the start of the season, not as many people joined as we thought would,” Olivia said. “I’m just out there to have fun, but it still gets old after a while.”

However, the tables turned Tuesday’s game against Northview as Northview competed with only three girls compared to FHC’s four. To the surprise of some, FHC’s one-bowler advantage didn’t stop Northview from sweeping the Rangers in the baker games. Not long after, Paris Gooch nudged FHC away from a shutout with a 76-69 victory. A nudge usually doesn’t translate well to the lanes, though, so as a result, the girls’ struggled to keep it close, losing 25-3. 

“We had one more bowler than they did, so it ended up working out for us because we won two points by default,” head coach Terry Metzner said. “I liked how the girls who had opponents played as well, but we still need to work on stuff.”

The boys team was even less promising on Tuesday, as it failed to compete at all in Game One—not to mention the fact that FHC entered the game on a two-game losing streak. The sole bowlers for FHC who scored their team points were seniors Nick Walls and Korbin Thompson, along with sophomore Wes Baldwin. 

“I thought we did a good job of trying to keep it competitive,” Wes said. “Looking ahead, I want to see more productive practices and times where the boys team finds its groove.” 

For both squads, it’s a matter of building confidence in the face of pressure. The Rangers’ next opportunity to build their mojo comes on Wednesday, February 2, when they both compete head-to-head against East Grand Rapids.