On Saturday, February 18, the boys played in the OK White Conference tournament held at Park Center Lanes. This tournament was crucial to the team as it determines who wins the conference; however, this tournament will not impact how the team will seed at regionals next week Thursday and Friday.

“This tournament felt like a warmup to regionals. It would’ve been cool to win but there was really nothing to play for. When it comes to regionals, there is a huge prize: a one-way ticket to states,” Luke Stiles said.

The boys played a total of four baker games and three regular games. They played on phantom [an oil pattern in which there is a ton of oil all over the lane, mainly concentrated in the middle and the back of the lane] which is the pattern the boys have been practicing on. In the baker games, the team didn’t perform its best. The oil pattern was not the issue, it was the lack of putting good scores on the board. The boys had a high pin count in each frame; however, they couldn’t make enough strikes and spares to zero out the open frames. After all four baker games, the boys placed seventh out of eight teams due to their bad scores. After the team’s unlucky baker game period, they bounced back in the regular games.

After all the teams are done playing, the host of the tournament recognizes both ten female and ten male bowlers. In order to be one of the ten bowlers, you have to out-bowl everyone else individually. At the end of the tournament, each bowler’s individual scores are tallied up into what is called their total score; in this case, it was their three-game series.

Wes Baldwin, the fourth bowler on the team, was recognized as one of those ten players. He placed third overall out of fifty bowlers. He bowled a 617 three-game series which means he bowled 205 on average. This is a momentous achievement and it meant a lot to the team.

Overall, the team placed fourth out of eight teams thanks to its performance in the baker games. As the bowling season comes to an end, be sure to support the team as they head into regionals next week Thursday and Friday at Westgate Lanes. This tournament will conclude the regular season unless the team makes it to states. Good luck boys and great conference finish!