Waters’ perfect game highlights big bowling win
HUNTLEY — Huntley sophomore bowler Noah Waters etched his name in program history as he began a dual match with Marengo by gaining a perfect 300 score.
Waters’ achievement took place Dec. 17 at Bowl-Hi Lanes and was the second perfect game for the Red Raiders in as many seasons. Nick Gaspari recorded a perfect game in a dual match last season.
Waters followed with 199 and 193 games for a 692 total. The total was good for third on the squad as seniors Matt Fishman contributed a 788 and Austin Tenglin had a 710.
“I started to think about a perfect game at the sixth frame,” Noah Waters said. “I just wanted to execute and keep it the same direction. It helped that I had the entire right side. I feel fortunate to do it with my grandparents here.”
Waters’ family includes several standout bowlers. Grandfather Jack has had a 300, as well as Noah’s dad Jason, Hunley’s assistant coach. Also joining in the family celebration were HHS alum Josh Waters, who bowls at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and older sister Pria, who is a senior on the Huntley girls bowling squad.
“Noah’s 300 to start the match was huge,” Huntley coach Jacob Wagner said. “He is very consistent, and always has the same mentality, whether he rolled a good ball or not. He fits in so well with our senior-dominated team and has a great attitude and works to get better every day.”
“I want to bowl every day,” Noah Waters said.
“Being a younger bowler, I’m very proud of him,” Fishman said of Waters’ elite game. “He has come an extremely long way.”
HHS had other contenders for a 300 game as well. Tenglin started with a 277 game and Fishman a 276 game. Fishman said he just started using a new ball.
On Tuesday, Huntley had a season-best 4,078 pins total to the Indians’ 3,228 for a 10-0 record in the Kishwaukee River Conference-Fox Valley Conference victory. All Red Raiders topped 600 totals as Landen Conforti had a 635, Gaspari had a 631 and Joey Humphrey had a 622. Huntley had 16 of its 18 varsity game scores over 200.
“That’s the first time since I’ve been coaching here that we had all six bowlers bowl better than 600,” Wagner said. “Everything clicked and everyone was having a lot of fun.”
Before the match, Wagner said the atmosphere when the Red Raiders and Indians compete is always special, since they are neigboring schools and bowlers are in some of the same summer leagues. The two squads head to Marengo’s Glo-Bowl Lanes Dec. 20 for the final pre-Christmas break dual.
Last season, HHS won the first KRC-FVC title. The Indians edged the Red Raiders for second at the Belvidere North sectional, with both teams advancing to the IHSA State Bowling Tournament, 6,013 to 6,001 pins. HHS sectional leaders were Fishman (who won KRC-FVC Bowler of the Year honors); Humphrey, 1,244; Waters, 1,208; Tenglin, 1,175 and Gaspari, 735.
