Boys bowling going back to state
HUNTLEY — The Huntley boys bowling team came through with an IHSA State Meet qualifying spot finishing fourth at the Oregon Sectional Jan. 25.
The Red Raiders concluded with a team score of 6,075 total pins. This was 67 pins ahead of fifth place Jacksonville. Machesney Park Harlem won the team championship at Plum Hollow Family Center in Dixon, Ill. The IHSA State Boys Bowling meet is Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon.
HHS senior Joe Humphrey led the way with a 1,307 total final, 278 best game. He was 12th overall. Soph Noah Waters was next, at 15th with 1,292 pins while senior Austin Tenglin had 1,264 and Landen Conforti 1,120. Matt Fishman contributed a 549 and Nick Gaspari rolled a 543.
“We hope to have fun and make it to the second day at state,” head coach Jacob Wagner said.
“It was incredible,” Humphrey said of advancing to state.
“It was fun and intense,” Waters said.
Wagner praised Humphrey setting the tone.
“Humphey had the best game of 278,” Wagner said. “It was a super tight matchup from first all the way to 10th all day long. Some teams fell off in game six, but there was not quit in our guys. They brought out all the energy they had and clinched a spot to go down state. Humphrey, Waters and Tenglin had massive days for us. Conforti, Gaspari and Fishman all contributed as well. Grant VanValkenburg is our unsung MVP as he keeps the energy up and has picked up on things that assistant coach Jason Waters and I preach to the boys. They set the tone early with 1,125 game and grinded it out over the next five games to earn a spot at the final dance.”
Huntley and its rival but friendly foe Woodstock co-op was featured at sectional.
“The second half started off against Woodstock who has split with us all year long. During game six they jumped us for the fourth and final spot, but we dug deep and rolled off against an incredibly young talented team in Hononegah to take the final spot to go down state.”
Regional results
Humphrey finished second in individual pin totals at the IHSA Regional bowling tournament Jan. 18 at Glo-Bowl in Marengo.
Humphrey led the Red Raiders, who finished runner-up to Woodstock co-op, with a total of 1,330 pins. Woodstock co-op, with individual champ Levi Perrota’s 1,406 the best of the day, won the team title, 6,184 to Huntley’s 6,007 tally.
Behind Humphrey’s score, Fishman rolled a 1,221; Gaspari and Watters both contributed 1,216 scores and Tenglin had a 560.
