Naperville Central regional bowling is happening here at Parkside Lanes, which is also home to one of the 18 boys’ bowling regional tournaments across the state of Illinois. All three of the DVC teams in Naperville Central, Naperville North, and The Valley’s Co-op are competing to advance to sectionals. They will have to go against teams such as Plainfield North, Oswego East, and Joliet West. The top four teams and top 10 individuals from non-qualifying teams will advance to the sectional tournament next Saturday at Lisle Lanes. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Naperville Central gets rolling early
Naperville Central is rolling the ball early as Blake Amptmann breaks through on this pocket shot for the strike to get his day moving.
Sean Mulvey would also have a strong morning session for the red and white. A 228 in game one and 223 in game three puts the junior in the conversation for a top spot as the Redhawks soar into the top five.
Another individual doing well is Anders Moranchek for the Valley’s. This shot is off target, leaving up the front three, but cue the domino effect, and he gets the strike. The crowd can’t believe it, and neither can he, but he moves into the top 15.
Naperville North finds its footing
Naperville North is also keeping pace in the top 10, as Michael Dauphinais takes a slow roll up to Brooklyn and gets all ten for a strike. A 225 in game two is his best on the day.
Giving some momentum for the Huskies is Nick Alexandrov. A 216 in game two is followed by a 252 in game three, to put the junior in a transfer spot at the lunch break as he looks to represent Naperville North in sectionals.
Redhawk senior Josh Newcom looks to rally after a shaky start in the morning as he clears the map in game three, leading to a 224 as Central tries to answer.
But making it difficult for Central is Plainfield North as the Tigers pounce. Led by Mike Wynard, Gatlin Dehm, and Ian Datwyler, they post a team score of 1,090 in game two, taking a 77-point lead over Central at the halfway point for the final transfer spot.
In the afternoon, Central’s Brandon Blitek comes in off the bench for Amptmann and makes quick work of the pins here to start his day on a high note. He ends game four with a 179.
The Valley’s bring the fun to the lanes
Meanwhile, the Valley’s bring on the hype. Shane Arteaga throws off his line on the strike attempt, but makes enough of a mess to wipe out the pins. He hits the dance floor back to the sidelines, starting the second half with a 214.
Also coming to life is Ryker Quatrini. After a slow start, he shoots at 190 or higher in his last four games and climbs up the standings to compete for one of the individual qualifying spots.
Up towards the front of the team standings is Joliet West. The Tigers in black and yellow surge towards the front with David Brunner and Michael Schlottman leading the charge. They look to make it back to sectionals again and claim their third consecutive regional plaque.
Oswego East pulls away from the competition
But dominating much of the day is the host team of Oswego East. The Wolves defend their territory with Derek Zahorak and Shane Nano at the head of the pack. They go over 1,000 in five of their six games, looking to claim the top prize.
In game five, the Redhawks rally back towards the cutoff line. Grayson Pfile has a stellar outing as this strike shot is part of a 225 score to give the Redhawks more Naperville Central regional bowling momentum.
That is coupled with Sean Mulvey continuing his impressive day, rolling a 230, as don’t look now, but the Redhawks are just five pins behind Plainfield North for the final transfer spot.
The race for sectionals is on as Ian Rottersman takes it right to Plainfield North. This shot has just enough zip to tip down the eight-pin as the junior gets his squad fired up and out ahead of the Tigers for the moment.
But the Tigers in crimson and white don’t go down easy. Wynard and Dehm throw over 200 in the last game to force a nailbiter down to the wire. It all comes down to the final frame for the Redhawks as Plainfield North awaits the result.
Naperville Central regional bowling comes through in the clutch to advance to sectionals
Rottersman rises to the call. In his tenth frame, he goes back-to-back with strikes, securing vital pins for Central as he ends his day with a 202 final game score. High-fives all around for Rottersman as a thrilling finish is in view.
It would all come down to Josh Newcom. The anchor needs a mark and picks up the four-pin spare as the Redhawks and Tigers are neck and neck with one shot to go!
Newcom goes for the kill on his last shot, and he saves the best for last with the strike! A fired-up Coach Dunn and Naperville Central crowd are in full celebration mode, as the Redhawks take the last spot by just eleven pins over Plainfield North to qualify for their eighth straight sectionals appearance!
Winning the tournament with a score of 6,436 is Oswego East, followed by Joliet West in second and Yorkville in third. Winning the individual title is Derek Zahorak from Oswego East, as the Valley’s Ryker Quatrini also qualifies for sectionals, finishing sixth among qualifying individuals. Lisle Lanes will await Quatrini and the Redhawks next weekend as Naperville Central’s regional bowling performance leads them back to state for the second year in a row!
For more prep sports highlights, visit the Naperville Sports Weekly page!
