Naperville Central boys bowling makes second straight state appearance

For the second straight year, Naperville Central boys bowling is hosting one of six sectional tournaments in Illinois. The Redhawks look to qualify for state finals for the second year in a row and the third time in four years after snagging the final spot in last week’s Oswego East regional. Also competing individually is DVC all-conference bowler Ryker Quatrini from the Valley’s Co-op. The top four teams and the top five individuals from non-qualifying teams will go down to O’Fallon next weekend. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.

The Redhawks roll in the morning session

The Redhawks take advantage of the home setting with a strong morning start. Josh Newcom leads the way early with scores of 248, 266, and 264 in his first three games as the senior jumps out to the front of the leaderboards in his final match at Lisle Lanes.  

Another Redhawk doing well is Sean Mulvey. The junior goes 234 in game two and 213 in game three to help lead the flight towards a state berth.  

Ryker Quatrini continues his success at Lisle Lanes as the Valley bowler rolls a 214, 268, and 225 in the morning session. He sits third individually at the lunch break, looking to make history for the Valley’s Co-op.  

Meanwhile, the Redhawks end the morning session with a bang, as Ian Rottersman has a huge tenth frame in game three. The junior goes three for three on strike shots to end his morning series with a 205 score. Naperville Central sits atop the team standings at the halfway mark, rolling each game over a thousand. 

In the afternoon, the competition comes to life.  Behind Central is Lincoln-Way West as the Warriors in black and orange make a battle cry back towards the top.  Led by Patrick Berlin and Liam Letherby, they shoot a team score of 1,013 in game four to close the gap to the Redhawks. 

Also charging towards the front is Glenbard East. The Rams live up to their namesake and ram their way into state contention. With Geovonni Clayton and Justin Kay pressing the assault, Glenbard East is hanging right with Central as we push deeper into the afternoon.  

Central tries to keep pace in game five as Blake Amptmann looks to visit State once again. The sophomore Redhawk hits this strike perfectly on cue as part of a 180 score.  

Josh Newcom keeps his momentum going in the afternoon, as this shot is also on target but needs a lot of help to finally push down the four-pin.  Newcom shoots 201 and 208 in games four and five.  

But in game six, all the action breaks loose. We start with Lockport, which did not even crack the top four until late in game five. With strong individual performances by Aaron Chrusciel, Evan Charest, and Mason Strassle, the Porters roll over 980 in their final three games to sail towards a state berth.  

Oswego East continues its strong postseason push

But also, shooting out of a cannon is the regional champions Oswego East.  Like Lockport, they sat out of the top four until game five. The Wolves roll 989 or higher in the afternoon games, as Derek Zahorak and Mitchell Rodenbostel lead the pack. Both Lockport and Oswego East move past Naperville Central midway through game six.  

Ryker Quatrini continues his historic run

Back to the individual race, as Ryker Quatrini looks to secure a spot to State. After a down game five, he rebounds in game six, ending his day with a 223 score as he awaits the final results on advancing individuals.  

Just like last week, Central is in a dogfight for the final transfer spot, this time with Glenbard East. The Rams look to wipe away an almost 80-pin deficit with Geovonni Clayton rolling 211 in his last game. The Rams’ charge back to the front has the notice of all of Naperville Central as the end of game six nears.  

The Redhawks look to hang on, and they get much-needed help from Grayson Pfile. The junior comes to life in the last game with his best of the day at 213 as the Redhawks and Rams go neck-and-neck down to the wire.  

Coming up clutch for Central again is Ian Rottersman. The junior shows off a Caleb Williams-esque clutch gene with a huge double in the tenth frame to draw the final tallies almost even between Naperville Central and Glenbard East. Both teams await the final results as the tournament ends.   

Naperville Central is heading to state for a third time in four seasons

In what would become one of the closest sectionals in IHSA history. Behind individual champion Derek Zahorak, Oswego East claims the sectional title by just three pins over Lockport! Finishing third, just three pins behind Lockport, is Lincoln-Way West! And claiming the fourth and final spot is Naperville Central by just 26 pins over Glenbard East! The Redhawks get back to state for the second year in a row and the third time in four years! Also taking third individually in the tournament is Josh Newcom, who ends the day with a 1,357 series. 

For the individual qualifiers, Ryker Quatrini takes the final transfer spot by just 12 pins with a 1,317 series! The senior from Neuqua Valley becomes the first bowler from the Valley’s Co-op to make the State Finals in only the program’s second year of existence.  A season of thrilling finishes and heart-pounding moments culminates in one of the most spectacular tournaments in IHSA history as Quatrini and the Redhawks look to begin the trek to state next weekend!