Playing the hometown rival always sparks some tension, and the Sept. 7 bowling match against Oviedo was no different. Behind chants and cheers, the boys’ team beat Oviedo 2532-2198 while the girls fell short, 1714 -1693. 

The boys continued their strong season, and even though the girls lost, they still had some really big positives as well. 

“Our boys bowled really well together, especially in the first two Baker games,” boys coach Jacob Colquhoun said. “The girls stayed together really well and stayed consistent the whole day. They never gave up and kept fighting the whole match.”

A Baker game is one game bowled by all five starters on the team. They each bowl two frames, and they are fast-paced. Matches consist of two regular games and three Baker games, and the total pins of all five games determine the winner. 

It was a tense match, as it always is playing a rival, but nothing the team did not expect.

“The atmosphere was good, very loud cheering from both teams. Oviedo definitely has a loud team, and it makes us want to be louder than them,” senior Caidyn Slawinksi said. 

Top performers for the girls, coached by Matthew Thompson, were Slawinski, who bowled a 136 average with a 158 high game, freshman Cam Sanguinetti, who had a 165 average with a 210 high game, and sophomore Ember Disorbo, who had a 131 average with a 134 high game.

Senior Gavin Hurt feels that the team stayed consistent and focused on the win throughout the whole match. 

“The boys produced some strong scores and were able to keep composure throughout the matches and gave us a solid lead going into the Baker games,” Hurt said. “We didn’t let the chants and fans get to our heads and we played our game. A bad shot was met with reassurance and focus towards the next frame.”

Top performers for the boys were Hurt, who bowled a 210 average with a 236 high game, freshman Nick Stephan, who had a 204 average with a 257 high game, and sophomore Alex Pantoja, who had a 199 average with a 243 high game. 

The team lost some key seniors and had to reload but was able to pick up where they left off last year, and the team expects to make it to the playoffs again. 

“I am super competitive, so my expectations are always to win districts and qualify for states, and we absolutely have the talent for it,” Colquhoun said. “As long as we stay focused on the current moment, we will be just fine.” 

The teams’ next match will be on Sept. 12 against Seminole High School. Pins drop at 3:30 p.m. at Airport Lanes. Tickets will be available at gofan.com.