By Erik Harris
PELHAM – Alabama high school sports history has been made, and bowling teams from Hewitt-Trussville and Pinson Valley got in on the action from Pelham’s Oak Mountain Lanes.
Pinson Valley bowler Gracie Graves competing in the first-ever AHSAA state bowling tournament last week. Submitted photo
The Alabama High School Athletics Association held its first-ever State Bowling Tournament on Thursday and Friday. The Hewitt-Trussville girls made it to the quarterfinals of the 16-team field where it fell to the eventual state champions.
The Huskies saw their season end with a 1,511-1,283 decision to Sparkman in the second round on Friday.
Also in girls’ competition, Pinson Valley made an opening round exit on Friday. The Indians, who claimed the No. 10 seed on Thursday, lost to No. 7 Spain Park by a count of 1,391-1,318.
The only Tribune area boys team to qualify for the inaugural tournament was Hewitt-Trussville, who saw its season come to a close in the opening round. After securing the No. 7 seed on Thursday, the Huskies fell, 1,624-1,513, to No. 10 Benjamin Russell.
The boys dropped 2,536 total pins in three Thursday games to earn that seeding. Jordan Faggard served as the pacesetter for Hewitt-Trussville with 620 pins dropped on Day 1. Hunter Mortimer did his part with a total of 528 and Ryan Hindman went for 507 in three Thursday games.
The Hewitt-Trussville girls were led to a No. 3 seed on Thursday by Kelsie Ho, who went for 454 total pins. As a team, the Huskies scored a 2,089 on Day 1 to trail No. 2 Scottsboro and No. 1 Etowah.
Maddie Dorsett was second on the team with a score of 439, and Callie Shields finished a little behind her with 437 pins.
The Pinson Valley girls scattered 1,858 pins on Day 1 to secure the No. 10 tournament seed. Lauren Keplinger set the tone with a team-high score of 459. She got help from teammates Jaiden Hampton (409) and Destinee Cole (345).
Sparkman defeated James Clemens, 1,532-1,259, in the girls’ finals. Spain Park took a 1,836-1,576 decision over Stanhope-Elmore in the boys’ state title match.
Erik Harris is the Sports Editor for the Trussville Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @jeharris2 or email him at jmseharris2@gmail.com.
