From the AHSAA
GADSDEN – Sparkman High School boys’ and girls’ bowling coach Lisa Ivey understands the challenge ahead for her two teams beginning Thursday when the AHSAA 2022 State Bowling Championships get underway at The Alley Bowling Center at Gadsden.
“There is a lot of competitive teams – from the North and South Regions,” she said. “With the championship bracket 4-out-7 Baker format games this year, we know we will have to be at our best.”
The Senators boys’ and girls’ squads roll into the 2022 state tourney as defending champions in the Class 6A/7A division. The large schools will begin play tradition Thursday afternoon. The Class 1A/5A division kicks off the state meet Thursday morning with only one defending champion in the field – the East Limestone boys’ squad. Satsuma, the 2021 girls’ winner, did not advance to the South Regional this season, but the Gators’ boys did – and finished runner-up to region winner Elberta.
Class 6A/7A will compete in the afternoon session. Friday’s championship bracket will follow the same schedule with Class 1A/5A beginning play in the morning with the finals set for 11:30 a.m., and Class 6A/7A in the afternoon with the championship matches at approximately 4 p.m. The championship matches will be televised live by the AHSAA TV Network and live-streamed over the NFHS Network with WOTM TV producing Friday’s finals under the direction of executive producer Vince Earley.
All teams will compete in three traditional rounds Thursday to determine seeding for Friday’s best 4-of-7 Baker format championship bracket. This year’s substantial change is the Baker format eliminating its one traditional game and five Baker matches in each round with a best 4-of-7 Baker format games determining each advancing winner.”
Sparkman won the North Regional girls’ title at Tuscaloosa last week beating Vestavia Hills 4-1 in the finals. Ivey’s Senators held a 926-686 pin advantage. Sparkman finished the region championship bracket with 4-0 wins over Northridge and Spain Park in the first two rounds and closed the day with 2,355 pins in the three matches – 778 more than their opponents’ 1,640 total.
“Our girls are playing really well,” said Ivey.
The Stanhope Elmore captured the South Regional girls’ 6A/7A title beating Thompson 4-1 in the finals – with an 864-806 final pin edge. Vestavia Hills’ boys beat Spain Park in a close North final last week 4-3 – and held a slim 14-pin advantage in the final finals 1,409 to 1,395. Sparkman’s boys advanced to the state tourney with a 4-0 quarterfinal win over Northridge but falling 4-0 to Spain Park in the semifinals.
Baldwin County beat Thompson 4-1 (893 pins to 731) in the South 6A/7A finals. The Tigers opened the championship round last Friday with a 4-0 win over Stanhope Elmore and then edged Hoover 4-2 in the semifinals finishing the match with a one-pin advantage 1,158 to 1,157.
Elberta won its first region title with a 4-1 win over Satsuma in South 1A/5A boys finals. Beauregard also won its first region championship beating Bayshore Christian 4-2 in the girls’ 1A/5A finals.
At the North Regional, Corner beat East Limestone 4-2 in the finals to claim its first region title, and Etowah downed American Christian 4-2 to win the boys’ 1A/5A North championship. East Limestone’s defending state champion boys lost to Etowah in the semifinals 4-2.
Satsuma’s Fisher Fuller and Jaxson Crisler had the top 1A/5A boys’ traditional series last week with three-game totals of 627 and 600, respectively. Bayshore Christian’s Megan Garrick had the top South girls’ traditional series with 475. American Christian’s Cate Olson rolled a 556 to lead the North 1A/5A girls’ individual totals. Sipsey Valley’s Luke Owens had a 697 series to top the 1A/5A North boys’ traditional play.
Thompson’s Gracie Connelly, who rolled the top traditional series in the 2021 state tourney (628), was even sharper in the South Regional last week rolling a 684 to claim the top spot in the 6A/7A girls’ individual region competition. Thompson’s Bodie Budel earned the boys’ top spot with a 669 total. At the North 6A/7A Regional, Sparkman’s girls
placed three girls in the top five traditional series rankings with Emily Lindsey rolling a 646 for first place, Jenna Webber and Angela Webber rolling 499 and 494, respectively, for fourth and fifth place. Leading the North boys’ traditional round last week was Hewitt-Trussville’s Hunter Kyle (637). Spain Park’s Michael Kimble was second at 618, and Huskies teammate, freshman Tristan Atwood, who rolled a perfect 300 in a round late in the regular season, was third with a 595 total.
2022 AHSAA State Bowling Championships
January 27-28 at The Alley Bowling Center, Gadsden
CLASS 1A/5A QUALIFIERS
GIRLS
American Christian Patriots Tuscaloosa Coach Bob Holley
Bayshore Christian Eagles Fairhope Coach David Garrick
Beauregard Hornets Beauregard Coach Shane Lake
Corner Yellow Jackets Corner Coach Suzi McCormack
East Limestone Pirates Athens Coach Jennifer Turner
Etowah Blue Devils Attalla Coach Shawanna Roper
Marbury Bulldogs Marbury Coach Jimmy Lansdell
Ramsay Rams Birmingham Coach John Benjamin
BOYS
American Christian Patriots Tuscaloosa Coach Bob Holley
East Limestone Pirates Athens Coach Jennifer Turner
Elberta Warriors Elberta Coach Zachary Wenzel
Etowah Blue Devils Attalla Coach Shawanna Roper
John Carroll Catholic Cavaliers Birmingham Coach Jeri Beck
Marbury Bulldogs Marbury Coach Jimmy Lansdell
Satsuma Gators Satsuma Coach Steve Fuller
West Point Warriors Cullman Alana Drinkar
CLASS 6A/7A QUALIFIERS
GIRLS
Baker Hornets Mobile Coach Danny Daigle
Gulf Shores Dolphins Gulf Shores Coach Owen Corcoran
Spain Park Jaguars Hoover Coach C.J. Urse Hawkins
Southside-Gadsden Panthers Southside Coach Zack Blume
Sparkman Senators Harvest Coach Lisa Ivey
Stanhope Elmore Mustangs Millbrook Coach Bridget Wilson
Vestavia Hills Rebels Vestavia Hills Coach Debra Broome
Thompson Warriors Alabaster Coach Chris Hollingsworth
BOYS
Baldwin County Tigers Bay Minette Coach Joshua Howard
Hewitt-Trussville Huskies Trussville Coach Tommy Abney
Hoover Bucs Hoover Dustin Edgar
Spain Park Jaguars Hoover Coach Steven Hobbs
Spanish Fort Toros Spanish Fort Coach Justin Thomas
Sparkman Senators Harvest Coach Lisa Ivey
Vestavia Hills Rebels Vestavia Hills Coach Todd Evans
Thompson Warriors Alabaster Coach Chris Hollingsworth
