Coach Ron Pollard’s South Ripley Raider varsity boys headed to Regional
Gary Franklin
SPORTS EDITOR
Besting a seeming insurmountable task at hand as the day's events unfolded, South Ripley Raider Bowling Coach Ron Pollard found elation with his team's nose to the grindstone performance to win Sectional competition. The team’s Saturday performance at Seymour's King Pin Lanes proved to be adequate to finish the task.
Pollard stated, “SR qualified second out of a field of 13 schools, from which the top four were seated.”
First match action slated hometown Seymour against conference champion Madison Consolidated. Madison action resoundedly displayed why they won the conference. Sealing their bid, Kollier Pavy needed two strikes to advance and he did just that. The Madison win slated them to bowl South Ripley, from which following a tight match, South Ripley captured the victory to advance in Sectional competition.
The Raiders were then slated to bowl the team from Mitchell for the Sectional Championship title.
Coach Pollard added, Sectional takes on a different format from regular season in that they use a “Baker Format” i.e., five bowlers on a team bowl two frames, 1st/6th, 2nd/7th, etc.
The first game, in a very low scoring battle, Mitchell led SR 129-117; however, total pin count after two games determines the winner.
Switching lanes for the second game, four frames into the match, SR’s lane developed mechanical trouble. As the repairs were made, Mitchell completed their set. Mitchell had a 129 and now a 180 for 309. South Ripley knew just what it would take to win. The Raiders needed to strike from each bowler and they each got one: Mike McFann, Michael Pope, Joey Waldron, Brett Romans and Dakota Schmidt. McFann needed a mark in the 10th and delivered a strike for 210 +117 and a 327-309 Sectional victory.
Next, Bloomington, Feb. 1st.