“We played very well as a team, the atmosphere was electric and although we didn’t win, we were all happy with our performance,” junior Matthew Reynolds said. 

On Jan. 20, at Jersey Lanes, Reynolds threw two-game winning shots that helped the Scotch Plains Fanwood high school bowling team qualify as the fourth overall seed at Counties. 

Led by coach Ryan Goracy, the SPF bowling team faced Rosell Park and Westfield at the tournament. SPF prevailed against Rosell Park; they won three out of four games. However, they lost three games against Westfield, who went on to win the tournament.  

“The thing with bowling is there’s no defense,” Goracy said. “There is nothing that we can do to stop the other teams from doing their best. All we can do is worry about our own scores and our own shots.” 

The team qualified for Sectionals, which will take place on Feb. 11. Junior Sean Ferrone and senior Thomas Schmidt also individually advanced to the County Finals.   

“As a team, the excitement and the enthusiasm certainly spills over from one place to another but there’s no passing like in soccer or basketball,” Goracy said. “There is no chemistry in terms of helping each other out. But bowling is contagious. To get anybody to advance is is always an accomplishment. It’s always something to be proud of and excited about.”

As they prepare for the next tournament, Goracy has confidence that the team will make it all the way to States this year.

“We are having a very strong season,” Goracy said. “One thing that sets us apart from some other teams is our depth. We have seven or eight guys on the team that can contribute at the varsity level. We have Matt Reynolds; he is a junior and he is our high average on the team this year. He’s currently averaging 203.”