Bowling teams get off to fast start

The Brick Memorial girls and Brick Township boys bowling teams headed into the holiday break with impressive second-place finishes in the second annual Toms River Roll With the Indians Tournament at Ocean Lanes, which make both teams formidable threats in Shore Conference A South and in the Brick Invitational Tournament to be held Jan. 17.

But not all the leading names in the tournament for both Brick teams were the familiar ones who have figured in the teams' success thus far. This time it was sophomore John Boor who nailed in the qualifiers the high game of the tournament at 288 and the high series at 737. His efforts helped the Green Dragons smash a tournament-record team high game of 1,202, two pins beyond the previous record hit an hour earlier by Jackson Liberty, to go with the Green Dragons' tournament record 3,453 that led the field in the qualifiers.

"They're really hot. They're on fire right now," marveled Brick Memorial coach Mike Russomano, whose A South leading team a day earlier fell to Brick Township, 2-1, in league play They met again in the tournament semifinals under the Baker format, where Brick Township held on to a 593-587 victory before Brick Township lost in the finals to Jackson Liberty, 615-602. A year ago, Brick Township won the tournament by only one pin over Brick Memorial — 1,085 to 1,084 — in the Baker finals when they played five games (this year it was changed to three games).

"I never expected them to follow in the footsteps of the teams we had, with so many new players, but they set two records and bowled fantastic," said Brick Township coach Cara Lukosius, whose team lost a 25-pin lead late in the title match.

As for Boor, Lukosius said he "did a 180 (degree turn) from last year to this year. He bowled into a spot in the lineup." Boor followed his 288 opening game with a 201 and a 248.

Boor struck out through the front 10 of the first game but then "came a little light" on his final ball. Lukosius said Boor a week earlier struck out through the first nine frames en route to a 276 game. And they'll need Boor to stay hot for them to stay on the trail of 17-4 Brick Memorial coming into Christmas week. Brick Township was tied with Toms River North, each three losses behind.

Also for Brick Township in the Toms River tournament, Mike Melon cranked out games of 234, 216 and 236 in a 686 series, and Doug Scalfo and Joe Vescio each were two pins back. Scalfo hit games of 226 and 245, and Vescio drilled games of 251 and 225. T.J. Contino added a 662 off games of 218, 228 and 216.B

rick Memorial, which hit a 3,359 in tournament qualifiers, got a 713 series from Domenick Luongo, who has had the high average in A South. Luongo had a 269 high game. Fellow sophomore Brandon Barboza rolled a 258 game midway through a 681 series.

As for the girls, Brick Memorial sophomore Brittany Morris continued her fine bowling with a 277 high game that led the qualifiers and a 633 series, the third highest of the tournament. Jess Abrecht ran away with the best series, a 690, and a 258 high game that rated right behind Morris. Kim Icker had the fourth best series, a 662, giving Brick Memorial bowlers three of the top four spots. The Mustangs were way ahead of the field in qualifiers with a 3,173, more than 300 pins beyond runner-up Jackson Liberty.

In the Baker format, Brick Memorial beat Brick Township, 637-608, but lost to Cherokee, which pulled away in the third game, 618-559.

"They all did very well; I couldn't be happier, with the exception of the outcome [in the Baker finals]," said coach David Thompson. "The girls bowled their best and consistently."

In the qualifiers, Icker smashed games of 235 and 224 in a 662 series, and Caitlin Christie chipped in a 245 opening game of a 628 series. Jordyn DeMont, breaking in a new ball, opened with a 168 and gave way to freshman Corinne Maher, who rolled a 161. Maher then rolled a 201 in the third game.

As for Shore Conference A South play, Brick Memorial again lost to Brick Township, 2-1, as Brick Township held on to second place with a 16-2 record behind Manchester's 17-1 mark coming into Christmas week. Brick Memorial is 15-6.

"All is not lost. We play one more time, and if we sweep, we'll be tied," said Thompson.

In the Brick Tournament, Thompson said 30 spots in the morning session are filled and half of the afternoon session is filled.

"The Brick Tournament is one of the biggest in the state," said Thompson, secretary of the tournament, who added that Penn Ridge High School near Philadelphia gives Pennsylvania representation in the tournament in January.

"People are realizing it's such a great tournament and the caliber of bowlers is high," said Lukosius, who also recently competed in the Women's All-Star Association Tournament of Champions in Howell, finishing in fourth place in the finals after finishing in eighth place in the qualifiers. She rolled a 215 game.