Bowling: Brother Martin, East Ascension take different routes to semifinals

KENNER – In a streak of postseason success that includes reaching the semifinals of the LHSAA’s boys/co-ed bowling state championship every year since 2014, Brother Martin has rallied before.

But Tuesday’s comeback to defeat Denham Springs 14-13 in a quarterfinal match at AMF All Star Lanes may go straight to the top of the list of comebacks.

No. 3 seed East Ascension defeated Dutchtown 22-5 in the other quarterfinal and will face the Crusaders in one semifinal match March 30 at Premier Lanes Entertainment Center in Gonzales. Central Lafourche and H.L. Bourgeois meet in the other semifinal.

EA’s win was clinched in two games. Two games into the other quarterfinal, Brother Martin trailed Denham Springs 12-4 on the scoreboard and by 164 pins overall. With three points going to the “super total” winner, the Crusaders’ only path to victory was to erase the total pins margin and win five of the six individual matches.

The Crusaders (14-1) slowly chipped away at the substantial margin, stringing strikes throughout the lineup, and defeated Denham Springs 1,288-1,054 in the final game, led by Jacob Vangilder’s 276 game in the No. 5 slot.

When Ashton Catalinotto closed out a 225-204 victory over Brady Null at No. 6, the comeback was complete.

Quincy Brown’s 629 series at No. 3 led Denham Springs, while Null had a 623 and Hunter Norwood a 616.

For Brother Martin, Vangilder’s 644 series was high for the match. Kade Chatelain took three points as part of a 605 series and Catalinotto had a 603.

East Ascension fired a 3,657 team series in defeating Ascension Parish rival Dutchtown for the second time this year. Jonathan Petit had a 686 series to lead the Spartans (15-0).

The Dutchtown win was the third dominant victory of the day for EA, which eliminated Parkway 25-2 and Terrebonne 21-6.

Brother Martin opened the day with a 27-0 blanking of Comeaux and a 20-7 victory over South Terrebonne. All nine Crusaders bowled two games in the opening round, with Peyton Avril’s 264 leading the way, while Catalinotto had a 651 series, including a 257 game, to pace Brother Martin in the second round.

Denham Springs reached the quarterfinals with a 21-6 second-round victory over No. 7 seed Jesuit. The Yellow Jackets fired a 3,549 team series against the Blue Jays, who finished 12-2.

In an all-local first-round matchup, Jesuit started fast in a 16-11 victory over 26th seeded Archbishop Rummel. The Jays jumped to a 6-2 lead with a 1,236 opening game. William Adams led Jesuit with a 646 series, while Cayden Munster paced the Raiders (8-5) with a 601 set.

Patrick Taylor, the No. 18 seed, lost its first-round match to South Terrebonne 19-8. Jayden Ho’s opening-game 212 and Beckham Lieu’s middle-game 210 led the Tigers, who finished 10-3.

Dutchtown junior Preston West, who broke his own state record for season average earlier this month at 238, fired a 299 in an opening round 22-5 victory against No. 22 seed Slidell and averaged 246 for nine games Tuesday. Elyjah White’s 211 closing game was the best of the day for the Tigers (10-3), who completed their first LHSAA bowling season.

With the boys semifinals now set, the spotlight shifts to the girls bracket Wednesday. Sixteen teams will each look to win two matches at All Star Lanes in Baton Rouge to reach next week’s semifinals.

Three New Orleans-region girls teams will be in action Wednesday. No. 5 seed Archbishop Chapelle will meet 12th-seeded Cabrini in the first round, while No. 11 seed Academy of Our Lady takes on defending champion and sixth-seeded Denham Springs.

LHSAA Bowling Playoffs

Boys/Co-Ed
Monday’s Matches
at Creole Lanes, Houma
First Round
(1) Central Lafourche 23½, (32) Teurlings Catholic 3½
(17) St. Amant 23, (16) St. Paul’s 4
(9) Captain Shreve 16, (24) Morgan City 11
(8) Byrd 24, (25) Benton 3
(5) Archbishop Shaw 19, (28) Woodlawn-BR 8
(12) Catholic-BR 23½, (21) David Thibodaux 3½
(13) H.L. Bourgeois 19, (20) Lafayette 8
(4) Hammond 21, (29) John Ehret 6

Second Round
(1) Central Lafourche 23, (17) St. Amant 4
(9) Captain Shreve 16½, (8) Byrd 10½
(5) Archbishop Shaw 20, (12) Catholic-BR 7
(13) H.L. Bourgeois 19, (4) Hammond 8

Quarterfinals
(1) Central Lafourche 20½, (9) Captain Shreve 6½
(13) H.L. Bourgeois 16, (5) Archbishop Shaw 11

Tuesday’s Matches
at AMF All Star Lanes, Kenner
First Round
(3) East Ascension 25, (30) Parkway 2
(14) Terrebonne 16, (19) Alexandria 11
(11) Dutchtown 22, (22) Slidell 5
(27) Holy Savior Menard 20, (6) St. Thomas More 7
(7) Jesuit 16, (26) Archbishop Rummel 11
(10) Denham Springs 15½, (23) St. Michael 11½
(15) South Terrebonne 19, (18) Patrick Taylor 8
(2) Brother Martin 27, (31) Comeaux 0

Second Round
(3) East Ascension 21, (14) Terrebonne 6
(11) Dutchtown 21, (27) Holy Savior Menard 6
(10) Denham Springs 21, (7) Jesuit 6
(2) Brother Martin 20, (15) South Terrebonne 7

Quarterfinals
(3) East Ascension 22, (11) Dutchtown 5
(2) Brother Martin 14, (10) Denham Springs 13

Girls
Wednesday’s Matches
at All Star Lanes, Baton Rouge
First Round – 11 a.m.
(1) Dutchtown vs. (16) Pineville
(8) Ellender vs. (9) St. Amant
(5) Archbishop Chapelle vs. (12) Cabrini
(4) Byrd vs. (13) St. Joseph’s Academy
(3) Albany vs. (14) Airline
(6) Denham Springs vs. (11) Academy of Our Lady
(7) Lafayette vs. (10) Central Catholic
(2) H.L. Bourgeois vs. (15) St. Scholastica

Quarterfinals – 2 p.m.

Semifinals/Finals
March 30
at Premier Lanes Entertainment Center, Gonzales