Boys Bowling: Brother Martin, Jesuit score big non-district wins

KENNER – Last season, Brother Martin and Jesuit made the westbound trip on I-10 for non-district boys bowling matchups against two of the top teams in the Baton Rouge area. The Crusaders and Blue Jays each returned home with losses.

Thursday at AMF All Star Lanes, the locals returned the favor with victories over previously unbeaten teams, with Brother Martin defeating Dutchtown 23-4 and Jesuit topping Catholic High 17-10.

The matches were broadcast live by Crescent City Sports.

The Crusaders (11-0), the top-ranked team in this week’s unofficial LHSAA power ratings, responded to the challenge by firing a 4,007 team series, five pins off the state record of 4,012 set two years ago by Brother Martin in a win over Jesuit at AMF.

“We never looked at the number,” said Brother Martin coach Bruce Himbert of the record. “We had no idea it was that close.”

The Crusaders, who had 16 of a possible 18 games above 200, rolled team games of 1,386, 1,276 and 1,345. They led 6-2 after one game and 12-4 after two before sweeping the final game.

“We sat down yesterday after practice and talked about (a fast start),” said Himbert. “All I did was reiterate what I said yesterday right before we started.”

Ricky Carmona led Brother Martin with a 722 series on games of 248-237-237.

Carmona, who has the state’s only 300 game in varsity action this season, “doesn’t seem to amaze me anymore,” Himbert said. “It’s good to have someone who wants to hear little things.”

Four other Crusaders had series above 650 – Dylan McDonald (680), Jacob Vangilder (668), Ashton Catalinotto (663) and Kade Chatelain (659).

Sophomore Preston West, who entered Thursday with a 240 average and on pace to set a state record for average in a high school season, led Dutchtown with a 689 series, which included a 266 middle game with 11 strikes. “Preston is incredible,” Himbert said.

Dutchtown (9-1), which also got a 623 series from Austin Nguyen and a 603 from Ryan Beam, finished with a 3,531 team series. The Griffins entered this week at No. 10 in the power rankings.

In Jesuit’s victory over Catholic, the Blue Jays (9-2) took five points in each of the first two games and maintained its lead in total pins for the final game despite dropping four of six individual matches.

“Catholic is a fantastic team,” said Jesuit coach Todd Bourgeois. “Their sixth bowler (Benjamin Herman) is one of the best I’ve seen at the high school level.

“We knew this match was important, not only in the rankings (Catholic was No. 2 and Jesuit No. 15 in this week’s power rankings) but for our confidence moving into the playoffs.”

Luke Wood had games of 254 and 258 as part of a 705 series to lead the Blue Jays, who finished with a 3,576 team series.

“He’s been struggling a little bit … but we’ve been working on his mental game,” Bourgeois said of Wood.

Herman led Catholic (10-1) with a 677 series on games of 222-210-245.

Both Brother Martin and Jesuit close their seasons after Mardi Gras against Pope John Paul II. The Crusaders host the Jaguars at Colonial Lanes on March 7, while the Blue Jays travel to Bowling USA in Slidell on March 9.

Archbishop Rummel 18, St. Amant 9: In a tightly contested match, the Raiders won the first and last games by two pins each in taking a victory over the Gators at AMF.

Rummel (8-3) and St. Amant (7-3) split the six individual matches in each game, with the Raiders claiming all of the team points on a 1,059-1,057 win in game one, a 1,061-1,021 edge in the middle game and an 1,110-1,108 margin in the finale.

Rummel’s Hayden Cantillo bounced back from a slow start to finish with a 615 series, including a 245 final game.

Jacob Duhon led St. Amant with a 654 series.

St. Amant came into this week at No. 11 in the power rankings, while Rummel was 18th.

Archbishop Shaw 20, Patrick Taylor 7: The Eagles defeated the Tigers in a battle of West Bank schools at Westside Lanes in Harvey.

The Eagles (10-1), ninth in the most recent LHSAA power rankings, had a 3,542 team series, including games of 1,224 and 1,257.

Jonathan Freeman opened with games of 242 and 244 en route to a 681 series to lead Shaw. Andrew Hill had a 267 opening game.

Preston Jones’ 641 series paced Patrick Taylor, while Jake McInnis had a 608 set. The Tigers, 20th in the latest power rankings, end the regular season at 8-4.

East Jefferson 19, Crescent City Christian 8: The Warriors defeated the Pioneers in a rescheduled match at AMF.

Cornelius Piper’s opening 187 and Gunner Frazier’s final-game 190 led East Jefferson (2-9).

Gregory Storms opened with a 202 and had a 532 series for Crescent City (1-8).

Denham Springs 26, Holy Cross 1: The Yellow Jackets shot a season-best 3,648 team series in dispatching the Tigers at AMF.

Cade Fletcher had a team-high 723 series on games of 246-246-231 to lead Denham Springs (11-0), which was eighth in this week’s power rankings.

Holy Cross (6-5) started the week at No. 25 in the rankings.