Thanks again to everyone that helped contribute to the site. Hopefully, I've listed just about everyone along the way, but if you look back and find you were not given due credit, please apply for a profuse apology & a spot on the top of next season's name-drop list at: NorthJerseyBRG@gmail.com. Additional thanks to the band Augustana for inspiring the title of this post with their debut album, random though it may be.
Now, for our final major pop-culture reference of the season, we turn to Prof. Hubert Farnsworth's What-If Machine. Since not all of the media outlets for which I work compile All-Star bowling teams, I'm taking the liberty of creating: What the [publication All-Star] bowling team *would* look like (assuming they had one).
And, now that I think about it, this isn't terribly that late since the Star-Ledger and The Record just finished running their postseason stuff this week. Along those same lines, away we go...
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What the WGHT All-Area bowling team *would* look like (if they had one):
Today is actually a very convenient day for this, since it caps off All-Area week -- Jon & Marco did wrestling on Monday, hockey on Tuesday, girls basketball on Wednesday and boys basketball yesterday. I may even get this posted before they go on the air with today's look-ahead to spring sports.
(That's Sports Overtime, the Friday one-hour edition, today at 2 p.m. on 1500 AM and ghtradio.com. It is with my best Nixon impersonation that I state: "I am not a shill.")
Unlike most All-Star teams, GHT does it a bit differently, in that they pick an actual team of starters and reserves -- who they would pick if they fielded a real team (hey, we're fitting right in) -- plus year-end awards. P.S. that "Area" in All-Area is Passaic, western Bergen (Mahwah, Indian Hills, Ramapo, Northern Highlands, Midland Park, Ridgewood, Glen Rock, Fair Lawn and Saddle Brook) and northeast Morris (Kinnelon, Butler, Pequannock, Montville) counties.
2008-09 WGHT All-Area Boys Bowling Team
STARTERS (in alphabetical order)
Rob Andresen, Ramapo (Jr.) - 212 average; tied for high average in NBIL, led league with 32 games of 200+. High game of 279 and high [3-game] series of 699, both at the North Jersey Singles Classic.
Vincent Buono, Passaic (Sr.) - 221 average, tops in GHT listening area; finished 2nd NNJIL in average by mere decimal points, and had high game of 289 and high series of 799. Finished 7th in Passaic County and led Indians to 2nd-place finish in North 1B, Group 4 tournament. Not bad for a travel-league bowler who joined his H.S. team last November.
Andrew Davidowicz, Lakeland (Sr.) - 219 average, up 18 points from 2007-08; His 692 series at Sectionals was tied for 2nd individually and helped the Lancers claim the first North 1B, Group 3 title in just the program's 3rd year of existence.
Rich Gutches, Passaic Tech (So.) - 218 average; one of the few All-Area bowlers that I unfortunately did not get to see in person -- a shame, because he rolled a 299 high game and tied with Davidowicz for 2nd at sectionals with a 692. On the other hand, I may get to see more of the Bulldogs in the Tri-County Conference next winter, so that's at least one realignment plus.
Tim Scott, West Milford (So.) - 216 average; why, oh why, did I leave the Suburban Trends? The NJBRG used to cover the Highlanders every year, but was unable to deploy a clone to watch Scott clean up at Counties, where he fired a 290—767 to claim the individual title.
SUBS
Jaylin Floyd, Manchester (Jr.) - 211 average; led the Falcons to the B-PSL King Division title on the last day of the regular season, bowling a 223-233—456 to break a tie with Garfield - clutch indeed. Finished 2nd at Counties with a 279—716 and 7th at Sectionals with a 667 series.
Matt Guarino, Passaic Valley (Jr.) - 211 average; a big reason the Hornets won both the Northern Hills-Skyline title and the Passaic County championships. He was 5th individually at Counties with a 236—646.
Greg Kratky, Wayne Hills (Sr.) - 196 average; high game of 299 in NBIL play brought Holiday Bowl to a standstill, and he finished with 20 games of 200+. Despite an uncharacteristic outing at Counties, he finished with a 578 to anchor Hills to a third-place finish, just 3 pins behind Pompton Lakes.
Tom Maggio, DePaul (Sr.) - 195 average; his 662 series at Sectionals put him into a three-way tie for eighth place, giving him a spot in the State singles finals, where he rolled a 610 to place 25th. Anchored the Spartans to their 4th straight trip to the State team finals, shooting an even 600 to wrap up his career at Carolier.
Jake Morin, Indian Hills (Sr.) - 199 average; his six-game series of 1,245 at the Bergen County tournament was good for 11th individually and helped the Braves to their first-ever Groups 1-2 title. Had a high game of 278 and threw 23 games of 200+.
Jon Rizzi, Pompton Lakes (Sr.) - 202 average; had the highest average of the five -- yes, five -- Cardinals to make the All-BPSL Carpenter first team. Anchored Pompton to a 65-5 points record and the Carpenter title, as well as a second-place finish at Counties and the school's first North 1B, Section 2 title. His 672 series at Sectionals was 5th highest overall.
Kevin Seavers, Ridgewood (Sr.) - 205 average; finished 13th at the Bergen tournament with a 1,237. Four-year starter whose high game this season was a 279 and high series was 748. He also led the Maroons to a second-place finish in the NNJIL Division B, a heady enough accomplishment considering the division title went to Nutley, which may or may not be a PBA team masquerading as amateurs (I'm kidding, of course).
BOWLER OF THE YEAR: Vincent Buono, Passaic - the glass bowling shoes fit.
TEAM OF THE YEAR: Pompton Lakes - Did we mention the 5 first-team All-Leaguers?
COACH OF THE YEAR: Frank Ariola, Passaic Valley - guided the Hornet boys to County and League titles and, incidentally, coached a PV girls squad that came within 11 pins of ending the Clifton girls' stranglehold on the County championship.
2008-09 WGHT All-Area Girls Bowling Team
STARTERS (in alphabetical order)
Kim Burdi, Ridgewood (Sr.) - 181 average; The lefty finished 4th at the North Jersey Singles Classic, and that was just the beginning. She anchored the Maroons to their 2nd straight NNJIL-B title and first-ever trip to the State team finals. High game was 242 and high series 647, but she was at her best in the Baker tournament at Counties, twice striking out in the 10th to give Ridgewood a win.
Danielle Gelok, Pompton Lakes (Sr.) - 179 average; if the Cardinals fielded a separate girls team, she would be the anchor. Instead, she led off and set the tone for the Pompton boys' B-PSL Carpenter and North 1B, Group 2 championship squad. Finishes her career as a three-time selection to the All-County first team.
Jen Houseward, Manchester (Sr.) - 184 average; another key to the Falcons' B-PSL King Division title run, she recorded the highest 2-game series in the league all season (473) -- boys and girls included. She finished runner-up at the Passaic County tournament with a 245—570, receiving the medal for girls high game.
Colette Malyack, DePaul (Fr.) - 204 average; freshman boys don't often average over 200, so the Spartans may want to clear out a page for her in the school record book right now. Had the 2nd-high girls game (216) at Counties, then showed remarkable poise for a freshman in the State team finals, shooting DePaul's high game (224) and 2nd-high series (547) at Carolier.
Sonja Shirak, Clifton (So.) - 208 average; the Passaic County individual champ (209—609) anchored the young Mustangs to their 11th straight county team title. She had high series of 735 and 726 (both within a week of each other) and was runner-up at the North Jersey Sectional tournament with a 235—658 before turning in the best finish by an area bowler (14th) at the State singles finals.
SUBS
Damaris Duarte, PCT (Sr.) - 168 average (at Counties, anyway); again, I don't think I missed seeing a whole lot of area bowlers this year, but Damaris unfortunately fell into that category. How fired am I? I saw her older brother (and Bulldogs alum) Carlos Duarte at least three or four times this season, and he wasn't even on the lanes. If I get an e-mail from the Duartes, they get first dibs on the profuse apologies.
Amber Kay, Passaic Valley (Sr.) - 170 average, up from 161 last year; talk about multi-talented -- she helped the Hornet boys to the Northern Hills-Skyline title, and also led the Hornet girls to a runner-up finish to Clifton in the Passaic County tournament, where her 550 series was tied for 4th individually.
Jackie Kurtz, Wayne Valley (Sr.) - 173 average; the Indians have built a legacy of having at least 1 or 2 standout girls on a co-ed team each year, and Kurtz kept that tradition going this season by leading them to a 3rd-place showing in a competitive Northern Hills conference.
Bridget Pyryt, Indian Hills (Fr.) - 165 average; forget averages, how often do you see a freshman anchor? She led the Braves to a second-place finish in the North Group 2 tournament, but was unable to compete at State finals due to illness. Somehow, I get the feeling she'll have another crack at Carolier down the road.
Amelia Silvestro, Lakeland (So.) - 174 average; a varsity newcomer to a relative young program, she placed 3rd individually at Counties with a 205—566 and helped the Lancers shoot a team series of 3,012 to capture the North 1B, Group 3 title.
Courtney Visco, Ridgewood (Sr.) - 163 average; the righty leadoff bowler bookended the Maroons lineup with classmate Kim Burdi, and capped the team's first-ever trip to the State finals with her highest game of the season (218) in the finale. She also played a big part in getting them to Carolier, notching a team-high 559 series at Sectionals.
Debbie Vogel, Eastern Christian (Sr.) - 171 average; along with Pompton's Danielle Gelok, she was one of two girls named to the All-BPSL Carpenter first team. And yes, she added another feather to the girls' cap in the age-old "battle of the sexes," leading the co-ed Eagles in average and throwing their high league series (401) of the season.
BOWLER OF THE YEAR: Sonja Shirak, Clifton - get used to hearing the name.
TEAM OF THE YEAR: Ridgewood - League champs, second to IHA at both Counties and Sectionals. Point of order: IHA was undefeated, and is also not in the GHT listening area. Maroons also get the nod over Clifton for beating them head-to-head in NNJIL play and at sectionals.
COACH OF THE YEAR: Brian Small, Clifton - the thing is, the NJBRG is equal-opportunity. Ridgewood and Clifton were both good all year, so the T.O.Y. debate was between them and the C.O.Y. debate was between Small and the Maroons' Dick Bennett. So, one school gets Team of the Year, the other gets Coach of the Year. Plus, Coach Small had to keep the Mustangs' minds on the County tournament itself and not on the fact that they were 10-time defending champs going in -- no small task, and he did it quite well.
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For our second spin with the "What-If Machine," the NJBRG directs your attention to The Ridgewood News All-Suburban area. For the winter, the paper does All-Suburban hockey, wrestling, boys basketball and girls basketball, as does WGHT. The coverage area, though, is slightly different: Ridgewood, Midland Park, Hawthorne, Hawthorne Christian, Northern Highlands, Indian Hills, Ramapo, Ramsey, Mahwah, Pascack Valley, Pascack Hills, Paramus, River Dell, Westwood, Dumont, Bergenfield, New Milford, Park Ridge, Emerson, Fair Lawn, Paramus Catholic, Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco, St. Joseph and Immaculate Heart Academy. For our purposes, two area schools (Glen Rock, Waldwick) are being discounted, but only because they have no bowling teams.
In addition, the All-Suburban teams have a special category, either for Freshman or Sophomore of the Year, in order to salute an underclassman that might not get the recognition amid the number of junior and senior standouts. (Bear in mind, this tradition dates back to when freshman weren't allowed on varsity, and sophomore varsity players were much rarer). These days, they essentially keep it around to honor an underclassman that did not make the first team, but ought to be a candidate to do so next season.
Anyway, if there was room in a late-March Friday edition of the RN to publish it, we'd have this...
What The Ridgewood News All-Suburban bowling teams *would* look like (if they had them):
*Averages in parentheses, lists in alphabetical order; info added for those not mentioned above.
BOYS TEAM
Rob Andresen, Ramapo, Junior (212) - see above.
Chris Auld, Fair Lawn, Junior (202) - had 3rd-highest game in NBIL (289) and 20 of 200+
Freddy Carlo, River Dell, Junior (187) - to heck with league average. Dude won a Sectional title with a 706 and placed higher than any Bergen bowler (18th) at State finals, that's good enough for me
Nick Corvelli, Bergen Catholic, Senior (219) - one of two Crusaders to roll a 300...
Robert Grippo, Bergen Catholic, Junior (210) - ...and he was the other. Also took 2nd-place medal at Counties with a 1,315. Corvelli and Grippo had the two highest series as BC destroyified the County record en route to winning the Bergen title with a 6,211. And yes, I'm inventing a word, they were that convincing.
Anthony Karalian, New Milford, Junior (199) - All you need to know is that he bowled with a broken finger on his throwing hand at Sectionals, and still shot a 664 to lead the Knights to their 4th straight Sectional title.
Kyle Landau, Ramsey, Soph. (212) - one half of a brother tandem that boosted the Rams to a share of the NBIL-2 title, Kyle had the highest 2-game league series (523) and finished 10th at Counties (1,249). Also took a perfect frame into the 10th frame at Sectionals, settling for a 266—661 that led Ramsey back to Carolier.
Jake Morin, Indian Hills, Senior (199) - see above.
Kevin Seavers, Ridgewood, Senior (205) - see above.
Mike Wuhrman, Park Ridge, Soph. (200) - see previous post (BCSL final).
SOPHOMORE OF THE YEAR: Ryan Landau, Ramsey (197) - How do you tell twins apart? By their bowling average, naturally. All kidding aside, Ryan was equally as valuable as Kyle in the Rams' run to a share of the NBIL-2 title.
GIRLS TEAM
Kim Burdi, Ridgewood, Senior (181) - see above.
Grace Capone, IHA, Senior (183) - headed to Sacred Heart University next season, she had the Blue Eagles' high game (212) at the State team finals.
Brianna Carlo, Dumont, Senior (198) - see previous post (BCSL final).
Victoria Grimshaw, IHA, Senior (191) - the lefty took 5th at the North Jersey Singles Classic, 3rd at Counties, 9th at Sectionals and shot a team-high 548 series at the State finals.
Brittany Kneisler, Bergenfield, Senior (176) - see previous post (NBIL final).
Nicole Linder, IHA, Soph. (188) - won the Singles Classic and earned the high-game medal at Counties with a 256. She also had IHA's top series at Sectionals (642), helping the team to its eighth straight tournament title.
Nicolette Maggiolo, Ridgewood, Soph. (157) - one of three talented Maroon sophomores that started the year as a question mark but finished as an exclamation point. Had the team's second-best series (540) in her first visit to Carolier Lanes.
Lauren Rhein, IHA, Senior (206) - well, she was The Record's North Jersey Bowler of the Year, what more can we add? Numbers-wise, not much. But there's a reason she's ticketed for Vanderbilt, the 2007 NCAA Division I women's bowling champ -- simply put, she's a leader. And she rarely stops smiling, no matter the situation. Okay, that's two reasons.
Amanda Stacey, Midland Park, Senior (160) - as did fellow BPSL bowler Debbie Vogel, Stacey carried the girl-power banner by leading the co-ed Panthers in average. In case you missed her final announcement, the last ball she threw in her H.S. career was a strike.
Courtney Visco, Ridgewood, Senior (163) - see above.
FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR: Cassidy Fiore, Bergenfield (171); Bridget Pyryt, Indian Hills (165) - Fiore's team came out on top in the NBIL-2 title chase, but Pyryt's squad flipped the script at Sectionals, beating the Bears by one pin. If you want a burgeoning rivalry, here it is.
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So that brings us to our final accolades of the season... I wanted to do something original, something with a little NJBRG flair -- something like ESPN.com's Bill Simmons does with his "All-Star" teams, except, you know, not infused with his pro-Boston claptrap. (There's a reason I'm not linking him. Excellent writer, poor choice of fanhood).
At any rate, I've decided that since the NJBRG's top 3 defining characteristics are A) left-handedness, B) a love for his home state of New Jersey and C) a passion for bowling, the icing on this season's cake will be a salute to the southpaw sensations in our area that I had the privilege to see in action. Behold:
*The First Annual Parker Bohn III All-Stars, presented by the North Jersey Bowling Reporter Guy*
(Again, alphabetical order)
BOYS TEAM: Mike Burns (No. Highlands), Mike Carr (Ramapo), Ryan Cooper (Science Park), Jonathan Eckstein (Indian Hills), Jon Frantin (Pascack Valley), Mike Georgetti (Nutley), Patrick Henry (Bergen Catholic), Doug Nemeth (Ramsey), Scott O'Donnell (No. Highlands), Alex Prell (Wood-Ridge), Steve Puzio (Garfield), Brian Vanderheide (Eastern Christian).
GIRLS TEAM: Jolisa Aquino (High Tech), Kim Burdi (Ridgewood), Samantha Callahan (No. Highlands), Victoria Grimshaw (IHA), Shelby Taylor (Ridgewood).
My sincerest apologies if I have forgotten anyone -- but if I did, and you didn't e-mail the NJBRG to correct it, no complaints allowed.
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NJBRG season sign-off:
As I've mentioned before, the one site in the blogosphere that serves as an inspiration to the North Jersey Bowling Reporter Guy above all others is ESPN.com's Tuesday Morning Quarterback by the almost-aptly named Gregg Easterbrook. I've been an avid reader for years, and with apologies to TMQ, I must pay tribute with this winter's sign-off, as no one does it quite like him.
The North Jersey Bowling Blog folds its tent and steals off into the Swamps of Jersey until next December, though may update occasionally if one of our area bowlers is making headlines on the baseball or softball diamond. Until then, take the offseason not just to work on your spares, but to get the most out of life beyond the alley... go for a walk, read a book, move more and eat less. Finish one assignment or task that you just don't want to do and see how it feels. Go for a drive, head down the shore, stop and smell whatever flowers DON'T have bees at work on them. Spend one day with your family or loved ones, even if you don't want to, and see how they feel. Whatever your faith -- follow it.
And hey, try rolling at a new house. I recommend Ocean Lanes for the North Jerseyans who have never been south, and [EDITOR'S NOTE (3/15/10): we retroactively regret suggesting Wallington Lanes for actual bowling, rather than just its ambiance and shiny lights. Check it out if you wish, but revisionist history leads this blog to recommend the new-and-improved Parkway Lanes in Elmwood Park] for the South Jerseyans who have never been north. TMQ is more of a bookworm than I am, but of my own recommendations: "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge for the boys, "Captivating" by Stasi Eldredge for the girls. To parents, I recommend both. And, at Mr. Easterbrook's suggestion, "'Positive Sports Parenting' by Jim Thompson, a book every youth-league and high-school coach and parent should read." (TMQ, 2/10/09)
Live, love, laugh, cry and serve others: Do these things, and you will feel justified in racing back to the rosin bags, the rivalries and the Bowler City chicken fingers when the varsity bowling universe resumes anew next winter.
Cheers,
-NJBRG
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