3/15/10 BCSL National/Olympic Champs: the Usual Suspects

Alas! Time did not permit The Messenger to make a stop at Wallington Lanes to catch any Bergen County Scholastic League action this winter (although some who have rolled there ostensibly wish the same fate had befallen them). Pessimistic postings aside, the National and Olympic Divisions of the BCSL have produced some of North Jersey's most consistently outstanding bowlers in recent years — hence, the title. Otherwise, there are very few connections with the 1995 Kevin Spacey crime thriller of the same name... I mean, if you think about it from the pins' perspective, several of the gentlemen we are about to mention could represent a Keyser Söze-type figure in some roundabout way. But then, the pins aren't alive. So let's end the connections there.

Ok, hail to the champs time: one year after finishing a single point behind rival North Arlington for the National crown, Secaucus came back with a vengeance and took the title by 12 points over St. Mary of Rutherford and 13 over NA. Secaucus not only employed bowlers with three of the top seven averages in the entire league (Dylan Caruso 206, Dante Iyer 196, Corey Czechowski 195), but the North 1-B, Group 1 champ also was led by the BCSL's Sportsmanship Award winner (Caruso). Actually, TM does recall watching Mr. Caruso reach the finals of the North Jersey Singles Classic AND combine with Czechowski to post the team's two highest series at the State boys finals... he now wonders how Caruso and crew would have fared if there was an actual Hudson County tournament that includes the county's BCSL entrants.

We do know this: North Arlington senior Matt Priore (217 average) has very clearly stated his case to be considered one of (if not the) best bowlers ever to come through this league. Although the NJBB has no definite knowledge of the situation, we are convinced it would be a George Mason-esque upset if he were not named the North Jersey Boys Bowler of the Year. FYI, his classmate-slash-teammate Ashley Johnson (184 average) may well be the best non-IHA girls bowler in Bergen County.

As for the Olympic Division, Wood-Ridge was clearly the head of the class, overtaking last year's co-champs, Leonia and New Milford, for the 2010 title. And, as long as we've opened up the "bowler of the year" can of worms, don't think Blue Devils senior Alex Prell doesn't deserve some consideration as well. Looking strictly at league play, his average (204) was lower than Priore's. Looking strictly at County play, Priore (Bergen champ, 1,399 in six games) gets the nod over Prell (tied for fifth, 1,314) again. Looking strictly at State singles play, Prell decided to play the Vanessa Williams card (saving his best for last) and blast a 1,390, finishing third overall, although Priore's 12th-place 1,330 was, in a word, stupendous — only 43 pins separated him from the stepladder. We could go on for paragraphs, so The Messenger will float this notion in The Record's direction. Can you say, Right-handed Bowler of the Year (Priore) and Left-handed Bowler of the Year (Prell)? Again, just throwin' it out there...

A few last nuggets to chew on: Park Ridge junior Mike Wuhrman, who helped the Owls reach the State team finals in '09, was the third BCSL bowler to average over 200 on the winter (and he had the Olympic's top game, a 279). Wood-Ridge senior Nick Roman (199 average) came within a pin of being the fourth, and he registered the Division's high series, a 503... Let's not forget Wallington junior Chris Ferrara (194), who joined the varsity 300 club this winter. Needless to say, he led both divisions in the high game department... when he finished 8th at sectionals and earned a trip to the State individual finals, Joe Bocage of Becton prompted TM to wonder, "who's that?" Again, things that he could have learned by catching some BCSL play in person: Bocage led the Wildcats in average (184), finished 12th in the league in that category, and helped an underclassmen-dominated squad finish with a winning record (65-50) amid some fairly heady competition... a few entries ago, The Messenger opined that Lyndhurst had the greatest percentage of girl power in the BCSL, with lefty Nikki Villani (173 average), frosh Lexus Lopez (171) and soph Angie Sammarone leading the way. He meant to say "more girl power than anyone in the National Division." Leonia gets the nod in the Olympic Division, thanks to Jess Ragone (172), Kathy Lee (164) and Maleyna Marks (163).

Once again, a reminder: the only BCSL results mentioned in this entry were those of the National and Olympic Divisions because the NJBB has been unable to unearth much info on the league's third division, the American. We would LOVE to recap the action from Lodi Lanes, but TM needs a bit of help. Send any standings and stats from the BCSL-American to NorthJerseyBRG@gmail.com. If you have them, and you don't send them... well, don't complain.

FINAL BCSL STANDINGS (Points Won, Points Lost, Team Average)

National Division	PW	PL	Avg.
Secaucus	100	15	773
St. Mary-Rutherford	88	27	710
North Arlington	87	28	726
Wallington	83	32	728
Lyndhurst	76	39	705
Becton	65	50	701
Harrison	23	87	573
Weehawken	0	115	466

High game: Ferrara (Wall.), 300
High series: Iyer (Sec.), 493 (remember, 2 games in this league)
High boys average: 1. Priore (NA), 216.80; 2. Caruso (Sec.), 205.64; 3. Iyer (Sec.), 196.24; 4. Czechowski (Sec.), 194.76; 5. Ferrara (Wall.), 193.84.
High girls average: 1. Johnson (NA), 184.43; 2. Villani (Lynd.), 172.72; 3. Lopez (Lynd.), 170.76; 4. Jessica Calabrese (SMR), 169.81; 5. Adrienne Middleton (Harr.), 145.19.
Joe Fiegel Sportsmanship Award: Dylan Caruso (Secaucus)

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Olympic Division	PW	PL	Avg.
Wood-Ridge	96	24	741
New Milford	81	34	696
Park Ridge	77	43	732
Leonia	68	47	674
Bogota	52	68	613
Hasbrouck Heights	30	85	567
Ridgefield	27	88	558
Hawthorne Christian	17	98	531
Palisades Park	10	100	534

High game: Mike Wuhrman (PR), 279
High series: Roman (W-R), 503
High boys average: 1. Prell (W-R), 204.17; 2. Wuhrman (PR), 200.47; 3. Roman (W-R), 199.13; 4. Anthony Karalian (NM), 191.02; 5. Matt Lajoie (NM), 184.05.
High girls average: 1. Ragone (Leo.), 171.98; 2. Lee (Leo.), 163.94; 3. Marks (Leo.), 163.41; 4. Sarah Schrenzel (NM), 153.14; 5. Amanda Vittetoe (Ridg.), 130.55.

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That's all for today. Since the snail mail came through for us, full NBIL recap on Wednesday! Also, the part of the Kevin Macchia story that you didn't get to hear (well, from the NJBB, anyway). The season wrap-up sequence is underway...

–TM

(3/27/09) Unfinished business - NBIL/BCSL

Remember how several decades ago -- fine, weeks -- I said that I was going to try and gather together all the final league standings from the NJBRG coverage area and post them on the site? Well, after finally sorting through all of my piles (and enduring a frustrating but much-needed computer hardware/software update at work), here is the last of the info I have -- Northern Hills was the only league I was unable to come up with. For the HCIAA North Division, please refer to the comment left at the end of the NNJIL entry, courtesy of realkid919 (who did not leave his realname).
Special thanks also to Indian Hills coach Mike Michels (NBIL), the Sports Reporter's Vince Albrect (BCSL Nat./Oly.) and... this website (BCSL American) for their contributions.

Stay tuned, the North Jersey Bowling blog All-Star sections will be posted by the end of the day.

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2008-09 NBIL FINAL STANDINGS - BOYS
Division 1
1. OLD TAPPAN: 99-11
2. Wayne Hills: 77-33
3. Fair Lawn: 74-36
4. Ramapo: 65-45
5. Northern Highlands: 41-69
6. Demarest: 2-108
Division 2
1. (tie) Ramsey: 70-40 (900 avg.)
1. (tie) Indian Hills: 70-40 (895 avg.)
3. Pascack Valley: 65-45
4. (tie) Pascack Hills: 39-71 (857 avg.)
4. (tie) Bergenfield: 39-71 (823 avg.)
6. Mahwah: 19-91

High game: Greg Kratky (Wayne Hills), 299
High series: Kyle Landau (Ramsey), 523*
High average: (tie) Kyle Landau and Rob Andresen (Ramapo), 212
*Remember, the NBIL bowls 2-game series. Landau threw a 661 at sectionals for cryin' out loud, so don't let the league stats mislead you.

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2008-09 NBIL FINAL STANDINGS - GIRLS
Division 1
1. Fair Lawn: 88-22
2. Northern Highlands: 75-35
3. Ramapo: 64-46
4. Wayne Hills: 29-81
5. Demarest: 23-87
6. Old Tappan: 2-108
Division 2
1. Bergenfield: 99-11
2. Indian Hills: 93-17
3. Pascack Hills: 75-35
4. Pascack Valley: 47-63
5. Ramsey: 43-67
6. Mahwah: 22-88

High game, series & average: Brittany Kniesler (Bergenfield), 245 / 448 / 176.0
To paraphrase Larry the Cable Guy - "I don't care who ya are, that's impressive right thurr."

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2008-09 BCSL NATIONAL FINAL STANDINGS
1. North Arlington: 98-17
2. Secaucus: 97-18
3. St. Mary (Ruth.): 68-47
4. Lyndhurst: 61-54
5. Becton: 60-55
6. Wallington: 60-55
7. Harrison: 17-98
8. Weehawken: 10-105

High game: Dante Iyer (Secaucus), 265
High series: Ashley Johnson (N.Arlington), 471*
High average: Matt Priore (N.Arlington), 223.5
Sportsmanship Award: Gary Job (Lyndhurst)
*Yeah, all the BCSL division bowl 2-game series as well. Extra props to Ms. Johnson for beating the boys in that category. Also, I must say I'm a fan of the Sportsmanship Award idea - lest we forget, opponents are our friends... the enemy is those little wooden suckers at the end of the lanes.

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2008-09 BCSL OLYMPIC FINAL STANDINGS
1. (tie) Leonia: 96-24
1. (tie) New Milford: 96-24
3. Wood-Ridge: 92-28
4. Bogota: 77-43
5. Park Ridge: 75-45
6. Hasbrouck Heights: 36-84
7. Ridgefield: 33-87
8. Palisades Park: 14-106
9. Hawthorne Christian: 9-111

High game: William Moore (Wood-Ridge), 279
High series: Mike Wuhrman (Park Ridge), 506
High average: Alex Prell (Wood-Ridge), 212.3
It's a shame I didn't get to see any league action down at Wallington lanes this year, but several things struck me while watching these teams at tournaments: The Record was right, and the NJBRG fully supports their gag order on using the H-word around Alex Prell. He's a great all-around bowler *and* a lefty - double prizes!... Mike Wuhrman blasted 10 strikes in a row at sectionals, and all he wound up with was a lousy 286. Then I found out he's a sophomore, i.e. he's got 2 more years to shoot for the elusive 12-bagger in H.S. competition. Yikes... Finally, being on the Midland Park beat occassionally, I've seen plenty of MP/Bogota volleyball battles, and the Bucs' Janet Snell always throws down pretty hard in those matches. So, naturally, I spot her on the lanes at counties and yup, you guessed it, she's a finesse bowler. Go figure.

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2008-09 BCSL AMERICAN FINAL STANDINGS - BOYS
1. Queen of Peace
2. Westwood
3. Tenafly
4. Rutherford
5. River Dell
6. Ridgefield Park
7. Fort Lee
8. Dumont
9. Englewood
10. Cliffside Park

High average: Chris Hopkins (Tenafly), 208
Umm... yeah, sorry, but the page on the BCSL webpage didn't show the final record for the American Division boys. D'oh.

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2008-09 BCSL AMERICAN FINAL STANDINGS - GIRLS
1. Dumont: 207-63
2. Westwood: 205-65
3. Cliffside Park: 156.5-113.5
4. Tenafly: 147.5-122.5
5. Ridgefield Park: 135-135
6. Englewood: 101-169
7. Fort Lee: 53.5-216.5

High average: Brianna Carlo (Dumont), 198
Coach of the Year: Dan Rattacasa (Westwood)
Fortunately, the girls standings were there. Again, wasn't able to see any BCSL action live, but if the standings tell the story, the girls ostensibly had a close title chase, which is pretty good for a brand-new league... tournament-wise, the American Division story of the year had to be Brianna (Dumont) *and* Freddy (River Dell) Carlo both qualifying for the State finals at Carolier. As the eldest of four siblings, I've learned that you have to cherish those special shared moments -- mostly so your parents forget about all the squabbling and stuff that normally goes on.

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Again, spring season is right around the corner, so my apologies for taking our postseason features down to the wire. Just in case, if anyone has any last-minute additions or corrections, e-mail them along to NorthJerseyBRG@gmail.com.