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Perfection, Goals Achieved Highlight D1

March 5, 2016

By Scott Keyes
Special for Second Half

STERLING HEIGHTS – When Davison junior Taylor Davis was 8 years old, her father Bryan pulled her aside and asked her what she wanted out of her short bowling career. 

Mind you she was only 8 at the time, but the answer she gave proved she was way wise beyond her years.

"I want to win a state championship and bowl a 300 game," she said.

Little did Bryan know those words would become reality nearly a decade after she said them, as Taylor Davis became only the fourth in MHSAA girls bowling history to bowl a 300 game in the singles portion of the tournament, and the first in a Final on Saturday at Sterling Lanes in Sterling Heights.

Davis captured the Division 1 title with a 479-410 victory over Julia Huren of Westland John Glenn.

Davis also helped Davison capture the team title Friday.

"I knew it was going to happen eventually, but to bowl your first 300 game on high school bowling’s biggest stage is almost unheard of," Bryan Davis said. "To see my daughter step up and roll that final strike for her first 300 game was almost surreal. Then to watch her win a state championship is something I will always remember."

Taylor Davis admits she had butterflies in her stomach, but knew if she threw a good shot good things would happen.

"It was amazing,“ Taylor Davis said. “I’ve always wanted to shoot a 300. I was always wondering when I would be able to. To shoot it at the state finals is the best feeling ever. ... After I bowled in the final four on (lanes) five and six I kind of found a new shot. I tried it on seven and eight and it was fine. It worked.”

Kara Richard of Tecumseh had a 300 game twice in 2008 in Division 2 during qualifying and then the Round of 16, while Rachel Ringrose of South Lyon accomplished the feat in 2007 qualifying and Felicia Goll did the same for Harper Woods Regina in 2005.

Davis summed up the weekend's efforts in one statement.

"To be able to win a state title with my team, then come back and win an individual championship and then shoot my first 300 game with my friends and family watching is something I will always remember," she said. 

"I can't wait to get back here and do it all over again next season."

For Warren Mott’s Brad Delmarle, the long grind of a 14-game day came to an end as he downed junior Gabe Cassise of Wyandotte Roosevelt, 459-393, to claim a title for the Marauders.

“It was a grind,” said Delmarle. “This is a big accomplishment. A lot of practice, and I’m very proud of what I was able to accomplish.”

Delmarle started both games of the Final with a three-bagger, forcing Cassise to play catch up. In the end, Delmarle was too strong down the stretch and came away with the championship.

"The state finals is all about mental preparation," he said. "We are all tired out there, but you can't let that get to you. You have to keep focus and continue to throw good shots. I couldn't be happier with my performance today."

In the girls Semifinal, Farmington Hills Harrison’s Candyce Bradley had Davis on the ropes after the first game, up 29 pins going into the second. Davis would later prevail 392-358 over Bradley.

In the other Semifinal, Huren dominated Stephanie Schalk of St. Clair Shores Lakeview, posting a 257 game on the way to winning 430-361.

Open frames were Jordan Nunn’s undoing in a boys Semifinal. The Flint Carman-Ainsworth senior fell to Cassise, 444-415. Delmarle prevailed in his semifinal over Mike Maguran of Sterling Heights Stevenson, 423-370.

"I couldn't string together anything in the semis and I fell behind," Nunn said. "I qualified fifth on the day, and I was extremely happy to get as far as I did. Watching Taylor throw 300 today was pretty cool. It was definitely a great day for the Saginaw Valley League."

Click for full boys results and girls results.

PHOTOS: (Top) Davison’s Taylor Davis unloads the final roll of her 300 game at Saturday’s Division 1 Final. (Middle) Davis, right, and boys champion Brad Delmarle of Warren Mott. (Photos by Scott Keyes.)

Comeback Champs Claim D3 Titles

March 1, 2013

By Chip Mundy
Special to Second Half

JACKSON – It was not necessarily a bad thing to be behind early in the final game of the MHSAA Division 3 boys and girls Bowling Finals on Friday at Airport Lanes in Jackson.

Livonia Clarenceville won the boys championship, and Battle Creek Pennfield captured the girls title after both trailed by roughly 40 pins in the last game.

“We’ve been doing that all year. They’ve been fighting and fighting and fighting all year, and they’ve come from behind several times,” Pennfield coach Mike Roach said. “That’s the way they do it.”

Pennfield qualified sixth of the eight girls teams coming out of the morning session and traveled a tough road to the finals. In the quarterfinals, the Panthers knocked off Richmond, last year’s MHSAA runner-up, and then Pennfield defeated defending champion Flat Rock in the semifinals.

In the final, Pennfield trailed by 18 after the two Baker games but won the individual team game 849-763 for a 68-point victory (1,203-1,135) over Grand Rapids South Christian. Senior Loretta Hinds led the way with a 202, while Kadee Bechman was next with 177. Kira Tyler added 161, Taylor England shot 158 and Ashlynn Horvath rolled 151.

“We were just trying to keep calm and just relax and believe we could do it no matter what,” Hinds said of the early deficit. “It feels amazing.

“(Friday) morning we had a little trouble, but it was all our energy. We were all excited and we kind of calmed down and let it go.”

Two years ago, Pennfield lost in the title match to Wyoming Kelloggsville.

“This was our second time in the finals, and this year we got all the way here and took it home,” Roach said. “Taylor England did fantastic. She’s been bowling with the JV girls all year, and she really came through, but my seniors Loretta Hinds and Ashlynn Horvath really carried the team.”

Horvath was overcome with joyful tears after the conclusion of the match and talked about keeping the faith when the team was behind.

“We talked and we cheered each other on,” she said. “When maybe one person is down, we bring that person up, and we just go at it with each other. We just bring each other up.

“We come in as a team and we go out as one.”

South Christian, seeded fifth after qualifying, defeated Wyoming Kelloggsville in the quarterfinals with the second-highest total of the eight teams left and then beat Ishpeming with the top total of the semifinalists.

On the boys side, Clarenceville was seeded second coming out of qualifying and had the third-best total of the eight teams in the quarterfinals when it defeated Bridgeport. In the semifinals, Clarenceville edged South Christian by 30 after building a 70-pin lead in the Baker games.

However, Ishpeming – the No. 1 seed – trailed by just six after the two Baker games and started strong in the final match to take a 40-pin lead by the third frame.

“I think in the third frame I looked, and we were down about 40 pins,” Clarenceville coach Phil Horowitz said, “and I said, ‘We’re only down 40 pins. We have seven frames to go guys. All we have to do is pick it up and start moving.’ “

Clarenceville did just that and went on to a 1,235-1,205 victory in the title match.

The Trojans had some extra motivation as well. Last year, they lost in the quarterfinals by one pin.

“When we started the season this year, I said, ‘Guys, we’re going to go all the way,’” Horowitz said.

Six Clarenceville seniors took to the lanes for the final match as Tyler Fox led the way with a 212. Fox was in an uncomfortable position for him: Horowitz had Fox bowling fifth as the anchor bowler.

“I kept switching the lineup,” Horowitz said. “I had everybody in the first spot. In fact, the anchor bowler the last game is somebody who does not like to bowl anchor. He’ll tell you right off the bat, ‘Don’t put me fifth.’ I did because he was bowling good, and he was the only one who was hitting the pocket consistently.”

Fox not only backed up his coach’s faith in him, he backed up his coach’s words as well.

“I’m not a very good fifth bowler,” Fox said. “I usually crack under nerves, but I just knew I had to come through.

“This is incredible. I never really imagined we would win.”

Kaylup Richards added a 181 for Clarenceville, while Kyle Kissandi shot 175 and Ricky Rutembar rolled 165. Shane Martin and Matthew Thayer split the final game for a 170.

“It’s definitely not believed right now,” Kissandi said. “Hopefully, it sets in by (Saturday) when I have to bowl for individuals, but it’s definitely unbelievable.”

Ishpeming defeated Hudsonville in the quarterfinals and then topped Pinconning in the semifinals before losing to Clarenceville.

It will be a new team next season at Clarenceville, which fielded all seniors Friday. It also will have a new coach as Horowtiz said he is resigning after five years.

“When my granddaughter started bowling on another team this year, I said this is it,” he said. “What a way to go out.

“It was a great script, an absolute great script.”

Click for full girls results and full boys results.