Pins and Pressure - By Maeinah Loeak
Richland and Kennewick battled on the oil last night. The Bombers came into their last season game with a score of 6-11 against the Lions and a score of 15-2. Despite the tough loss, the Bomber girls persevered and finished the game satisfactorily.
I caught up with Head Coach Jason Bare beforehand to talk about the game. He expressed his trust in his crew, despite the off-year they’ve had, and seeing that few bowlers on the team have no experience. “Kennewick’s pretty good, it’s a fickle. But I’m confident in my girls, they’ve surprised me. We’re still gonna go out there and bowl to our best ability”.
Richland High opened up the match with a spare from junior Vivian Bunch. The team followed suit in spares in the second and third rounds from senior Miley Lakey and junior Elisveta Johnson. With Richland leading in the third and fourth round, Kennewick finds momentum in the fifth round, charging in with strikes and spares, most from Lexis Mcgarrity and Anne Hardin, taking the lead from Richland, ending score 336 to 275.
Throughout the match, Kennewick and Richland clash for the top spot. Things start heating up as the leading scorer from Richland, Miley Lakey, and the leading scorer from Kennewick, Lexis Mcgarrity, mix up the frames with continuous strikes and spares. As the first game comes to an end, Kennewick takes the win, dominating with a score of 738 over Richland’s score of 668.
Highlight: Senior Miley Lakey ends the first game as the top score, leading with 194 points.
In the second game, Richland fights to stay in the game, and while it’s obvious to see that with the advantage of last night’s game being Kennewick’s senior night, these Lions are on fire and have come to dominate. On the sidelines, Coach Bare continues to talk to them through the frame. However, Kennewick wins yet another game over the Bombers, the score ending 676767.
Moving on to the Baker games, Kennewick and Richland switch out players, the Bombers hoping to take home a win. These teams go head-to-head, Bomber girls gaining confidence in these last moments. Competition becomes obvious as Miley Lakey and Lexis Mcgarrity lead the teams in high scores, with Miley ending the last round in a turkey. Despite the strong pushback from the Bombers, Kennewick takes another win home.
In spite of the upset, the Bombers had worked hard and had fun. Varsity player Vivian Bunch rated the game 7/10, but gave her team chemistry a rating of 10/10. “ I didn’t do well in the second half, but I still had fun. My team pushed me to keep going and finish the game.”
Moreover, it was a great match and both teams put in a good effort. The environment, setting aside the outcome, was dynamic and energetic. Teams worked hard to push each other and rallied to lift spirits. Family and friends stood behind them in a show of support.
Varsity player Elisaveta Johnson commented on her love for the bowling environment and the people. “My bowling overall was ok, not the best, but everyone was super supportive, and I had a lot of fun.”
At the end of the game, Coach Bare gathered up his players, encouraging them to shake it off and stay behind the ball. As the Bombers prepare for their next game at Walla Walla, we can only hope for a game as good as this one.
