Strike, strike, strike across the board and a perfect game for the bowling team. 

The bowling team pulled in an extremely rare feat for them, and scored a 300, at the Louisville City Tournament. 

During the second match of the first elimination match of the tournament, the team scored a 300, against Fern Creek. They were able to upset number two in the region, Trinity High School, still have a mindset to improve in many different ways, and still get to that final four. When the city tournament was over, Bullitt East had won two awards: the 300 pin, and senior Dylan Young, won “First Time All-Region” for Region three. 

The team scored a 300 when trying to assure their spot in the final eight. Throughout the whole day, whenever a bowler got a strike, their families and their team would be energetic and clapping. By the time it got to the fourth strike in the row, in the 300 game, they were energetic, ecstatic, but also nervous. They knew that they wanted a perfect game, but the chances of it happening were slim because they still had eight more strikes to go. 

Every time, though, when one of the players got up for them to bowl, the pressure was put on them to not let down their team, or the people watching. When it got to the tenth frame, the whole bowling alley was stopped, to see if the team could score a 300. Then, they did it, they scored a 300.  “You get in the middle of a perfect game, don’t think that pressure’s not building, because you’re part of a team score, it’s not just you, it’s, ‘I can’t let my teammates down,’ and to step up frame after frame after frame, was phenomenal,” said Coach Lenny Raley. “The whole bowling alley was stopped, and paying attention, and watching, and just erupted in applause for our kids, and other schools congratulated us.”

The five bowlers that bowled that game, was Young (which played frame’s five and ten), senior Logan Parrish (played frame’s four and nine), junior Adam Young (which played frame’s one and six), sophomore Austin Hale (which played frame’s three and eight) and freshman David Scholtz (which played frame’s two and seven). Every one of them, their families and many other people from many other teams highlight that day, was getting to witness that 300. “Specifically, my highlight, was the 300, because I was the anchor, bowling the fifth and tenth frame, and I had to get three strikes, to fulfill that prophet, of getting a 300,” said Dylan Young.

Before this feat of receiving a perfect game, every team had played four games, for practice, and to determine who you would be going off against, in the tournament. They scored a 154, 223‬, 191, and then a 192, causing them to face off against Fern Creek High School. The first match against them, the team won with a 196-169. Then, that next game is where they scored the 300, and Fern Creek scored a 158. After that, the team was up against number two in the region, Trinity High School. 

Defeating the second-best team in the region, Trinity High School with a 192-173, in the first match, and a 222-199, in the second match, was another big highlight for the team. “It was a great day, you get into the brackets, we take care of Fern Creek, and then we’re up against Trinity, who was a two seed, we upset them,” said Raley. 

Many can agree that there were many highlights, from this match, but with a loss, comes plans for improvement. Then, though, they lost against the team that went onto win the overall tournament, DeSales High School with a 221-172, in the first match, and a 222-199, in the second match, was the only letdown for the team, but they have plans for improvement. “I am overall proud of our team, how we did. Granted, we got shut down at the semi-finals, but we still showed everyone that we’re still there, and we still put pressure on them, no matter what,” said Dylan Young.

Raley, Dylan Young and all the other players can agree that they have to learn how to become more consistent and persistent with their scores. “I plan on improving with my team. We’re all going to try to keep moving more, and keep being more persistent with our scores,” said Dylan Young.

Also, Raley believes that they got to learn how to not be as intimidated when it comes to certain teams. “We go against DeSales, which wins the tournament, and we’ve just got to figure out a little bit, how to not be intimidated by them, or PRP, which at the region, we got to take care of one of them, and advance to the state tournament. And so, an unbelievable awesome day for us, and I’m very happy about it,” said Raley.

One of the other biggest highlights was how far the team got in the state tournament. “I think our highlight is mostly the 300 we bowled, in the game we did. But I’d probably say one of our other ones, is how far we got, because I know there are probably some people, especially the other teams that didn’t expect us to go that far, but I believed in our team, that we could play that far,” said Dylan Young. They made it to the final four, which they see as a very big award. Although they didn’t get an award for getting into the final four, they still got two other real awards.

Dylan Young received a plaque for being eighth-best in region three. “It means a lot to me because I’ve never gotten something like this, especially in a sport. So, it’s something new for me, and I’m also happy because I get to go on with the other best people, out of the other teams we get to bowl against. The best players in region four, I believe,” said Dylan Young.

Raley has grown a relationship with Dylan Young over this season, and he knows that he was good, but he is just extremely proud of what he has accomplished. “Well, I knew he was good, but I’ve built a relationship with him, throughout the season. And I’ve seen him mature, I’ve seen him become a better leader, more vocal, and trying to help the younger kids, but it just means a lot for our program, anytime you can have one of your team members recognized for great accomplishments in any sport, but I don’t know who has been in the past at Bullitt East, if anyone, but for him to accomplish that, this season, is awesome. It’s a great representation of our school, he’s the anchor of our team. You know, when we need something to happen good, we know we can count on Dylan Young. So, it’s a great honor for him, and he’ll get to go and bowl in that all-region tournament enrichment, in February. So, just so proud of him, with what he’s done for himself, and with how he represents Bullitt East High School and the community,” said Raley. 

With the extremely rare perfect game, at the end of the tournament, Bullitt East received an award, shaped like a pin, that is wooden, that says, “Game 300,” on it. “Well, 300 speaks for itself. There are pictures to prove it, I’ve got a pin to prove it, it can’t be taken away ever. There’s nothing that can be done from here on out that will take that enjoyment, and euphoria, and excitement away,” said Raley.