And the winner is… Bullitt East High School.

Bullitt East achieved yet another feat, with them placing number one in the North Bullitt tournament.

The team won the North Bullitt tournament after facing off against five different schools, but overall, out of 12 schools. The team won their last match of the season, against Moore High School. The team is getting prepared for what it all comes down to, the regionals matches. 

For the North Bullitt tournament, Bullitt East faced off against Trinity High School, Pleasure Ridge Park High School, North Bullitt High School and Southern High School. The team consisted of senior Dylan Young, senior Logan Parrish, junior Adam Young, junior Gavin Coffman, sophomore Austin Hale, freshman David Scoltz, freshman Austin Graham and eighth grader Jake Shofner. “Well, we won the tournament. It was a little bit of a unique format. We had one regular game where eight guys, I’m pretty sure eight guys bowled, and then we went into five baker games, and so, had Trinity in there, had PRP in there. So, we’ve really come a long way throughout the season, and to continue to have success is just very enjoyable, to see,” said bowling coach Lenny Raley.

Now, not only did the Chargers win, but they won, not losing a single match. They were the undefeated champions. “I’d say probably one of the highlights was that we beat PRP, both their ‘A’ and ‘B’ team, and Trinity. Since, they’re probably one of the top best in our region. And probably, the other biggest highlight was us finishing first, undefeated,” said Dylan Young.

Dylan Young found that he needs to keep on being consistent with scores, to be one of the best in the regionals matches, that he is competing in. “Well, we just basically keep on practicing, and just keep being consistent. And just, if we throw a bad ball, forget it, and there’s always next frame,” said Dylan Young.

The bowling team dealt with their last match of the season, by winning the game against Moore High School. “Yeah, I mean, again, anytime you can come out on top; that’s what sports is about: winning and losing. I love to win, I hate to lose,” said Raley, “So, we lost one (correction: two) of those regular matches, which I didn’t think we would, but we did. So, that kind of got me stirred up a little bit; which I kind of stirred them up a little bit. But we figured it out, everybody contributed.” 

Now, this wasn’t just the last match of the season, this was the last match for Dylan Young, and Parrish. “I mean, I love bowling, it’s like one of my passions. It’s just something that I seem to be pretty good at, and it just sucks that I won’t be able to bowl with my team again,” said Dylan Young. He sees this as kind of sad, but he’s happy with what all he’s done, and all the accomplishments that he’s ever made. 

From so many accomplishments, in just a week, Parrish is happy with what kind of a season that the team has had. “It feels amazing knowing that we’ve had such a great season. In just one week we bowled a perfect game, and won our first tournament as a team. A lot of teams can’t say they’ve ever done that, and it’s just a really great feeling knowing how much work we’ve put in since last year,” said Parrish. 

Adam Young believes that they’ve improved a lot, and he is proud of how far the team has come, since the beginning, in just one season. “It feels pretty good. I never thought we would have gotten that far, and won that tournament yesterday, and getting a 300 baker game, but we have improved a whole bunch over the season and I’m very proud of us,” said Adam Young.

Hale sees all these accomplishments that they have recently gotten as a big relievement for himself, and the team. “These accomplishments feel very relieving. This just goes to show my teammates and I, that we can make greatness happen, and that anything is possible as long as we are confident in it,” said Hale.

After winning the tournament and the match, Raley sees that the team just needs to get more ready for regionals, and that is about all they could do. “Now, that there’s a little bit of pressure, because you’re trying to qualify for the state matches. Top two teams go; So, we feel like we’re the second best team behind DeSales. We’re going to try to get a practice in this weekend, and then maybe one more time. But it’s just, those kids have to believe they’re good enough, and they just have to step up and do it,” said Raley.

There is not a girls team for the Bullitt East bowling team, with there being only one girl on the team, freshman Kaite Olds. So, Bullitt East will not be competing in the girls regionals tournament. “We’ve kind of fallen apart on the girls side, as a team. We actually don’t have a team right now. So, we will have our girls, will bowl singles matches. So, that’s their whole game, is on them, but we won’t be able to bowl bakers with girls, because we don’t have the numbers, but actually, next Thursday, is Unified. So, David and Zach will bowl with Dylan and Austin Hale, as pairs; that’s on Thursday,” said Raley, “So, we just had things going on, but we’ll work hard next year, to try to have at least five girls to represent Bullitt East.” Although we don’t have a girl bowling team to compete in the girls regionals for us, we do have a Project Unify team, for the Bullitt East bowling team, in special olympics, Thursday, Jan. 23. 

The next large event for the bowling team is the singles regionals match. Raley could only choose the top four best players, and so numbers show that those people are: Dylan Young, Parrish, Hale and Adam Young. “It’s just going to come down to how good are they that day. There are a lot of good bowlers in this region: DeSales, PRP, you know, Fairdale, North Bullitt, you could go on and on, Fern Creek; they all have good bowlers. And so, singles is a little bit different; it’s you versus you. That’s what I try to talk to the kids about: you worry about your ball, don’t worry about who you’re bowling against; you take care of yourself and everything will work out,” said Raley.

The final large event, for the bowling team, unless one of the bowlers make it to the top four in the regionals, is the boys regional match. Our team has many guys on it, and so there will be a big team to represent Bullitt East, Jan. 27, at King pin. “I mean, it all boils down to one match, to get to the state. I mean, we had a great year, a great season, made some history, but none of that will get us to the state tournament, if we don’t take care of it that day. So, you know, Monday, they got to show up, and be the best that they can be, try to handle the pressure. I’ve tried to do everything, I know to do, to talk to them, to help them believe in their own abilities. And so, that’s what it’ll be; whoever shows up that day; when it is needed most, that’s when they got to get it done. And so, we’ll see how that shakes out,” said Raley.

Come to the next event for the bowling team, the Project Unify regionals Jan. 23, at 4 p.m., and then the singles regionals match Jan. 25, at an unknown time, and both are at King Pin.