FAYETTEVILLE, NC - Southern Lee’s Men’s Bowling team powered past Scotland County in the finals to claim their second straight State Championship. With the Cavalier Men already up 1 game to none, Scotland needed just two pins to close out the second game and send the match to a decisive game three. They didn’t fall and Markel Brown did what he needed to do in the anchor tenth frame to claim the Cavaliers second trophy.
For a team without a home bowling center in the county, Southern Lee’s success is quite impressive. The squad’s five bowlers each were able to qualify for the individual state championship with four of the five finishing in the top 20 in the state.
“I think the consistency from last year to this year, and even from the team’s first season three years ago to today is truly remarkable,” said Head Coach Vickie Wilkins. “The team has really put a lot of time and effort into getting where they are today, and it just speaks to how much they enjoy bowling that they are willing to travel out of town just for every practice and matchday.”
While last year’s individual State Champion, Markel Brown, did not have his best scores during the three round individual qualifying rounds, he still dropped 629 pins in three games to finish in sixth in the state. Tucker Maria claimed 10th in the state individually with 585 pins down while Blaine Downing and Landon Lovick wrapped the individual tournament in 13th and 19th places, respectively.
For the team tournament, each team sends five bowlers into the lineup with the leadoff bowler rolling frames one and six of the contest. The second bowler takes frames two and seven. The order continues until the fifth teammate, in Southern Lee’s case, Markel Brown, rolls the fifth and tenth frames.
“There truly is an incredible amount of pressure on each of these student athletes,” explained Wilkins. “To have the fate of your four teammates and everything you have collectively worked for come down to how you do your part the two or four times you roll the ball is incredibly gut wrenching. I get nervous for them!”
The Cavaliers teamed up in the team qualifying rounds to spill 781 pins in four games, good enough to qualify for the head-to-head semifinals as the number two seed. That meant they drew a semifinal against Cape Fear and the Cavs wasted little time dispatching the Colts in two straight games of the best of three series.
That semifinal win set up another battle with a familiar opponent, conference rival Scotland County, who had knocked over 820 pins in their four qualifying rounds before dismissing Richmond County in the semifinals in a hard-fought 2-games-to-1 match that went to the wire.