The Oxford Boys and Girls Varsity Bowling Team are continuing to dominate the lanes.
Last week, the boys entered a contest against Clarkston with both teams being undefeated in the OAA. The winner would have the inside track to the OAA Red title. Oxford won both baker games 199-189 and 217-204. Going up 10-0 took a lot of pressure off the Wildcats and they closed the match out quickly winning game one 904-828.
Winning matches in game one and helping secure the victory were Luke Delong with 204 and Christian Cartner with 177. Also coming off the bench to win a huge point was Tanner Cartner.’In game two, Eric Armbruster led the way with a nice 238 game and Delong followed with 209.?
‘Neither Clarkston or Oxford (played) their A-game. Our depth was the difference in getting the victory,? explained Head Coach J.R. Lafnear. ‘Winning both baker games was huge and took a lot of pressure off us. We showed determination by winning without our best stuff. Clarkston has some great bowlers and we caught them on an off-night.?
Just like the boys team, the Lady Wildcats and Lady Wolves had something to prove against each other with perfect 4-0 records.
Oxford won baker game one 182-158. Clarkston would claim baker game two 157-140. Oxford would take control of the match by winning six of the next 10 head-to-head matches and securing a victory. Winning two matches with games of 225 and 200 was junior Megan Kessler. Claire Sandstrom won both her matches with a pair of 152 games. Abby Pappas and Mackenzie Janssen each scored victories as well.
The team sits atop the OAA red with a 5-0 record, tied with Lake Orion.
‘This was a big hurdle to get to the OAA title. The entire team contributed tonight and they are (turning) into a strong team,? Lafnear said. ‘The ladies have been working hard the last couple of weeks and it’s starting to show.?
Both the boys and girls kept their winning streaks alive later in the week, defeating Bloomfield Hills on Jan. 14. The boys won 28-2.
According to Lafnear, Luke Delong has a ‘unique delivery.? ‘He’s left-handed and throws the ball with both hands. When he gets rolling, it’s fun to watch,? he explained. ‘Thursday night, he had it rolling.?
Luke tossed 11 of 12 strikes and at one point, had 13 of 14 for 10 counts. He led the way as the Wildcats beat the Blackhawks. Also scoring well and winning points were Eric Armbruster (235) and Carter Anolick (193, 212), Christian Cartner (172, 203) and Tanner Cartner with 204. The Wildcats ran their record to 6-0 on the season.
‘This was a good night for the team. Everyone bowled well and got a chance to compete. The boys are (turning) into a real solid group and may be one of the most improved teams we have ever had,? Lafnear said.
Keeping up with the boys, the Lady Cats beat Bloomfield 3-0. Once again leading the charge was co-captain Mackenzie Janssen with games of 237 and 204. Fellow co-captain Hannah Farmer chipped in a solid 211 and 179, while Megan Kessler tossed 202 and 176 games. Anne Johnson (176), Abby Pappas (173) and Claire Sandstrom also won matches. The team is 5-0.