Bowling Bombers Finish 4th at Elk
On Saturday November 26th, the Bowling Bombers returned to Poelking South Lanes in Dayton Ohio to roll in the Centerville Elks Invitational for the first time since 2017. The Bombers best finish in the Elk was 5th in 2017. The Bombers would roll 3 individual games and 6 baker games for total pin count to determine the winner.
In game one, the Bombers were paired with Centerville JV. Junior Andrew Berkemeier opened the lanes up with a team high of 257 followed by Keegan Barbee with a 238. Fellow juniors Aaor Bickford and Tyler Brown added a pair of 200s in game one with sophomore Brady Johnson putting up a 177. At the end of the first, the Bombers found themselves 42 pins behind first place Oak Hills and 37 pins ahead of 3rd place Centerville. The Bombers shot a 1078 in game one.
The Bombers moved pairs and the lanes began to transition as spares became more common. While matched up with fellow GCL rival La Salle, the Bombers put up a 976. Keegan Barbee added 234 for the Bombers with Aaron Bickford adding a 203. Ryan Kreuzer shot a 193 and Andrew Berkemeier rolled a 177. Tyler Brown and Brock Lusby combined for a 169. At the end of 2, the Bombers trailed Oak Hills and Centerville.
In game 3, the Bombers pushed for more spares and to stay above the 200 average. Keegan Barbee ended his day with a 217 for a team high 689. Andrew Berkemeier put up a 3 game series of 666 with his 232. Aaron Bickford pushed his series to a 616 with a 212 in the final game. Brock Lusby added a 167 to the Bombers and Brady Johnson and Ryan Kreuzer combined for a 151. At the end of the 3, the Bombers sat in 4th, trailing Oak Hills, Tecumseh, and Centerville.
In bakers, the Bombers put up games of 192, 193, 211, 178, 157, and 175 for a baker total of 1106. The Bombers gained ground on Tecumseh but not enough as the Bombers ended the day in 4th a total of 4139 for a 197.1 average on the day. Oak Hills clinched first while hosts Centerville moved to second and Tecumseh fell to third. Fellow GCL member La Salle finished the day in 11th.
Josh Barbee's 689 put him 4th on the all tournament team. Andrew Berkemeier's finished 10th and Aaron Bickford in 22nd.
Record Performances:
The Bombers 4th place finish is the highest a Bomber team finished at the Elk Invitational. Keegan Barbee's 689 on the day is the 14th best 3 game series in school history. Andrew Berkemeier places twice in the record books today with a 24th best 3 game series of 666 and the 91st best game in school history of 257. Aaron Bickford's 616 is the 88th highest 3 game series for the Bombers. The Bombers put up the 41st best team game in school history with their 1078 in game one.
Upcoming Schedule:
The Bombers roll on the road against Mason High School at Mason Bowl on Monday November 28th. St. Xavier will play at home for the first time in a GCL tilt against La Salle at 6PM on December 1st.
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