By: James McKeever
There’s something old and something new. How the two blend together will determine what kind of season the South Brunswick boys bowling team produces this winter.
The established parts for the Vikings are Matt Forthun, Jared Kohutanycz and Adam Kinder.
The new pieces: Devin Burk, Chris DeSouza, Matt Sichel, and first-year coach Brian Burniston.
Burniston, an elementary school teacher in town, is coaching a high school team for the first time. He’s no stranger to the sport, however. Bowling is a big part of his life and his wife Tara coaches the Vikings’ girls team.
South Brunswick’s season starts on Saturday when the Vikings compete in the Bishop Ahr Tournament. The team’s first regular season match will be Tuesday, Dec. 6 against East Brunswick at Brunswick Zone Carolier Lanes.
The Vikings who finished last season with an 11-13-4 record after a 2-6 start will look to Forthun, Kohutanycz and Kinder for big scores and leadership. Forthun, a junior, and Kinder, a senior, are co-captains.
Forthun has been a presence on varsity since his freshman year. Last season he averaged 194 with highs of 279 and 724.
"Matt’s looked good and we’re going to rely on his experience," Burniston said. "And Adam keeps the team loose. He has a good personality for the game."
Last season Kinder averaged 170 with highs of 223 and 660.
Kohutanycz, a sophomore, gained plenty of valuable experience last year while playing with his brother Rob, who graduated.
"Jared (160 average, 210, 570 highs) has really improved, too," said his coach.
Burniston likes the potential of Burk, a newcomer to the school last year who will bowl varsity for the first time.
"He doesn’t rattle under pressure and he’s an excellent addition to the team," Burniston said of the junior.
The other new faces to varsity belong to DeSouza and Sichel, a couple of lefty-throwing sophomores.
With the graduation of Rob Kohutanycz (198 average) and Billy Orchard (181), Burniston knows there is a scoring void to fill. But the coach is confident that the pieces could fall into place for a winning season.
"We have six guys who are all capable of throwing good games," he said. "The younger guys just need to gain some confidence and believe in themselves. We can be competitive if they all bowl up to their potential."
