By: Sean Moylan
The Bordentown Regional High School varsity bowling program issued a statement that it will remain a force with a fifth-place finish at the prestigious Bishop Ahr Holiday Festival Tournament at Carolier Lanes in New Brunswick on Saturday.
"Most of the (52) teams we were bowling against were Group III schools," said Bordentown head coach Ron Jones, whose team was one of a handful in the tournament to compete as a coed squad.
But when one has a Kim Limani in one’s lineup that can never be a liability. Limani, a Scotties star, bowled out of the fourth slot in the lineup and rolled a 545 series. Rusty Miller was the Scotties’ top bowler in the tournament with a 662 series but Ryan Branson, who bowled out of the anchor position, also had a solid day with a 601 series. Lane Hirschfeld posted a 566 series and Kyle McGonigal recorded a 598 series for the Scotties. Melissa Jones, a steady bowler, came as an alternate but did not see action. Jones’ coming was important because the team needed her in case of an injury. Coach Jones wanted his team to compete against other good teams to see where they stacked up and the Scotties passed their first test with flying colors.
Both Bordentown teams (boys and girls) officially opened their regular seasons with 4-0 victories over Moorestown at Maple Lanes on Tuesday night. The Bordentown boys posted a total pin count of 2837 to Moorestown’s 2433 mark. Branson had the high series with a 679 (189,225,265), but Miller’s 268 second game in his 654 series was the highest of the day. McGonigal’s 569 series featured a high game of 201 and Hirschfeld had a stellar 203 game in his 540 series despite his being slightly injured.
"He got a broken finger (pinky) that he’s dealing with," noted Jones.
On the girls’ side Limani had both high series (582) and high game (216). However it wasn’t an easy victory as the Scotties won the first and last games by only 10 pins.
"It was a close one (1993-1922)," added Jones.
M. Jones rolled a 147 high game. Meanwhile, Cathy Jones (a 129 high game), Samantha Kelly (a 124 high game) and Taryn Chase (a 119 high game) did what they could to secure the win. Bordentown was scheduled to have hosted Maple Shade yesterday (Wednesday). On Saturday its scheduled to bowl in the Westfield Bowling Tournament.
"It’s (Westfield) bigger and better competition," Jones added.
Then Bordentown is scheduled to host Westampton Tech on Monday and Pemberton on Tuesday.
GIRLS
The good news for the Bordentown Regional High School girls’ varsity bowling team is that they are returning Burlington County’s best female bowler in sophomore Kim Limani.
But in order for the Scotties to have another good year and compete for another Freedom Division title (they were in a first place tie for the title last season), they’ll need for a lot of underclassmen to step up.
Junior Melissa Jones is already a solid bowler and Taryn Chase, a junior letter-winner from last year’s squad, bowls in the 140’s. Sophomore Samantha Kelly, who bowled for the junior varsity squad last season, looks good this year. Sophomore Caitlyn Sperling will also fight for one of the Scotties’ starting slots.
This season a lot of Bordentown’s success as a team may depend on two freshmen, Cathy Jones and Colleen McGonigal. Bordentown bowling coach Ron Jones, who works closely with co-coach Lauren Niewender, expects good things out of both 9th graders.
Bordentown will need for everyone to get better because Limani can’t roll every game. While the Scottie girls are not quite as dominating as the school’s boys’ team, the Bordentown girls have a lot of heart and they have a penchant for surprising people. Last year the squad even won the BCSL Tournament.
"They’re going to be pushed but they have a possibility of being very good," said Jones, who expects his team to be in the running for another title. Limani will be one of the big keys. Before her career at Bordentown is over she very well might become the school’s best bowler ever. And the scary thing is she’s just a 10th grader.
BOYS
Some people believe the Bordentown Regional high School boys’ varsity bowling team is going to have a down year because it graduated three legitimate stars in T.J.McGonigal, Landon Withers and Leon Mack last spring. Yet while all were capable of rolling a 600 plus series without even blinking, the Scotties still have two of their best bowlers, Ryan Branson and Lane Hirschfeld, back for their senior seasons.
Last season Ryan Branson was Burlington County’s second best bowler with a 206 average. Hirschfeld , the team’s captain, is also no stranger to 600 plus series either. Rusty Miller, a junior, would have also been an all-star last year but he just didn’t have enough matches. Furthermore, sophomore Kyle McGonigal, T.J’s younger brother, is a fine bowler as well. Greg Rosen, a junior up from the junior varsity team and Ismail Leach, a freshman, will fight for the fifth slot in Bordetown’s rotation but senior Steve Choromanski, a newcomer to the bowling program, could also make a run at that last opening.
Bordentown head coach Ron Jones, who likes what he’s seen out of Rosen in scrimmages commented, "I expect him to be a 170 to 175 bowler or even higher as the year goes on."
Leach, who is Mack’s cousin, has a style greatly similar to that of his cousin’s.
"They were taught by the same person," added Jones, who thinks Leach can be a very good bowler.
However, Branson and Hirschfeld remain the team’s big guns. But that wont stop others from rolling one 200 game after another.
"I guess seeing how Rusty (Miller) and Kyle (McGonigal) bowled (in exhibitions) we’re going to be good," said Jones.
Still, Bordentown will need to be nearly flawless if it wants to top last season. Last year Bordentown finished second in the state. It was 19-1 and it won the Freedom with a perfect 12-0 record. The Scotties also captures the BCSL tournament. So Branson, Hirschfeld and company have a lot to shoot for. But they like it that way.

