SBHS bowling teams return talent, experience

John Beisser, Sports Writer
   When it comes to high school bowling teams in Middlesex County, the idea is to survive the local scene and then try to conquer the rest of the state.
   Consider the plight of last season’s South Brunswick high boys bowling team. The Vikings finished with an overall record of 4-11-3 yet won the State Group IV Championship.
   Impossible? South Brunswick head coach Brian Burniston explains.
   ”A lot of teams in the GMC are better than teams from across the state,” he said. “There are just so many quality teams in Middlesex County and the better teams seem to be those that have a bowling alley in their town, such as Woodbridge, which has been a powerhouse for a long time.
   ”The better teams also seem to be from smaller towns, thus the talent level in Group IV is not as deep as other groups such as Group IIII, which is what Woodbridge is.”
   Under the same roof at Carolier Lanes in North Brunswick, where GMC games are contested, dozens of the state’s top players are on display at any one time.
   South Brunswick’s top male bowler, Chris DeSouza, compiled a gaudy 215 average as a junior last season. To be considered professional bowling material, someone must hold a 200 average over a two-year period, which DeSouza has done.
   ”Chris is one of maybe 40 bowlers in the county who have averaged 200 or more for two years,” said Burniston in illustrating the depth of talent that exists in the area.
   DeSouza, an All-GMC selection last year, is among the best of the best. And to think, he is a relative newcomer to competitive bowling, as a few years ago he was looking for something to do between soccer seasons as goalie for the Vikings.
   ”Chris’ biggest strength is his consistency,” Burniston notes of his left-handed prodigy. “He has the ability to adjust quickly and is very calm. He never gets rattled. He handles pressure very well.”
   The Vikings return a solid three-man senior class that has Burniston optimistic about the season, which kicks off Saturday with the Bishop Ahr Classic at Carolier. Joining DeSouza in the lineup are two capable classmates in Matt Sichel and Jared Kohutanycz, who averaged 181 and 176, respectively, last year. Sichel is one of the most improved bowlers in the program while Kohutanycz is the avowed emotional leader of the team, a positive, enthusiastic teammate who supplies energy.
   Junior Brandon Irey and sophomores David Sutton, Danny Caruso and Rob Mescia will provide depth as the Vikings attempt to replace the graduated Matt Forthun and his 200 average.
   Whenever Burniston needs to swap coaching tips, he has a great resource constantly at his disposal as his wife Tara is the SBHS girls coach. Tara is heading into her sixth season at the helm while Brian enters his third year with the boys.
   ”I guess it is rather unique,” said Tara. “I know there are a lot of couples who bowl together but I don’t know of another couple who are each bowling coaches.”
   Tara Burniston has overseen a program that has shown tremendous growth in recent years. Last season, the Vikings compiled an 11-5 record en route to winning the girls Central Jersey Group IV title. Another recent crowning achievement for the girls came in 2005-06 when they copped the GMC Red Division title, an even bigger accomplishment than the state title, given the GMC’s robust talent level.
   South Brunswick will be looking to replace its top bowler, Suzanne Bleacher, who graduated in the spring with a 188 average. In high school bowling, six competitors bowl for each team and the lowest score is thrown out, with the top five scores counting towards the team’s total. Burniston returns a solid four-girl core, each of whom will have to move up a spot to fill Bleacher’s void.
   Senior Allison Nagle has competed on the varsity since her freshman year and bowled to a 169 average last season. A trio of sophomores will join Nagle in the starting lineup, led by Kayleigh Kimberlin (175 average).
   Aside from the coaches family ties, the program has two sister-brother acts in sophomore Carly Kohutanycz (Jared’s sister), who averaged 158 last year, and Jackie Sutton (David’s sister), who averaged 161. Senior Tara Prince and junior Marissa Rodriguez have also shown tremendous promise in the preseason.
   The girls team also opens Saturday in the Bishop Classic.
   ”We’ll miss Suzanne for sure but I really like our nucleus,” concluded Burniston.