To bowl or be in goal, that is the question

DeSouza doesn’t have an answer as he excels at both

By John Beisser, Sports Writer
   Chris DeSouza admits that he gets the questions a lot and they are not easy ones for him to answer.
   The questions? Which sport is he better at and which sport does he prefer?
   The answers?
   ”It’s hard to say,” says the multi-talented South Brunswick High School senior.
   For the past few autumns, DeSouza has split time as the Vikings’ varsity goalkeeper on the soccer pitch and was instrumental in South Brunswick’s 14-5-1 season that included a run to the Greater Middlesex Conference championship game. In the winter, DeSouza trades in his cleats for bowling shoes where he is among the elite keglers in talent-rich Middlesex County.
   ”I do get those questions a lot,” he says. “Certainly in bowling, it’s easier to measure success since it’s your average and it’s an individual sport. Most people would probably say I’m better at bowling but it’s tough to gauge.
   ”As for which I prefer, I don’t have a good answer for that either. Towards the end of each soccer season, I start to think about bowling and when I’m towards the end of a long bowling season, my mind tends to drift towards club soccer in the summer.”
   It’s understandable that most people would think DeSouza is better at bowling since his accomplishments there leap off the page. His best game ever? A perfect 300. His best game in competition? A 279.
   ”The 300 game was exciting,” said DeSouza. “It happened in practice my sophomore year at Carolier Lanes and because it didn’t come in a high school match or in club competition, I didn’t get my name on the wall among the other 300 games that have happened there.”
   A 300 game is akin to a no-hitter in baseball. The drama builds, the pressure thickens, and the stakes get higher, frame by frame.
   ”A friend of mine who I bowl with once told me that if I am ever working on a 300 game, not to turn around. Sure enough, when I got to the seventh or eighth frame, I made the mistake of turning around and it seemed like everyone in the building was crowded around behind the lanes I was playing on. It was incredible.”
   DeSouza was able to somehow maintain his composure and focus en route to 12 consecutive strokes – a 300 game.
   ”I can still remember exactly the clothes I wore that day, what lanes I bowled on – lanes 17 and 18,” he said. “It’s funny, after the 300 game I bowled like a 146 in my next game. I was inconsistent then. I am much more consistent now, even though I haven’t had another 300 game since.”
   DeSouza’s prodigious skills have helped the South Brunswick boys team to a 2-2 start against a demanding schedule. He boasted a 218 average last year and his average is in the low 220’s thus far this season and is sure to rise and the season unfolds. After a 2-0 start, the Vikings have dropped games to St. Joseph’s of Metuchen, a fine team, and Woodbridge, a notorious state power.
   DeSouza is a bit up in the air as to his future aspirations. He is considering playing soccer at Alfred (NY) University, although competing in soccer and in bowling locally at William Paterson College may be an option as WPC has a nationally-ranked bowling program. He intends to major in communications but continues to struggle communicating which sport to pursue in college. It all leads back to those questions mentioned earlier.
   The best answer may be the most obvious and that is Chris DeSouza is excellent at both soccer and bowling and enjoys them both.
   NOTES: The South Brunswick girls are off to a 2-0-1 start this season, having tied powerful Woodbridge on Monday. Senior Tara Prince led the way for the Vikings with a 534 set and a high game of 200. Sophomores Jackie Sutton and Kayleigh Kimberlin rolled sets of 510 and 509, respectively.