SOUTH BRUNSWICK: South boys make noise of their own by advancing to Group IV tournament

By Rich Fisher, Sports Editor
   It’s almost as if the members of South Brunswick High’s boys bowling team raised their heads and cried out in unison “Hey! Remember us!”
   In what has been the greatest season in SBHS girls bowling history, the fellows got kind of lost in the shuffle during a 7-8-3 campaign that produced a one-and-done appearance in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.
   But last Saturday, the Vikings showed just what they were made of by finishing second to East Brunswick in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV Tournament with a total of 3,109 pins. The top-two finish advanced SBHS to Saturday’s Group IV finals.
   The Vikings’ performance probably surprised everyone but themselves.
   ”We did think we had a shot,” said head coach Brian Burniston. “We won the sectionals a couple years ago with a team not as good as this one, so we’ve done it before.
   ”Bowling in the GMC built confidence. Our record doesn’t speak to what type of bowlers we are; we go against great competition all the time. We knew we had a shot, we talked before the tournament. We didn’t want to stop bowling yet. We wanted to continue the season and that was really, emotionally, where we were. As a team we bowled very well. We were third overall in all the (Central Jersey) sectionals.”
   South Brunswick channeled its emotion in a positive fashion, coming out with a blistering 1,051 in the first game. It slipped to 966 in game two, but rebounded for a 1,092 to maintain its second-place status.
   ”It’s one thing to want to win, and they definitely went in wanting to win,” Burniston said. “But after the first game it sunk in that we really did have a shot. “We were in second after the first game. East Brunswick bowled a 1,150 so were down quite a bit behind them. But the key to getting to states is you need to have multiple guys having scores over 230. We had two guys in the first game do that. In the second game they slipped off and two other guys picked it up, and in the third game everybody bowled up to their potential.”
   David Sutton, who bowled in Wednesday’s NJSIAA individual tournament, led the way with a 278-163-246/687. The second highest Viking series came from Danny Caruso (184-234-233/651), followed by Rob Mescia (245-188-209/642), David Kreier (163-222-202/587) and Brandon Irey (181-159-202-542).
   The performance served as tonic for the bitterness of South Brunswick’s GMCT. The Vikes fell to Old Bridge, a team they had beaten and tied earlier in the season.
   ”They were really disappointed in themselves after that,” Burniston said. “That match hurt them a lot emotionally. They didn’t bowl well and we were knocked out in two games.”
   Burniston said it did not serve as a springboard into the states, however, since a week elapsed between events.
   ”During that week we sat around and watched the girls,” the coach said.
   In doing so, the success that their female teammates enjoyed might have provided some impetus.
   ”I’m sure it puts a winning mindset in them,” Burniston said. “We’re not competitive with the girls. We’re all one team. We’re very close, right next to each other practicing together.
   ”We’re not necessarily competing against each other. We root for each other. But I’m sure that probably gave them a little kick in the butt to get themselves going.”
   And how far they continue to go will depend on several things when action begins at Carolier’s Brunswick Zone at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
   ”We’re capable of putting a nice number in there, we just have to feed off of what we did in sectionals and feed off each other,” Burniston said. “Even when you’re not the person bowling, you still have to be focused on what’s going on. You give it your best shot and see where the pins fall.”
   Prior to the finals, Sutton bowled in the state individual finals on Wednesday, after press time.