The Ocean Township boys bowling team is closing in on a division championship. The Spartans own a fine 37-2 mark, with both losses coming against second-place Wall, but the Spartans have won seven of the nine meetings with their rivals and hold a five-game lead over them. In addition, they took second at the Red Raider Invitational tourney in Keyport and Long Branch’s Winter Wave tournament, all on the heels of winning the NJSIAA Central Group II title for the first time a year ago
“Most of our kids have been bowling for pretty much their entire lives,” coach Tom Siciliano said. “They came in knowing the game and they work hard to get better.”
Ocean’s tough one-two punch of freshman Kenny Ryan and sophomore Dan Drum is a tough combination for opponents to match up against. Ryan has been outstanding, posting a 239 average, tops in the Shore, which translates into a regular 700 series. He also rolled a perfect game earlier this season against Manasquan, part of his season-high 817 series.
Drum is not far behind, averaging 220 pins with several series of 700 or more to his credit. Last season he won the individual portion of the Monmouth County tourney and finished fifth in the Shore Conference individuals and second in the Central Jersey sectionals. Both Ryan and Drum have qualified for this season’s Shore individuals.
To further frustrate opponents, senior cocaptain Christian Nozodilski is averaging an even 200 pins in his fourth varsity campaign. Ocean’s other co-captain, Zack Miller, is averaging 181 pins. Anthony Antonelli is averaging 176 pins. The team averages 1,015 pins per game.
“We pretty much go with five guys, and they’ve really done a great job,” Siciliano said .
Ocean had a pair of regular-season matches left — against Asbury Park on Monday and Neptune on Tuesday. On Monday, Feb. 7, the Spartans will compete in the Monmouth County Tournament at Howell Lanes, with the Shore tourney set for Wednesday in Sea Girt. Then it’s on to the state sectionals Feb. 12 at Brunswick Zone Carolier Lanes in North Brunswick.
“We didn’t have a great showing in the county tournament last year and we’d like to make up for that,” the coach said. “We also think we can give Brick Memorial a run in the Shore, and winning another sectional is our other goal.”
Meanwhile, heading into this week’s matches, also againstAsbury Park and Neptune, the Ocean girls were just a half game behind Manasquan in the A Central race, a strong showing for what coach D.D. D’Esposito expected to be a rebuilding campaign.
The Spartans are 31-8 (4-5 against Manasquan), and an upset loss last week against Point Pleasant Boro knocked Ocean out of first place.
“The girls were disappointed with the loss, but we’re still in it and they’ve qualified for the conference tournament as well,” the coach said.
Like the boys, D’Esposito’s team has a solid one-two punch. Corey Seyler and Suzanna Cuccurullo, both juniors, are second and third, respectively, in average in A Central.
Seyler is averaging 161 pins, a 31-pin increase over last season. She has rolled a 219 has a 557 series and has qualified for the Shore individual tourney. Cuccurullo, who split time between the varsity and JV a year ago, averages 143 pins, and her 584 series in the highest in A Central this winter.
As an added plus, sophomore Sarah Gerstein has upped her averaged by 15 pins to 142 in her second season. Jill Pfeifer and Lexi Dietrich, who both moved up from the JV, are averaging 143 and 132 pins. Another soph, Katie Hellwege, has provided valuable depth. She averages more than 130 pins and has posted a 203 game.
“They’ve worked hard and put in a lot of extra time, and you can see the results in their averages,” D’Espositio said.
The girls are gearing up for the postseason as well and will also be competing in the Monmouth County and Shore tournaments, and they have also qualified for the state sectionals.