Jackson Memorial I t was no surprise to knowledgeable bowling fans around the Shore that Jackson Memorial High School’s boys bowling team would enjoy another great season. Few, however, expected it to be the greatest in school history.
The Jaguars not only won the NJSIAA Group IV championship for the third straight year, but they also won their first Shore Conference title since 2002. Their only other Group IV title prior to the current three-peat was in 1976.
The Jaguars also had their first individual state champion since 1993 in Mike Ormsby and had a state record 252 average that day.
“Everybody was back. We lost only one bowler,” coach Anthony Buczynski said. “Despite the fact that we still were relatively young, we still felt we had the experience, so we were not overwhelmed by the moment. We were huge in February. For such a young team, it’s remarkable how composed we were.”
Ormsby and Don Kane, the lone seniors in the lineup, had the unique achievement of starting on three straight state championship teams and were part of a Jaguars’ juggernaut that bowled their best series in their years there — a 3,483 — in the Shore Conference Tournament for a 350-pin margin over runner-up Manchester Township High School. Joe Starace led the way that day with a 299 game and a 792 series.
“We’ve had five second place finishes since 2002. It was nice getting over the hump,” Buczynski said. “Winning the Shore Conference Tournament cemented how great a team we had.”
“It was a great way to go out as a senior,” Kane said. “It was truly a testament to how good we are.”
They rolled a 3,419 series to prevail again in the Central Jersey sectionals and led the field by more than 200 pins.
The Jaguars also finished well ahead of Freehold Township High School atop Shore Conference B Central Division. Jackson Memorial was 42-3 in the division and Freehold Township was 31-14.
Ormsby led the division with a 229 average and was named the Shore Conference and state bowler of the year. He bowled series of 770 and 760 in the NJSIAA individual bowling championships and then beat Ken Ryan of Ocean Township High School, 246-206, in the stepladder finals.
Kane averaged 212 in the division and had his best series in the state sectionals with a 769, including the high game for that tournament at 280.
“They’ve all bowled in so many houses that they’re comfortable bowling in any alley,” Buczynski said. “I know they were totally prepared for this.”
“I gave the pep talks and reminded them before our matches to stay hungry but make sure you stay humble because another team could get hot and beat us,” Kane said. “We wanted to go out and show we’re the class of the state. If we bowled the way we could, nobody could beat us and we did that. We showed how hard everyone worked in the offseason and we didn’t even have a bowling alley in town. Any time I’d go to the alley, I’d see five teammates there. We work harder than any team in the state. We deserved this.”
Jackson Memorial had one challenge that it answered in the Group IV finals, when it held a 40-pin lead going into the third game to St. Peter’s Preparatory School and trailed in the sixth frame before finishing strong with a 3,306 series to St. Peter’s 3,217.
“I never saw a finish like that.
We got 13 of the last 15 strikes when we really needed it,” Buczynski said.
In the Tournament of Champions, Jackson Memorial beat Group I champion Arthur L. Johnson High School, 3-0, and then lost to Group III champion Sayreville War Memorial High School, 3-2. But, Buczynski criticized the baker style used in the Tournament of Champions in which starters alternate on every frame. He questioned why they changed the way the game is played all season for one match. However, he believed it would not detract from a season for the ages.
The only other baker match Jackson Memorial had was in the Ocean County championships, when it swept Jackson Liberty High School.
“I don’t agree that this (baker) shows the best team. Five-on-five, we’re the best team in New Jersey hands down,” Kane said. “No one will duplicate what we did. It’s truly a special team. You probably won’t see anyone doing what this team did again.”
“I bowl myself and I’ve never seen on a high school level something like this (three state titles) sustained for so long,” Buczynski said. “Being the best in the state tournament, I can’t imagine anybody doing this for a long time in Group IV like this.”
Next season’s team will be hard-pressed to rival the success of this past season, but there are players who can keep the team in contention again.
“A lot will be determined over the next eight months regardless of who comes in,” Buczynski said. “There’s potential on the [junior varsity] side. That team won the division.”
Along with Starace, who averaged 209 in the division, juniors Jason Gold averaged 208 as a starter and sophomore Mason Kimball also averaged 208 as a spot starter. Juniors Chris Nicholson and Eric Hansen also started at times.
“They’re going to be good,” Kane said. “It’s [about] whoever decides to step up to be the leader. I see no problem seeing somebody doing that from those guys. I see no sign of this slowing down because they’ll continue working harder than anyone in the state.”