By Jeff Appelblatt
The boys’ bowling season only officially began Dec. 2, but Woodbridge High School has already demonstrated it will be sending out top-notch bowlers of various age ranges.
The senior that each opponent knew they’d be looking out for this year is Kyle Bilawsky. So when he threw a perfect 300 game in the second round of the competition with Sayreville War Memorial High School, it couldn’t have shocked anyone. He also threw a perfect game for the Barrons last year as a junior.
James Stoveken rolled for 300 three times last year as a freshman, so all opponents could only hope for a sophomore slump. That wish didn’t come true for Sayreville, however; Stoveken threw a strong three-game series of 678 against the Bombers. And the 257 that John Drost threw in game No. 3 was probably not too surprising either. The junior regularly broke the 200 mark last season.
The Bombers couldn’t have known what to expect from Travis Makara-Marino. The senior saved the best game of his career for the matchup with Sayreville. He threw a 262 in the second game. It came in the middle of a 698 series, in which Makara-Marino topped 200 in each of the three games. It was only the second time in his career that he broke 200 in each game he bowled in a day.
Sophomore Joseph Palmer threw the best game and best set of his career. Palmer rolled the first full three-game set of his career, which included a personal best, 191, in games one and two.
Add on the first series Gabriel Navedo broke 500 (566), and Woodbridge was able to cruise to a 4-0 victory in the first match.
Two days later, Bilawsky and Stoveken lit things up in the Bob James Tournament, once known as the Bishop Ahr Classic. After a fifth-place finish last year, Woodbridge moved up the ranks to win it this season. While Bilawsky topped everyone with a 751 series, highlighted by the 297 he threw in game two, Stoveken had the best game of the day with the 299 pins he dropped in one game. Overall, Stoveken trailed only Bilawsky in the series ranking with the 738 he threw.
Woodbridge’s girls took care of business against Sayreville as well, out-rolling the Bombers, 4-0.
Deanna Calantoni led the way with a series of 538. Her day was highlighted by a 212 in game No. 3.
Meagan Raimondo, Samantha Sclafani, Sabrina Yip and Breanna Tolocka each contributed series of more than 400, while Alexa Mussinan chipped in with a 346.
Both the boys’ and girls’ bowlers from Woodbridge took on New Brunswick High School Dec. 5 and will travel to Perth Amboy High School Dec. 8 for 3:45 p.m. matchups with the Panthers.