The Freehold Regional High School District Bowling Championships mirrored the Shore Conference division season.
Howell’s girls were in a class of their own while the Freehold Township and Howell boys were evenly matched, with the Patriots getting the edge this time.
It was a district repeat for the Howell girls, who beat runner-up Freehold Township by more than 200 pins, 2,668-2,450. Colts Neck was third (1,767).
The Patriots enjoyed a 10-pin lead after the first game, 877-867, but then the Rebels turned in on. They put up an 899 in their next game to the Patriots’ 789 and then threwa 902 in theBakers game (each bowler on the teambowls a frame) to put it away.
Howell’s Brittany Budra rolled the high game of the competition, 229. Freehold Township’s Pinar Huseyin was second with a 203.
The Rebels have wrapped up an eighth consecutive division title, Shore Conference B Central, sporting a 44-1 record, seven games better than Freehold Township.
Howell has the best scratch game of the year (994) and scratch series (2,773). Budra (194.81) andMeghanKelly (191.29) have the best averages on the team. They rank second and third behind Huseyin (207.91).
Huseyin has the best game (279) and series (728), with Budra (264) and Kelly (253) second and third, while in scratch series, the Rebels’ Katie Raffele (658) is second and Kelly is third (648).
Freehold Township and Howell were tied in B Central from the start of the season. Finally, the Rebels were able to break the first-place tie by beating the Patriots 3-0 in the final match of the season. That gave Howell’s boys a 37-8 record, three games better than the Patriots.
But at the district championships, the Patriots gained the upper hand thanks to a 929-835 advantage in the Baker game. The Patriots won by 51 pins, 2,848-2797. Manalapan was third with 2,681.
James Caraluzzi helped the Patriots’ cause, coming up with the high game of the day, 248. Manalapan’s Bryan Thompson was next at 239.
The Patriots’ Andrew Bohn has the best season average (219.79) and the best series (768).
Caraluzzi has the team’s second-best average, 202.78.
Howell’s James Springer is second to Bohn in average with a 213.92.
In beating Freehold Township 3-0 in the last match of the regular season on Jan. 25, Howell’s Lou DiGirolamo bowled a perfect 300. The prefious school record was a 299 bowled by Jon Springer.
Rebels Team Challenge Monday
Howell will be hosting the Rebels Team Challenge onMonday at Howell Lanes.All of the top teams in the shore will be there, and that means some of the best teams in the state as well, with the likes of Brick Memorial and Brick Township joining Howell and Freehold Township.
Among the other teams are girls division leading teams like Keyport, Ocean Township and Long Branch.
It will be the proper warm-up for the Monmouth County Championships on Tuesday at Howell Lanes and the Shore Conference Championships on Feb. 10-11 at The Lanes in Sea Girt.