Southside and Etowah are among the schools in the spotlight as the 11th AHSAA State Bowling Championships open championship play this week in Mobile.
Southside entered the tournament as the Class 6A/7A North Regional champion on the girls’ side and competed as a No. 1 seed when play began Thursday morning at Bowlero Bowling Center. Southside also qualified a boys’ team for championship play.
Etowah returned to the state championships as the defending Class 1A/5A boys state champion, seeking to repeat its 2025 title. Etowah also qualified a girls’ team in Class 1A/5A.
Championship play began Thursday with the double-elimination, head-to-head format. Girls’ competition opened at 8 a.m., followed by boys’ competition at 1 p.m. Winners’ bracket finals in each division are scheduled for late Thursday morning.
As of Thursday morning, Southside’s girls’ team won their first game at 8 a.m. The results of the Etowah game was not known at the time of publication.
Friday’s action resumes with consolation bracket play before state championship matches begin. Girls’ state title matches are set for 11 a.m. Friday, with boys’ championship matches scheduled for 4 p.m. “If” games, if necessary, will follow immediately in both divisions.
Southside faced Mary Montgomery in Thursday’s opening round of the Class 6A/7A girls division, while the Panthers’ boys team is slated to take on Hoover in Class 6A/7A boys competition. Etowah opens tournament play against Orange Beach in the Class 1A/5A girls division and Beauregard in the Class 1A/5A boys bracket.
Several other programs entered the championships as top seeds following regional play. In girls’ competition, Thompson (6A/7A South) and Scottsboro (1A/5A North) are regional champions. On the boys’ side, Hoover (6A/7A South), James Clemens (6A/7A North), Corner (1A/5A North), and Beauregard (1A/5A South) earned top seeding.
Among notable individual performances, Southside’s Cora Clontz finished second at last week’s 6A/7A North Regional with a 393 two-game total and previously earned state medalist honors in 2024. Scottsboro’s Grace Anderton led the Class 1A/5A North Regional, while Addy Walton of Horseshoe Bend helped guide her team back to the state tournament after earning medalist honors last season.
Three of last year’s four defending champions advanced to this year’s field, including Thompson (girls 6A/7A), Scottsboro (girls 1A/5A), and Etowah (boys 1A/5A). Vestavia Hills, last year’s boys 6A/7A champion, did not qualify.
All matches will be televised live on the AHSAA TV Network and streamed on the NFHS Network, with WOTM.tv producing the championship finals.
AHSSA contributed to this article.
