The Etowah and Southside girls bowling teams both finished runner at the AHSAA North Region Bowling Tournament last week at Vestavia Bowl.
Both teams will compete in the state tournament this week at Oak Mountain Lanes in Pelham. On Thursday (Jan. 28), North No. 2 seed Etowah faces South No. 3 seed Houston Academy in the Class 1A/5A quarterfinal round at 8 a.m. The semifinals are set for 9:30 a.m., while the championship round is scheduled for 11 a.m.
On Friday (Jan. 29), North No. 2 seed, Southside will face South No. 3 seed Stanhope Elmore in the Class 6A/7A quarterfinal round at 8 a.m. The semifinals are set for 9:30 a.m., while the championship round is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Southside saw its four-year regional title run and 77-match winning streak end at the Class 6A/7A regionals on Jan. 22. The Lady Panthers fell by 49 pins to Sparkman, 1,250 to 1,379, in the championship match.
Southside posted a 1,153 to 987 quarterfinal victory over Oak Mountain before defeating Grissom, 1,168 to 968, in the semifinals.
Trailing Sparkman by 175 strokes after the championship traditional round, Southside outscored the Lady Senators in all three Baker rounds before coming up short by 49 pins. Jennifer Clontz (pictured above) led the Lady Panthers with a 184 round in the finals and finished second in the overall series at 550. She also rolled a traditional game-best 222 in the semifinals.
At the Class 1A/5A regionals on Jan. 21, Etowah defeated St. Bernard Prep, 987 to 706, before edging East Limestone, 964 to 961, in the semifinals. The Lady Blue Devils then fell to Corner, 1,083 to 1,166, in the finals.
Etowah’s Kynzion Gibbs posted a 150 score in the finals and rolled 165 in the first round to finish with a 455 traditional three-game series to lead the North competition. She also bowled a 455 in the Best Series comprised of three traditional games.
The Lady Blue Devils rolled a 987 in the Baker format and a 634 in the traditional round in the quarterfinals; a 964 Baker Game and 627 traditional round in the semifinals; and a 1,083 Baker Game, 646 traditional round and a 140 (Game 1) and 168 (Game 2) Baker single game in the finals.