Securing a win against DFW South Co-op on Feb.18, varsity boys bowling won district. They will compete in regionals on March 1 in Garland, TX.
“It felt amazing to be a part of such a special moment,” senior Rhys Riddle said. “We have all worked very hard this season so it means a lot to have the first place spot secured.”
The boys finished district play with a 10-1 record, losing only to DFW Co-op just a week prior.
“Beating [Co-op] was a big deal since it secured our first place spot in the district,” Riddle said. “Once we get our momentum, we continue to carry that and we always keep each other up so we don’t get down on ourselves.”
Riddle started the season on JV and moved to varsity mid-season. He ended the regular season with a 165 average, holding the 13th spot in district.
“Moving up to varsity was definitely my goal for the season,” Riddle said. “I started bowling in July of 2025, so I was very happy to find out that I would be moving up and helping contribute to such a great team.”
Riddle credits much of his progress to his teammate William Lenamond, 10, as they worked together to perfect his form. Lenamond holds the first spot in district with a 227 average and placed second in Texas USBC Youth Masters.
“I take pride in what I do, even if sometimes it’s a little embarrassing,” Lenamond said. “I’m super prepared all the time and I practice a lot. So I’m not surprised that I made it, I had it by almost 10 pins.”
Last year the boys placed second in region, trailing behind Allen, who finished first in state. The region bracket was redrawn this year, taking Allen out of play. Lenamond believes the team holds all skills needed to finish on top.
“We have a better team, so I’m hoping we take first every time,” Lenamond said. “I know we’ll do a lot better. We definitely have a better team, people have improved, so I’m hoping we make it to state and maybe even make the finals.”
The region match will consist of 12 baker games, where five players bowl two frames to complete the 10. This differs from previous region matches where individual games were included, allowing all players to balance each other out and pick up slack where needed.
“Right now we have the highest baker average in our region,” Lenamond said. “We also bowl harder than what we’re going to bowl in our region. We’re practicing more to prepare and even taking off school on Friday to practice specific skills like picking up spares.”
Through twice a week practices, weekly matches and team dinners, the boys hold a close bond. Lenamond and Riddle agree that the chemistry fuels the team, as they know they can fall back on one another.
“The relationship on the team is amazing,” Riddle said. “We are always looking to keep each other’s spirits up and we make sure we do not get down on ourselves after a bad shot. To prepare for state and region, I’m definitely wanting to work on consistency throughout games.”
