Bulldogs finish fourth, qualify for sectional

The Highland High School boys bowling team finished in fourth place and grabbed the fourth and final sectional-qualifying spot at the IHSA Triad Bowling Regional Saturday at Camelot Bowl in Collinsville.

Collinsville easily won the team championship of the 11-team regional with a final team score of 6,476. Centralia finished a distant second at 5,942, with Triad right on their heels in third place at 5,914. Highland wound up fourth at 5,744. All four squads qualify to the IHSA Mount Vernon Sectional to be held this Saturday at NuBowl Lanes in Mount Vernon.

Triad sophomore Bryce Pisetta was crowned the individual champion after firing a regional-best six-game series of 1,403, which equates to an impressive single-game average of 233.83.

The Knights also received a 1,298 (216.33 average) from senior Nick Beeler and an 1,167 (194.5 average) from senior Sean Sullivan.

Highland was paced by junior Adam Buske’s 1,208 (201.33). Also for the Bulldogs, senior Brandon Munie bowled an 1,177 (196.17), sophomore Austin Roach rolled an 1,123 (187.17) and sophomore Austin Davis added an 1,105 (184.17).

Collinsville won the team title on the strength of a trio of bowlers topping a 1,300 series. Junior Ryan Warner led the way with a 1,386 (231). He was followed closely by senior Major Douglas III’s 1,384 (230.67) and senior Noah Short’s 1,373 (228.83).

Highland 37, Metro-East Lutheran 3

The Bulldogs traveled to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Wednesday, Jan. 10 and carved up the host Metro-East Lutheran Knights, 37-3, to elevate their overall season record to 6-3-1.

Highland’s Mississippi Valley Conference home match Thursday at Poplar Junction Lanes was postponed due to possible inclement weather.

Against Metro-East Lutheran, Highland swept all 20 team points and won the match’s overall pin count by a lopsided margin of 702 pins.

The Bulldogs also claimed 17 of the possible individual points in the match.

Directing Highland to the win were Buske and Munie, who both bowled a 600 series and finished within one pin of each other.

Buske finished at a match-high 634, which concluded with strong games of 240 and 234.

Munie wound up only one pin back with a 633. He fired the match’s superior individual game with a 269 final one and also added a 213 middle game.

Also bowling quality games for the Bulldogs were Leitschuh (218), Davis (215) and Roach (205).

Highland’s junior varsity squad swept Metro-East Lutheran 7-0. Roach rolled the highest game at a 223.

HHS girls also rout MEL

The Lady Bulldogs also traveled to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Wednesday, Jan. 10 and steamrolled the host Metro-East Lutheran Knights, 40-0, to win its seventh match in a row and hike their overall season mark to 8-1.

Highland’s Mississippi Valley Conference home match Thursday at Poplar Junction Lanes was postponed due to possible inclement weather.

Against Metro-East Lutheran, the Bulldogs hoarded all 20 team points and all 20 individual points, including conquering the match’s overall pin count by a lopsided 916 pins.

Senior Emma Schuster fired the match’s superior game at a 244. She also had a 180 game.

Also bowling quality games for Highland were Haley Basler (227), Kayla Rutz (221), Molly Marshall (216, 204), Kali Rutz (192) and Pfister (192).

This story was originally published January 15, 2018 at 1:23 PM with the headline "Bulldogs finish fourth, qualify for sectional."