On a roll: Central Arkansas schools cap successful seasons

Central Arkansas teams took home top honors in five of the six divisions across all three classes of the 2018 state high school bowling tournament.

7A-6A 

The 7A-6A tournament was held in Fort Smith. Cabot won the girls’ title by six pins over Rogers Heritage High School, 3,523-3,517. Bentonville was third. Cabot’s Emily Tripp and Hayleigh Baugh also received All State honors en route to the school’s fourth-straight title and seventh overall.

“We went undefeated in regular season play,” said Coach Clark Bing. “They won the conference tourney, had a very good showing. And so we knew going into (state) we’d have a chance.”

Cabot’s boys team finished a distant second to Fort Smith Southside, 4,335-4,221. Cabot’s Andrew Harris, Josh Imhoff and Greyson Kaufman were all named to the All State squad. 

5A-4A

In 5A-4A competition, Hot Springs Lakeside boys were easy winners over Valley View High School, 3,754-3,601. Westside Consolidated of Jonesboro was third. Hunter Rhodes and Tyson Keeney each earned All State designation in the state contest, held in Lowell.

“The boys finished 10-1 on the season,” said Darrell Davis, Lakeside head coach. “They weren’t dominating everyone, but they really weren’t challenged too much. The one they lost was to their crosstown rivals, Lake Hamilton, and they lost that the last match of the season. I think they took that into conference and state and built on that.”

In the 5A-4A girls’ bracket, Greenbrier held off a feisty Gentry team 3,161-3,116 to win the state title. Stuttgart was third in the competition. Hannah Scherer, Drianna Phillips and Savannah Hartwick all earned All State selections.

“For my girls, it’s five titles in a row,” said Sandy White, Greenbrier head coach. “My first year, my boys won state and my girls were runner-up in state. The next year the girls said, ‘Coach White, we’re going to win state.’ Sure enough, they did, and they set a precedent going forward.”

Hot Springs Lakeside girls and Greenbrier boys also competed at state, placing sixth and eighth, respectively. Hannah Irvin was an All State selection for Lakeside.

3A-2A-1A

In the 3A-2A-1A girls division, contested in Cabot, St. Joseph High School won its first bowling title, paced by All Stater Lille Tuttle. The Lady Bulldogs beat Norfolk for top honors, 2,866-2,814. Mountain Pine was third.

“We only had one loss throughout the season, which was really strong because we’re playing the bigger schools, yet we’re still winning,” said St. Joseph Head Coach Jeremy Elsinger.

In the boys’ 3A-2A-1A bracket, Mayflower defended its 2017 title, cruising to a win over Norfolk, 3,953-3,547. Flippin placed third. Four Mayflower bowlers placed on the All State squad, including Shawn Meeks, Jordan Teas, Garren Dickens and Logan Kocher.

“Of our six varsity guys, three of them were on the team last year when they won state,” said Ryan Easley, Mayflower coach. “We brought in three seniors, and they fit right in with everybody else. Our very first match (of the year) we ended up losing by a couple of pins; after that we didn’t lose a single match or a competition.”

Mayflower’s girls qualified one bowler to the All State squad, Alexis West.