Coming off of a season where the WHS bowling team won its third straight county championship and finished as the fourth-best team in the state, this year’s bowling team has big shoes to fill.
Missing a state championship by just nine pins last season, the Blue Devils’ nine returning seniors are foaming at the mouth, hoping for another opportunity this year. Senior Gabe Dayon, the team’s co-captain, even went as far as to say that those nine pins are their primary motivation this season.
However, this year’s bowling squad is going to look a little different than it has in years past. The team will be playing without its anchor, former Blue Devil Dante Morales. Morales was a senior last year, and won three county championships with the Blue Devils.
Head coach Ralph Corey addressed the elephant in the room with an honest remark. “He was consistent and obviously very steady with the way he plays,” said Corey. “Losing a bowler who rolls over a 200 on average is certainly a big hit to the team.” Corey followed this comment up with a more positive attitude. “But now with Perry becoming the anchor spot where Dante was, I think it’s an equal trade off in that sense.”
Senior co-captain Perry Cuccaro will be moving into the anchor position. Cuccaro is not the only bowler forced into taking on a bigger role due to the loss of Morales. Dayon, who previously bowled in the one spot, will be moving to the four spot, which was held by Cuccaro last season.
“Being in the four spot is going to be more of a setup role,” said Dayon, referring to the change in roles. “At the one, I would set the tone for the match and bring the energy, but now being at the four, with Perry at the five, we have to anchor down our spots and help set up our team for success.”
Success along with consistency this year are the two main goals for the Blue Devils. They are faced with an extremely tough schedule, having to face rivals Scotch Plains-Fanwood, who had a strong season last year, as well as Elizabeth, Union, Jackson Memorial and even the perennial powerhouse Woodbridge.
Due to the challenging schedule, Corey emphasized that consistency is needed for this team to achieve its goals of success. “We always say consistency. We want to be able to bowl consistently throughout the season,” said Corey. “And when I say consistent, I mean all five bowlers putting up varsity numbers as well as continuing that throughout the entire day of the season. It doesn’t always go that way, which is why it is nice to have players on the bench to kind of switch in there when we need the most.” He added, “I want to make sure that we are one of the strongest spare teams in the conference, meaning we minimize as many open frames as possible.”
To ensure that spares are the Blue Devils’ strong suit, Dayon has took it upon himself this offseason to get some extra work in. “I would go to the lanes two-three times a week, and not just bowl, but work on my release, balance, picking up spares and more.”
Dayon and Cuccaro are taking the captain roles seriously as they both spent time this offseason bettering themselves and perfecting their game for the greater good of the team. Both talented captains know that the team’s success rides on their overall leadership, and they are ready to both lead by example and with their voices this season. Thus, over the summer, they prepared the team by having captains practice twice a week.
The Blue Devils’ journey begins on Tuesday, when they play Union at Jersey Lanes. This will be their first test, before they play rivals Scotch Plains-Fanwood on Thursday. Once they get into the swing of the season, they will have two games a week at Jersey Lanes and a tournament every Saturday at Jersey Lanes as well.
