After stacking three strikes in a row for a turkey in the opening match of the season, senior Will Singer approached the lane with confidence. All eyes locked in on him as he hurled the ball at the pins for yet another perfect strike.
On Dec. 4, the WHS bowling team opened its 2025-26 season against Union Catholic, beating the Vikings 7-0. They played in three games, winning them all, giving them the lead of 6-0, as winning each game rewards the winner with 2 points. The other 1 point comes from the most overall pins in the whole match, which Westfield claimed.
The team, led by its four senior co-captains, Deven Davies, Roux Swaminathan, Kenzie Schiller and Thomas Stavrovich, had an early lead in the first game. Singer led the team with 185 pins, followed by Davies’s 160, then Swaminathan’s 148.
“We did a great job keeping the energy high,” Davies said. “That is something we need to continue when we play stronger teams.”
Union Catholic came out strong in the second game, keeping close to Westfield in the start before the Blue Devils gained a 40-pin lead in the sixth frame. Singer said, “The next teams we play will be much stronger, so we need to continue to practice and play our best consistently.”
Westfield’s grit was tested again in the third game, falling behind by 56 pins heading into the eighth frame. The Blue Devils were able to come back, leaving only 1 open frame and storming back to win the game by 57 pins.
Head coach Matthew Varhley complimented his team’s resilience and composure throughout the match. “For the first match of the season, that kind of mental toughness is impressive,” he said. “It shows me they’re locked in and ready to compete.”
This win was crucial for Westfield’s momentum this year following last year’s struggles. Their 3-14 record put Westfield near the bottom of the division despite previous years of success, but the Blue Devils are looking to climb their way back to the top this season.
“As we move deeper into the season, we’ll focus on being more consistent on a game-by-game basis,” Varhley said. “This win gives us momentum, but more importantly, it shows the team what we’re capable of when we stay focused and support each other.”
Westfield now turns its attention to upcoming matches against stronger opponents. On Dec. 9, the Blue Devils are back in action against top-ranked rival Scotch Plains-Fanwood.
