Last week’s Catholic league bowling championship proved yet again that hard work, rigorous practice and the composure of veteran players, among them…
By Christine Patino
“They came out strong and shot well, but we came out even stronger,” said Molloy senior Drew Thompson.
Last week’s Catholic league bowling championship proved yet again that hard work, rigorous practice and the composure of veteran players, among them top bowler Drew Thompson, reaps many rewards.
The varsity series saw a match-up between the favored Archbishop Molloy squad, led by coach Vinny Leonardo, and worthy challengers Monsignor McClancy, led by Bro. Brian DePorres.
Molloy can now add a 5-0 victory and the city championship to its already flashy resume, which includes a season record of 21-0. The win, however, did not come without much opposition from McClancy.
Having never beaten Molloy, McClancy’s team came into this series confident and determined to play its best — and play its best it did. The Crusaders started off strong with captain Sean Lindsay-Evans [181], freshman John Mustac [188] and sophomore Richard Battista rolling strike after strike. It appeared that an upset was in the making, but just as Thompson pointed out, Molloy came out even stronger. The Stanners took the first game with a score of 997-873.
With the crowd cheering, due partly to the antics of the crowd-pleasing senior Laurence Assip and its other superior bowlers performing at their best, Molloy picked up the pace and fired away at the pins. They took the second game, and the championship, with a score of 1132-970. Top players for Molloy were seniors Drew Thompson [204], Laurence Assip [200] and Giuseppe Newton [196].
“It’s the greatest feeling,” Assip said. “We came three years in a row and lost and now we finally did it. I came into this thinking, ‘It’s now or never’ and I’m glad it was now.”
“For the seniors, four years of hard work paid off,” Leonardo said. “The constant practicing every Saturday four to five hours is what helped them win. The thing is that at this game you have to keep sharp. Their composure was amazing. I like to say they are used to having ice water in their hands and they handle it very well. The seniors will be sorely missed.”
McClancy’s players were not disappointed with their performance, however, feeling they gave it all they could.
“I think I did good,” Evans said. “The team did good, too. Of course, I hope the team does better next year and they should. We have a decent group of freshman and sophomores.”
“There’s some sadness for myself, being that I didn’t pick up the spares, but a good team beat us and that's what matters,” Battista said.
Molloy is indeed a good team that seems to go unrecognized. They have quietly dominated the scene in both the varsity and junior varsity levels, but still lack the fan base and support other sports teams enjoy.
“Bowling doesn’t get much coverage because it is not a popular sport,” said Brooklyn/Queens bowling coordinator Rudy Zientarski. “Within the last three years, though, the general level of talent has risen. We’re getting bowlers that are serious and do well. It’s nice to see.”
Reach Contributing Writer Christine Patino by email at TimesLedgr@aol.com or call 229-0330, Ext. 130.
