Neshoba claims 4th straight title

Neshoba claims 4th straight title

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The Neshoba Central girls bowling team wrapped up the Class 2 state championship for the fourth-straight year last Wednesday in Jackson as they outduel rival Cleveland Central 3-1 in the Baker Series.

This was the fifth time in the past six years the Lady Rockets won the championship.

Neshoba Central as a team knocked down 2,486 pins in the three-game qualifying round. Cleveland Central was second with 2,283 pins. Other teams competing and their points were: Long Beach 2223, Florence 1894; Vancleave 1859; Pontotoc 1853; North Pike 1818; and, Itawamba AHS 1588.

Seniors Destiny Dill and Olivia Nicholson were the top two bowlers for the girls Class 2 with 593 pins and 588 pins, respectively. Making up the rest of Neshoba Central's top five were Allie Williams 440, Ashton Luke 433 and Reagan Thornton 433.

"It takes a lot of practice (to reach the point where you win consecutive state championships," said Nicholson said, "We practice six games a week, three games each day. And we work on the Baker Series a lot."

So what is the Baker Series?

In a Baker Series game, five teammates will bowl toward one score. That is, rather than a typical league format in which you and your teammates each bowl 10 frames and your team score is the sum of each individual score, your entire team will combine to bowl 10 frames in a Baker match.

In MHSAA state competition, the two teams with the most pins from the league format advance to bowl in the Baker Series. That's how the state championship is determined.

There are three classifications: Class 1 for 1A, 2A and 3A schools; Class 2 for 4A and 5A schools; and, Class 3 for Class 6A schools.

Dill finished with the best overall score in any of the three girls classifications, a feat she did as a sophomore in 2018. Dill rolls last for the Lady Rockets when they are competing in the Baker Series.

"There is pressure, especially if it is close or if we are behind," Dill said. "Every shot counts. But we have done it so many times you get used to it."

Last year, the Lady Rockets defeated Cleveland 3-0 in the Baker Series. But this year, Neshoba Central won the first game; then Cleveland took the second game and it was tied at 1-1.

"It was like, ‘oh,'" Dill said. "But they are a good team. We have bowled with them a lot. We were able to come back and win it."

The Neshoba Central team is coached by Joey Blount, who keeps up with all of the scores from the first tryouts.

"He lets you know how you are doing," said Thornton, the third senior on the top five. "He lets you know where you stand and when you need to step it up."

All three seniors said they will continue to follow the Lady Rockets bowling teams in the future. With their success, the team enjoys at strong following.

"I think we established something, especially in the past couple of years," said Dill, who has been on the team since the seventh grade. "Maybe no one expected much when it first started but in the past couple of years, there has progress. We stepped up."





Other brackets

The Neshoba Central boys made it to state but finished third with a score of 2614. Lafayette won the Class 2 boys championship. Long Beach knocked down the most pins (2788) and then lost 3-2 to Lafayette in the Baker Series.

Kossuth won the girls Class 1 championship. They knocked down the most pins (2496) and defeated East Union 3-1 in the Baker Series.

Kossuth also won the Class 1 boys championship. Resurrection knocked down the most pins (2736) but lost to Kossuth 3-1 in the Baker Series.

The Hancock girls won the Class 3. They knocked down the most pins (2487) and then defeated Clinton in the Baker Series 3-0.

The d'Iberville boys won their Class 3A bracket. They knocked down the most pins (316) and defeated Clinton 3-2 in the Baker Series.






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