Columbia boys bowlers shine
SCHENECTADY, N.Y. » There isn’t a set procedure for calling a time out during a bowling match and there are no set plays to call during a match, but Columbia boys bowling Coach Bill Neumann made time for his team on the road against Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Thursday afternoon.
Even with a 150-pin opening game win against the Spartans, Neumann didn’t like what he saw on the lanes and gathered his varsity squad behind the approach for a conversation.
“Just what I constantly remind them is that when they’re hitting their target and the ball is not doing what they want here today, hooking too much, that they shouldn’t need an invitation from me to move left to find more oil,” Neumann said. “They should be doing this on their own and they are very tentative to do that, most of them are uncomfortable to doing that.
“I said ‘ Look, this is a great learning experience right here today. We’re ahead by a lot, move in, try and roll the ball good so that you hopefully get the ball back.’ A lot of times they move in, they are uncomfortable and try to do much with the ball.”
The oil pattern at Boulevard Bowl challenged both Suburban Council squads with bowlers consistently hitting the head pin high, or too far left, often seeing their ball curve too much for the right-handed bowlers, hence Neumann’s tip.
“Just stay soft, throw the same shot you’ve been throwing,” Neumann said. “If they have a more aggressive ball, go to a more aggressive ball so that maybe it hits a little harder on the back end.
“I got into them about as much as I’m going to do.”
After another 150 point win against a young, less experienced Burnt Hills squad, Neumann decided to go to his bench.
“That’s a luxury you have either way, when we’re up a lot or if we’re getting killed, past years Colonie or Mohonasen would beat us by 300 pins, so the last game I’m going to get these young kids in who haven’t bowled varsity,” Neumann said. “It gives them match experience, so when you bring them in if it’s something important, a close match where maybe a couple kids didn’t show up and I need him now to perform, he’s been there before.”
The move also came by Blue Devils No. 1 bowler Jason Hahn to take a break after his 203-181 first two games and offer up a spot and bowl exhibition to give a JV bowler a shot.
“If I was a close match I would
not be taking you out I told him,” Neumann said. “We’re ahead by a lot, I want to give these guys a chance to bowl on varsity.
“You go over there and work on what I was going to have you do here, get inside to 18 ( board on the lane) and swing it out to 10 and see if you can get it back. He did, he shot a 200 playing that shot. It was good for him to go down there and practice.”
It also made the day of Ryan LeMay who made his first varsity match appearance and rolled a 160 along with Manny Holiday who rolled a 187 as both relievers earned the point in their head-to-head match.
“When I went over and told him ‘ Hey, you want to bowl varsity?’ He goes, ‘ What? What? Oh, ya!’ He got all excited,” Neumann said about the LeMay call to the bullpen. “I said go over there and bowl the best you can. Work on hitting your target, making your spares and he won his point. He was very happy.”
Gabe McGlauflin led Columbia with a 259-201-206 666 series Thursday followed by freshman Zack Bocholtz with a 246-187-176 609 series. Aleks Lorenc led Burnt Hills with his 176210-202 588 series.
As the Spartans look to rebuild and Neumann continues to work with his seasoned squad he knows not to look too far into the future and sectionals after the New Year.
“I keep them grounded, I don’t want to think about,” Neumann said. “If I do talk about February, I tell them how difficult it’s going to be.
“They are great house shot bowlers, here you have area. When we bowl sec- tionals we don’t have area, you have to hit your target. The last couple years we have not done well. Last year we were undefeated and at sectionals we finished eighth because you have to hit your target.”