BY CORY DIAZ
SPORTS EDITOR
The Stanhope Elmore bowling train ran out of coal in Pelham Friday, finishing just short of the inaugural AHSAA State Bowling Championship, falling to Spain Park, 1,836 to 1,576, in the finals.
Before the matchup of the top two seeds, the Mustangs had only dropped two games all season long, to go with 25 wins, and had been the No. 1-seed all throughout the playoffs.
“To be honest, I think we just wore down,” SEHS bowling coach Wes Dunsieth said. “I hate to say it, but our kids from the regional tournament where we spent a week in Foley, and then three days in Birmingham for state and constantly picking up a 15-pound ball and swinging it 200 to 300 times, we just got tired. Plus, all the emotional from several games before, we just wore out. Not to take away from Spain Park, they did a good job. Those last few Baker games, they did a good job.”
Stanhope used the last of its steam in the opening traditional game of the finals where eighth-grader Josh Wilson rolled a championship match-high 254 and senior Stormy Stephens poured in a 193 as the Mustangs jumped out on top of the Jaguars by 15 pins.
But it was all Spain Park from there, as they captured the lead winning the first two Baker games by wide margins, 223-145 and 203-148.
“We’re the number one seed, if they can beat us, they’re going to have to prove it,” Dunsieth said of how he tried to motivate his team. “We fought there after the second Baker game. We were beating ourselves, we’re not finishing our shots.”
The Mustangs couldn’t relight the fire, as the Jags handed them their first and only loss of the playoffs, a remarkable run for SEHS in the first championship season of the sport in the AHSAA that Dunsieth doesn’t see ending any time soon.
“Of course, they were disappointed. Several shed some tears. But I pulled them together and told them there 90 to 100 teams in the state, there were 32 teams at the start of regionals and we’re the second-place team,” Dunsieth said. “That’s something to be proud of.
“Making a name for ourselves, we’ve only got one senior. Everybody else is coming back. We have a chance to be good for a long time.”
