By Nate Beutel
The Niagara Falls boys bowling team ran the gauntlet on the local tournament scene this winter. The Wolverines won the Festival of Lights, Roy Sommer and Section VI tournaments.
Now the squad has its eyes set on today’s New York State Championship tournament at Mardi Bob Lanes in Poughkeepsie.
“This is a confident group,” NFHS head coach Ed Ventry said. “They believe in themselves all the time.”
Even if the Wolverines fall behind early, which they have in all three previous events, their confidence never wavers.
“This is a really resilient group,” assistant coach Bill Rodgers said. “They don’t ever get down. They just keep coming at you. It’s amazing really.”
Team captain Steve Biondi, the lone participant left over from the last time the Falls made states in 2007, credits the team’s success to its depth.
“This is a strong team,” he said. “Each bowler can step up any game. The whole season it seems like it’s been a new guy every day.”
To that point, the Falls has seven keglers with an average of at least 200. And the eighth member of the squad isn’t too far behind with a 196. Team captain Tim Drylewski leads the way with a 224, which was the high for the Niagara Frontier League. Biondi is next with a 217.
“Our strong point is definitely balance and depth,” Ventry said. “Some teams just have their five starters, but we go eight-deep. If a guy is off one day, we’re confident that our sub can perform as good if not better.”
That sentiment is similar to the Wolverines’ goals for this weekend. In 2006, NFHS came home with a second-place finish and then finished third in 2007. LaSalle won the city’s last title in 1995.
“We’ve got a silver and a bronze, so hopefully we can get a gold this time,” Ventry said. “The whole key is getting through the tough times by making your spares.”
Biondi agreed.
“We feel like if we go in and make our spares, we’ve got just as good a chance at a state title as anybody else,” he said.
