By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Cabot bowling teams haven’t gotten to play a full schedule of matches this season for various reasons, but the matches they have played have gone well. The Panther boys’ and girls’ bowling teams are undefeated, continuing a regular-season winning streak that has now lasted almost four years.
“We still haven’t lost a match,” said Cabot bowling coach Mike Nash. “The boys haven’t lost a (regular-season) match in probably four years. The girls haven’t lost in two or three years. But we’ve had some bad luck as far as getting matches in.”
Bad weather has caused the cancellation of two matches, including one scheduled last week at Conway. Another was canceled when the football state championship game was postponed a week because of bad weather, and rescheduled for the day of a previously scheduled bowling match.
The Cabot boys’ team is in the midst of a four-year regular-season streak, it’s been almost three years since they have lost at all. The Panthers are the two-time defending state champions, and have not lost since finishing as state runners up in 2011.
Nearly everyone returns from last year’s state championship team, including six seniors. But the team average, even among last year’s players, is down. At this time last season, each of the top-10 boys’ bowlers averaged 192 or higher. The team’s averages are about 10 pins or so below last year’s averages. The Cabot coach believes the lack of matches probably has something to do with the lower scores.
“The averages I use are from matches and practices, and scores are typically a little better in matches,” Nash said. “There’s been less opportunity to bowl matches this year, and when you’re facing an opponent, your focus is a little higher.”
The top two boys are seniors Jace Jennings, who is averaging 220, and Cayden Cook, who is averaging 215.
The girls’ team has two state championships and one runner-up in the last three years, but the runner up was in between the two titles. The girls won last year’s state title despite losing the point total. The state tournament counts total pins, so team scores aren’t as important. Cabot was behind Bentonville in team points by one, but well ahead in total pins.
“I quit taking points years ago because it doesn’t matter when it comes to state,” Nash said.
The Lady Panthers have a huge gap to fill with the loss of Shelby Smith, a three-time individual state champion and currently the top bowler at Louisiana Tech.
The Lady Panthers’ top two bowlers charged with filling that gap this year are Allie Stalnaker and Megan Bugiel. Stalnaker averages 172 while Bugiel 168. Senior Miranda Antimo, Nash says, has also dramatically improved her game.
“She’s made a couple of adjustments and gotten a lot better,” Nash said of Antimo. “The rest of our girls are underclassmen, so I think they’re going to make a run at it for at least two more years. The boys will be rebuilding. We’re losing a senior class that has set or tied five state records.”
Cabot won’t have to travel far for state this year either. Cabot’s own Allfam Bowling Center is hosting the tournament next Wednesday, Feb. 19.
“We’re very excited,” Nash said. “We haven’t had it here since 2008. But we’ve won it, so we’re not complaining. It just costs money. The great thing about our program is that we’ve always had very supportive parents that travel well, but it’s still nice to have it here.”
