Darren Kinnard/River Radio Sports Central
MT. VERNON — The Herrin Tigers outlasted Salem and Harrisburg to capture the delayed Carterville Boys Bowling Sectional championship, which was moved to Nu Bowl Lanes in Mt. Vernon. Five area teams as well as one individual earned trips to this weekend’s State Tournament in O’Fallon.
Herrin grabbed the lead in game four of six and never let go, holding off defending state champion Salem by 21 pins and Harrisburg by 81 pins. The Wildcats made it interesting late, posting the days highest score in game six, nearly erasing a 131-pin deficit.
O’Fallon was fourth followed by Mt. Vernon and Carterville. The Rams used a pair of strong closing games to move from eighth to fifth, while the Lions had the lead at the midway point, then hung on to the final qualifying spot to earn the school’s first trip to the boys bowling State Tournament.
Carterville’s David Lutchka earned the individual sectional championship with 1375 pins, 37 more than Salem’s Silas Moats and 40 more than Herrin’s Payton Martin. Moats’ Wildcat teammate Ryan Detering was fourth followed by Martin’s Herrin teammate Chase Lannom in fifth. Harrisburg’s Noah Arnold, Mt. Vernon’s Travin Elliott, Harrisburg’s Caleb Gore, Freeburg’s Maxwell Biehl, and Mt. Vernon’s Trace Elliott rounded out the top ten.
In addition to the six teams to qualify for state, seven individuals not on those six teams also advanced. Webber’s Raymond Andrews joined Biehl, Jerseyville’s Adam Kribs, Alton’s Brayden Buchanan and Austin Rathgeb, Edwardsville’s Nevin Guetterman, and Highland’s Jaden Offerman as individual qualifiers with Civic Memorial’s Kale McMichael and Centralia’s Davon Cook potential at-large advancers.
The State Tournament will be held at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon Friday and Saturday.
Complete sectional results are here.
