Winter sports preview: SHS Bowling
Head coach: Randy Perry (10th year)
2016-2017 record: 0-12
Returning players: Destiny Staus (sr.), Porter Funston (jr.), Quinn Danielson (jr.), Isabelle Dennis (jr.)
Newcomers: Britney Bergman, Trinity Henderson (fr.), Alicia Pairadee (fr.), Grace Tolberd (sr.), Alyssa Simmons (fr.)
As fate would have it, Sequim’s bowling squad will be relying heavility on Destiny this season.
Senior Destiny Staus is the Wolves’ top returning bowler after earning Sequim’s top district finishes in the past two seasons and, last year, earning a bid to the state tournament.
“She’s one of the top five in league, easily,” says Randy Perry, who enters his 10th year as Sequim’s head coach. “She throws a really good first ball.”
“We have a weird schedule the next couple of months,” Perry notes — the state prep bowling season bookends the winter holiday break — “so the next month, month-and-a-half is going to be huge for her.”
In June, Sequim saw the graduation of stalwart Dakota Henderson, a three-time district qualifier, but they pick up her sister, freshman Trinity Henderson.
“She knows the program and has been around her sister (so) she doesn’t get too flustered,” Perry says.
Sequim also sees three returning regulars in Isabelle Dennis, Quinn Danielson and lefty Porter Funston. Each of them have their own balls and can throw regularly between 125 and 140 pins per game.
Health is going to be a key this season, Perry says, as Sequim doesn’t have a very deep team.
“If we are going to compete in the is league, we’ve got to have (the starters) stay healthy,” he says.
That, and as much practice as they can manage should help the Wolves improve after tallying just two wins in the past two seasons.
“We’ve got to put a bit more time into (practicing) but the sky’s the limit,” Perry says.
Wolves win opener, slip in second
With team-highs of 172 in game one and 186 in game two, Destiny Staus helped Sequim tally a narrow victory — of four pins — against Bremerton in the Wolves’ season-opener on Nov. 7.
Bremerton and Sequim split both regular games — the Knights won game one, 732-697 while Sequim won game two, 666-631— and then split the two Baker-format games, with Bremerton winning the first 156-146 and Sequim taking the second, 140-126.
Sequim won by overall pin count, 1,649 to 1,645.
“I’ve definitely had nothing close to tied after the first Baker game,” Sequim coach Randy Perry said. “It was very intense. The girls were excited.”
Trinity Henderson and Isabelle Dennis had solid games to back Stauss, both bowling two-game totals of 268.
The Wolves followed that up with a loss in their first home match against North Mason, falling 7-0 in a that tight competition in the first regular game and second Baker game.
The visiting Bulldogs edged Sequim 587-582 in the first game and dominated the second, 638-539. North Mason then swept the Baker-format games, 138-86 and 131-117.
“Tough loss today; (the) girls just didn’t have it,” Perry said.
Staus led Sequim with a 162-pin first game while Quinn Danielson paced SHS with 135 pins in game two.
See photos from the match here.
The Wolves host Bremerton on Nov. 16 before playing three consecutive away matches: at Klahowya on Nov. 21, at Olympic on Nov. 28 and at North Mason on Nov. 30.
