FREEPORT — No team had a better single game than Freeport did when it knocked down 1,081 pins in Game 5 of Saturday’s girls bowling regional at 4 Seasons.
The Pretzels were fortunate that game happened, because they didn't perform up to their abilities in the other five. Yet they still did enough to take third place and advance to next week’s sectional in DeKalb.
“I told them (after Game 4) if we don’t get going we’re going to be done, period,” coach Tim Jacobs said. “We just kind of floated through the day and never really got the mojo going. The 1,081 was great. It’s just frustrating that they can’t get that together more often.”
Senior Kelsey Kruse rolled a team-high 1,237 for Freeport, which moved into second place after Game 5, but ended the day 16 pins behind Guilford and 243 behind regional champion Harlem. Belvidere grabbed the fourth sectional qualifying spot.
“We’ve practiced here a lot and we’re used to the shot,” Kruse said. “I just think we overthink things. We roll the ball nice and come through with our spares. I just think at times we miss targets.”
Seniors Sidney Hughes and Madison Wallace shot 1,168 and 1,164, respectively, for a Freeport team that Jacobs believes needs to have a sense of urgency in order to excel in the postseason.,
“This is the same group that last year goes into sectionals and we’re 1,000 pins out of making the cut at the break and we go 1,050, 1,080, 1,090 to squeak in by 100 pins,” Jacobs said. “I just think that’s a little bit of it. And we don’t bowl very good at home. I was hoping we could get going, but it just didn’t click. But, on to next week I guess.”