The Announcement

I've been putting this off for a few months because it's a bummer for everyone (I think), but the blog will not be returning for the 2018-19 season.

The reason for this is simple and unavoidable and maybe quite surprising: my family and I have actually moved out of New Jersey. We're trying to navigate a whole new version of high school bowling on the other side of the river; it's challenging. As much as I'd love to continue my coverage of all things NJHS bowling, I'm afraid it would be logistically impossible.

I hope to be able to chime in once in a while, and I still owe a huge thank-you post to so many people who have contributed over the last two years, but the core of what I've been doing, the stat-keeping, is the one thing now beyond my capacity. If there's anyone out there who would like access to my databases or would like to try to continue the stat-keeping on any level, please email me and I'll help you however I can.

Best of luck to everyone in New Jersey bowling, and thanks to everyone who read, wrote in, shared a link or talked to me at a tournament.  It has been my pleasure.

Season in Review - 2019 Projections

First, I'm going to give you all the reasons this is meaningless.

I looked at who's coming back. I don't have accurate grade information for a few teams and to do a deep projection, I had to make some guesses. In all likelihood, there will be a handful of transfers and a handful of good bowlers won't come out for the team for one reason or another.

I looked at averages and used a very simple expected-improvement matrix.  That can't possibly account for the scores of bowlers who will make huge improvements.

I can name exactly three incoming freshmen for next year.  Three.  That leaves, at a minimum, 20 or so impact freshmen unaccounted for.

All that said...  I present, for entertainment purposes only, an irresponsibly early look at the 2018-19 preseason rankings.

THE PROJECTED TOP 20 BOYS BOWLING TEAMS FOR 2018-19

1.  Woodbridge
2.  Brick Memorial
3.  East Brunswick
4.  Brick Township
5.  Sussex Tech
6.  Monroe
7.  Jackson Liberty
8.  South Brunswick
9.  Toms River South
10. Pascack Valley
11. Linden
12. Montville
13. Howell
14. North Brunswick
15. Manchester
16. Neptune
17. Jackson Memorial
18. St. Joseph-Metuchen
19. Toms River East
20. West Milford

and the teams most likely to break into that list:

JP Stevens
Fair Lawn
Clifton
Edison
Iselin Kennedy
Seneca
Manasquan
Hudson Catholic
Freehold Township
Passaic Tech
Colonia
West Deptford
Middlesex

THE PROJECTED TOP 20 GIRLS BOWLING TEAMS FOR 2018-19

1.  Toms River North
2.  Brick Memorial
3.  Brick Township
4.  Freehold Township
5.  Warren Hills
6.  Manchester
7.  Colts Neck
8.  Woodbridge
9.  Teaneck
10. Lacey
11. South Brunswick
12. East Brunswick
13. Mahwah
14. Eastern
15. Washington Township
16. Edison
17. Toms River South
18. Holy Angels
19. Bergen Tech
20. Matawan

and the teams most likely to break into that list:

Carteret
Ocean Township
Colonia
Ridgewood
Central
Pemberton
Ewing
Barnegat
Monroe

Season in Review - All-State Teams by Group

Just another way of looking at things.  Obviously, this excludes independent bowlers and also a handful of bowlers whose team didn't enter sectionals (and thus, don't have a Group designation.)  So, apologies to Joseph Mahoney, Ashley Noel and Maria Neiswender (and maybe some others). As always, if you think I'm missing someone, let me know.

BOYS GROUP I
First Team
Evan Weinberg, Dayton
Dan Kenny, Maple Shade
Geoffrey Origenes, Hudson Catholic
Kyle Bauter, Manasquan
Luis Torres, Roselle
Thomas McKeon, Keansburg

Second Team
Dylan Wolfe, Manasquan
Jarrett Toth, St. Rose
Joey Chiusano, St. Rose
Jivan Persaud, Hudson Catholic
Zach Young, Bishop Eustace
Bryce Bayard, Caldwell

Third Team
Vinny Mastria, St. Rose
Carter Vanderslice, St. Rose
Andrew Beach, Johnson
Eric McKenna, North Arlington
Jarrett May, Middlesex
David Schuld, St. Rose


BOYS GROUP II
First Team
David MacGillivray, Barnegat
Joey Steele, Sussex Tech
Joey Ocello, Neptune
Matthew Marletta, Morris Tech
Nick Thies, Jefferson
Justin Bohn, Jackson Liberty

Second Team
Derek Lewandowski, Ridgefield Park
Matt Redbord, Ocean Township
Nick Striffler, Lacey
John Hoban, St. Joseph-Metuchen
Shaun Boffard, South Plainfield
Kenny Burdge, Manchester

Third Team
Hunter Perry, Hawthorne
Preston Williams, Jackson Liberty
Angelo Salici, South Plainfield
Mike Menkin, South Plainfield
Conor Quigley, St. Joseph-Metuchen
Joseph Abadilla, Carteret


BOYS GROUP III
First Team
James Stoveken, Woodbridge
Kyle Oliveri, Toms River South
Rob Murray, Morris Knolls
Jordan Tse, Demarest
Jason Smith, Edison
Jason Bilawsky, Woodbridge

Second Team
Josh Lipko, Cherry Hill West
Wyatt Buchany, Edison
Joey Lamont, Morris Knolls
Kevin DiBernardo, Toms River South
David Burrows, North Brunswick
Andrew Finke, West Milford

Third Team
John Drost, Woodbridge
Dennis Carrino, Toms River East
Chris Shymanski, Brick Township
Andrew Xiques, Toms River South
Tom Laskay, Freehold Township
Ryan McGuire, Indian Hills


BOYS GROUP IV
First Team
Daniel Lenk, East Brunswick
Sam Bortnick, East Brunswick
Jared Ammugauan, St. Peter's Prep
Michael Liu, Livingston
Louis Folgore, Monroe
Cameron LaPlant, JP Stevens

Second Team
Johann Gamo, Clifton
Joe Paolillo, Clifton
Ryley McKiernan, Monroe
Alec Hehir, Brick Memorial
Nick Greco, Fair Lawn
John Boughton, Brick Memorial

Third Team
Armen Shamim, East Brunswick
Andrew Mai, East Brunswick
Anthony Fama, South Brunswick
James Bolish, Toms River North
Michael Guzman, Brick Memorial
Brian Skettini & Matt Myers, Ridgewood

GIRLS GROUP I
First Team
Eleni Feggulis, South River
Gabrielle Capalad, Leonia
Elizabeth Schucht, Donovan Catholic
Ashley Espy, Carteret
Caylei Hoffman, St. John Vianney
Angela Baginsky, Carteret

Second Team
Amanda Medvetz, Carteret
Elizabeth Brogna, St. John Vianney
Samantha Siragusa, Matawan
Kayelena Brimage, South River
Julia Kreider, South Hunterdon
Katie Devoe, Matawan

Third Team
Ashley Sorelle, Bishop Eustace
Anna Foo, Manasquan
Laura McConnon, Matawan
Juliana Lotierzo, Maple Shade
Tara Ulbrich, Manasquan
Emily Frizell, Keansburg

GIRLS GROUP II
First Team
Lanasia Neal, South Plainfield
Goldera Surles, Union Catholic
Morgan Gitlitz, Colts Neck
Alexa Tieto, Ocean Township
Liz Schreier, Lacey
Jamie Paddock, Montville

Second Team
Laryssa Fiore, Colonia
Theresa Bedaro, Manchester
Emma Thies, Jefferson
Kaitlyn Lowey, Union Catholic
Autumn Laird, Lacey
Julia Muro, Lacey

Third Team
Amelia Brunda, Holy Angels
Rachel Duncan, Indian Hills
Michaella Raab, Mahwah
Lindsay Pepper, Ramsey
Claudia Schreier, Lacey
Victoria Shaw, Manchester


GIRLS GROUP III
First Team
Marissa Cosentini, Wayne Valley
Caylin Ryan, Brick Township
Julianna Forbes, Brick Township
Katie Winch, Warren Hills
Kelcie Mannon, Warren Hills
Sarah Orensky, Freehold Township

Second Team
Natalie Swindell, Toms River South
Trinity Gray, North Brunswick
Margaux Lesser, Teaneck
Victoria Vucak, Paramus Catholic
Olivia Ostrander, Warren Hills
Tori Johnson, Edison

Third Team
Hannah Dalton, Toms River South
Christina Gonzalez, Brick Township
Jasmine Brodowski, Jackson Liberty
Cristy Sharkey, Brick Township
Ciani Sanchez, Toms River South
Krista Eskow, Fair Lawn


GIRLS GROUP IV
First Team
Kamerin Peters, Toms River North
Amanda Shelters, Brick Memorial
Rhianna Smith, Hopatcong/Mt. Olive
Paige Peters, Toms River North
Katie Robb, Kingsway
Kiara Powell, Union

Second Team
Victoria Stasicky, Monroe
Madison Steinbeck, East Brunswick
Bridget Bolan, Monroe
Veronica Lewis, Brick Memorial
Arielle Wallace, Hackensack
Lacey Beall, Union

Third Team
Cloe Lowell, Eastern
Rachel Katz, Brick Memorial
Livia Spalluto, Toms River North
MacKenzie Dudas, Toms River North
Eliza Abreu, Woodbridge
Samantha Valle, Union