Boys Bowling Rolls into Playoffs
The team finished 8-2 on the year, good for second in the division. Photo: Continental Studios
By TYLER KATSURA and NATHAN BARENBAUM
Barnabas Jiang and Jonathan Hart contributed to this article.
The boys team was rock and bowling this season but unfortunately came up short against Scholars Academy in the first round of the playoffs, losing 3-0 on November 6 at Funfest Lanes.
Junior Wayne Chen put in a strong performance to give the Hornets a lifeline, averaging 140 pins, but it wasn't enough to get the team over the finish line.
Despite a disappointing early exit, Midwood has shown its resilience this season, winning their last three games of the regular season to finish with an 8-2 record. They placed joint second in their division alongside Frank J. Macchiarola and beat teams by comfortable margins on a consistent basis. Freshman Andrew Ngo was a frontrunner on the stats sheet, leading the team with an average of 157 pins this season.
Last year's squad demonstrated similar success, with a 7-2 record in the regular season. Unfortunately the similarities between the squads also included an early playoff exit at the hands of an unbeaten opponent.
The team's head coach, Mr. Michael Moore, deserves credit for leading the boys through a successful season. “Coach Moore was very supportive,” said junior Yahya Hussain. “He provided valuable feedback for proper adjustments, allowing for greater growth as a bowler.”
Mr. Moore felt pleased with the environment on and off the lanes. “It's such a close knit team, always positive,” Mr. Moore said. “I continuously enjoy coaching these kids.”
At the center of the team was captain Dillan Mesidor ‘24. “Normally I don't name a captain, but he was an amazing guy,” Mr. Moore said. “He was simply the glue of the team. He made everything work.”
Mesidor understood that this year featured a special group of players with astounding passion.
“Seeing this many kids show up for multiple days in a row was good to see, way more than I had expected,” he said.
Mesidor noticed that the unity in the squad formed instantly. “We skipped the awkward phase of settling into a new environment,” he said. “We knew each other right away.”
A key factor that contributed to the team's success was the strong bond established by the squad. “Once you're on the team, you start to feel like family; you have their support on and off the lanes,” said junior Alfonso Jimenez. “We laughed, joked around, and had fun, but we had to lock in and perform to the best of our abilities.”
The team's success can also be credited to “hard work and adjusting technique” as well as “dedication and complete focus on the game,” said Hussain.
Even though the squad didn’t make a deep run this year, Mr. Moore was proud of their achievements. “It was out of their control,” he said. “We just played an amazing team. It's the way the playoffs are set up.”
Despite all the positivity this season, Mr. Moore is already looking forward to the next campaign.
“My hope is that the individuals who return work hard to improve during the offseason,” Mr. Moore said. “Our goal is to refine our skills, aiming for a deeper playoff run and potentially a championship title.”
"Even though we were upset when we lost, we stayed motivated and are working even harder for next season," Mesidor said.