State boys, girls bowling finals set for The Orleans

Of the four bowling teams that will vie for the first Class 5A state championship, only one has won a title at any level.

That came 15 years ago, when the Clark boys claimed the 2007 4A crown.

Third-seeded Clark will meet No. 1 Shadow Ridge for the boys title, and No. 1 Arbor View and No. 2 Desert Pines square off for the girls championship Friday. Both matches will be played at 2:30 p.m. at The Orleans.

“We’ve got a group of guys that are dedicated to trying to win,” said Shadow Ridge coach Nikkole Turner, whose team has outscored its opponents 95-4 in its 11 matches. “It’s really exciting that the guys have given themselves a chance to win (the school’s) first championship.”

Shadow Ridge beat Desert Oasis 7-2 (2,463-2,233 pin total) to reach the final, and Clark swept second-seeded Liberty 9-0 (2,466-2,095) on Wednesday.

On the girls side, Arbor View and Desert Oasis each took 9-0 semifinal wins Thursday. Arbor View defeated No. 4 Coronado (2,092-1,532), and Desert Oasis eliminated No. 3 Clark (2,026-1,804).

“The girls have been excellent all year,” Arbor View coach Matt Kranz said. “They’re a great bunch of girls. They all bowl in leagues and are really dedicated to practicing a lot, and they just have jelled as a team. They’re very consistent and very hard working.”

Arbor View, which has outscored its opponents 102-6 in its 12 matches, defeated Desert Oasis 7-2 in a match earlier this season.

Desert Oasis has an ace up its sleeve in anchor bowler Kelsey Aczon, who won the individual state championship last week. That was the first 5A state title in any sport for Desert Oasis.

“She’s a calming force for the other three because they know what they’re going to get from her every game,” Desert Oasis coach Jim Dinkel said. “She’s consistent, and there’s a reason she’s a state champion.”

The 4A finals match the No. 1 Legacy and No. 3 Football boys, and the No. 2 Green Valley and No. 4 Bishop Gorman girls. The 3A finals will feature the No. 1 Boulder City and No. 3 Coral Academy boys, and No. 1 The Meadows and No. 2 Western girls. Those matches also will be played at 2:30 p.m. Friday at The Orleans.

Contact Jason Orts at jorts@reviewjournal.com. Follow @SportsWithOrts on Twitter.