Desert Oasis, Palo Verde win 5A bowling team state titles — PHOTOS
Desert Oasis’ girls bowling team came up short the last time it was in the Class 5A state title match in 2022.
On Friday, the Diamondbacks delivered on their chance at redemption.
Desert Oasis won the final game to defeat Centennial 7-2 (2,037-1,957 pin total) in the 5A state title match and claim the school’s first girls bowling team title Friday at The Orleans.
“In the third game, when things got a little bit tight, we made the shots we needed to make,” Desert Oasis coach James Dinkel said.
Palo Verde claimed its first boys bowling team title, cruising past Sierra Vista 9-0 (2,680-2,212) in the 5A final.
“We always knew we could get here but we just had to put it all together, and it finally happened in the playoffs,” Palo Verde coach John Read said. “It was a great end to a wonderful story.”
The matches consisted of three games, each worth two points. The team with the higher accumulated pin total received three extra points, so a team could claim the title by winning only one of the three games but having the higher total.
In the girls match, Centennial claimed two points after winning the second game and sat 26 pins behind in the pin total entering the final match with a chance to grab three more points.
Dinkel gathered his players before the final game and told them to “not get bigger than the situation.” Desert Oasis then won the final game 717-663 to clinch the title.
“I’m very happy that we were able to win and that the team came through and did what we needed to do,” Desert Oasis bowler Shantell Hunt said. “I’m so happy we won the state title. I was nervous the other day because we were runner-up a couple of years ago, that’s why I’m so happy.”
In the boys match, Palo Verde set the tone in the first game, winning 894-757, and backed it up with a dominant 915-698 victory in the second game.
“Coming into the year, we had big expectations, and we knew that even when we were struggling we knew what we’re capable of,” Palo Verde bowler Rylan Breese said. “You have to keep practicing and know the time will come, and today we came out in the title match and bowled our best match of the season.”
In 4A, Tech claimed the boys title 7-2 (2,451-2,295) over Foothill, and Green Valley cruised past Del Sol 9-0 (1,649-1,310) to win the girls title.
In 3A, the Coral Academy boys defeated The Meadows 7-2 (2,120-2,034) to win their second consecutive title. The Meadows defeated Mojave 7-2 (1,609-1,265) to claim the girls title.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
