Franklin Regional bowling off to blazing start despite switching sections

By: Ted Sarneso
Monday, January 8, 2024 | 3:41 PM

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Franklin Regional’s bowling team dealt with a major change before the season began.

The Panthers, last year’s Northeast section and WCCA champions, were moved to the more competitive East section.

“That raised a lot of eyebrows in our area because it puts us in the same section with two strong teams, Plum and Gateway,” coach Ben Smith said. “That put three of the top five teams in the WPIBL in the same section.”

The move hasn’t fazed the Panthers boys team, which went 5-0 and was alone atop the East at the halfway point of the season.

All of the wins have come against section opponents, and four out of the five have come at Export Moose, the Panthers’ home lanes.

“The Moose is a difficult place to bowl because it has old equipment, and the oil patterns break down quicker,” Ben Smith said.

“It helped when we played Plum and Gateway in the early part of the schedule. Gateway was averaging over 1,000 pins a game, and they came in at 500 pins short in that match.”

The Moose has helped the boys team to a 39-1 home record over the last eight seasons.

“We hear how difficult it is to play from every team that comes to our house,” senior Brandon Smith said. “You can see it as people struggle to make those in-game adjustments because the lanes break down so fast.”

The hot stretch hasn’t come without some rough patches. The Panthers scores have not been as high as they would like.

“When we go into a game against a team we know we can beat, we’re not up for it,” Brandon Smith said. “When we’re playing against those top contenders, like Gateway and Plum, that’s when we tend to get our higher scores.”

Brandon Smith recently broke out of his early season swoon.

“The slow start was a bit unexpected,” he said. “I was bowling well over the summer, and going back to the Moose shocked me a little bit. I worked diligently in practice on what I needed to be successful, and during the last match, the adjustments I made paid off.”

Brandon Smith and fellow senior Andrew Marcej are two of five returning seniors and the most experienced on the team. Both have competed in state events and national events, such as Junior Gold.

“Those experiences have been beneficial for both of them when they face difficult situations in matches,” said Ben Smith, who also relies on seniors Dom Freed and Jackson Battaglia and junior Jude Klemstine. “I have a next-man-up mentality. I know they will perform at their best when I call on them.”

Perhaps the biggest surprise for the Panthers has been the outstanding first half put together by freshman Brayden Fallon, who is leading the team in average (196.85).

“I was familiar with Brayden because he’s been bowling out of the Nesbit’s junior program for a long time,” Ben Smith said. “I certainly wasn’t expecting him to step up and bowl as well as he has.”

Said Fallon: “I couldn’t be more grateful and blessed to have such an amazing opportunity. The team’s full of juniors and seniors who pushed me to be a good bowler. The fact that I’m a part of it is amazing.”

“He’s not intimidated at all,” Brandon Smith added. “He is definitely a huge asset for us.”

Senior Luke Sunny is second on the team in average (195.92) and has put up some big scores, including a high game of 278 against Plum.

Things are running smoothly for Franklin Regional right now, but the road ahead presents an interesting challenge as the Panthers have away matches the rest of the season.

“I think we’re prepared for Plum,” Brandon Smith said. “A lot of the guys are used to playing there during league play, so I think that could be very competitive. Gateway will be a bit tougher because we don’t know those lanes quite as well.”

If they can sustain the first-half success, the Panthers are confident their talent, depth and experience can bring continued success in the postseason.

“Last year, we were just on the verge of coming out on top, which is why coming into this season we had expectations for a really strong season as we returned all our bowlers,” Ben Smith said.

Added Fallon: “We have a very good chance of remaining undefeated as long as we’re on the same page and keep bowling well like we have been. I’m confident we can win our entire section, and we have a good chance to win in the WPIBLs.”

Tags: Franklin Regional