Last Tuesday, the Bob Jones girls bowling team finished their regular season with a win against Madison County, leaving them with a record of 10-5.

Since the start of the new year, the girls have had one additional match: a win against Hazel Green.

“They’ve had pretty good success overall,” said Coach Michael Hoyle. “They’ve lost a match here and there…but all in all, they did well.”

Unfortunately, the boys have not been quite as successful; Hoyle admitted that though they have struggled throughout their season, they are a young team. “My oldest bowler is a tenth grader, so they’ve got work left to do, but they have a lot of spirit.They don’t give up and they’re happy to be here, so that’s good enough for me.”

Although the boys’ season has already ended, the girls have a chance to continue. “We’re moving on to regionals,” said bowler Rachel Toler, an eleventh grader.

Hoyle added that the regional tournament will be in Tuscaloosa on January 21 and 22. There, they will compete against schools from our area–James Clemens, Sparkman, Randolph, Scottsboro–as well as schools from around Birmingham and the southern part of the state.

“I’m looking forward to the experience,” said Toler, “and trying to do our best and see how far we go.”

If the girls do well at the regional tournament, they can move on and qualify for state.

“If we get through the first round on the second day, then we’re there,” explained Hoyle. “If we don’t, then our season is over.”

Of course, the team has worked hard to achieve the success that they have. “We practice Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays,” said eleventh grader Paige Sander. She even noted a few practices that occurred during the winter break.

In preparation for the regional tournament, the girls will continue to practice regularly. If all goes well, their hard work will pay off and they will have reached their ultimate goal: qualify for the state tournament.