Greendale bowling coach Rob Ligocki has been preaching to his team all year to just stay relaxed and play their game.
If ever a bowler started to tense up, Ligocki would either sub them out or bring up random topics to take their mind off the match.
On Saturday, after a little bit of early tension, all seven team members were as loose as could be at the perfect time as the Panthers knocked off Greenfield, 3-0, in a roll off for the division championship after first downing St. Thomas More, 5-1-1.
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“This is what it’s all about,” Ligocki said. “We had to win that match and we started out poor in the first match but they all came together. Once again it was like, they were really up tight and it’s like you just have to kind of keep your mind free and loose and everything.”
After finding their groove in the opening match against the Cavaliers, Greendale had all the confidence in the world behind them.
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That might sound a little strange for a team heading into a normally nerve-wracking playoff against the Hustlin’ Hawks, but the Panthers had been in the same situation just one year earlier and their experience showed against newcomer Greenfield.
“Once we came into the match it was like, ‘hey it’s their (Greenfield’s) first year,’” Ligocki said. “Once you’re down on yourselves it’s hard to come back. That first game was going right down to the wire but when we took the lead, they kind of got down and somebody misses a spare and then they’re all emotional.”
Ligocki said that’s where his team’s experience and leadership really kicked in and took over.
The Panthers only failed to score on four frames in the three-game sweep of Greenfield with seniors Andy Kellermann and Jake Pipke leading the way with six strikes and six spares between them.
Both teams put forth tremendous effort, it just seemed to be Greendale’s day as they were on the lucky side of a few late pin falls while the Hawks found themselves starring at countless awkward splits on their second shots.
Greendale wouldn’t have even been in the championship match had they not turned things around in their early bout with St. Thomas More.
The Cavaliers tied the Panthers in the first game at 199 each before taking the second game, 134-122.
GHS opening the next game with three-straight strikes and that seemed to turn the corner for them as they only scored below 193 once in the next five games.
Junior Kevin St. Martin bowled a clean match for Greendale, scoring six strikes and eight spares in 14 frames.
The Panthers finished the regular season with a 16-2 record and are the champions of the red division for district No. 1. That guarantees them a spot in the state tournament in Ashwaubenon, March 5.
Greendale’s next match comes this Thursday at AMF West Allis as they take on the winners of the white (Franklin) and blue (Germantown) divisions.
