High Rollers rally for regional championship (03/08/04)

LAFAYETTE — The Jay County High Rollers bowling team didn’t worry about its third-place sectional finish, a slow start or the fact that it snuck into the finals as the No. 4 seed in a four-team field. Instead, it just overcame the odds.

The High Rollers came back from eight place after the first two games to make the finals, then knocked off No. 1 seed McCutcheon and topped Lafayette Harrison by 61 pins in the finals to take the regional title Saturday.

Jay County was behind early in the championship match, 178-174, before rallying for the win. It got to the finals by earning a tight 376-373 victory over McCutcheon.

The day did not start off so well for the High Rollers, but they jumped to fifth place in Baker play. They continued to improve, jumping as high as third place and before taking the No. 4 seed with a total of 2,907 on the way to the title.

The top four teams earned spots in the semi-state round next week at South Bend’s Chippewa Bowl at 9 a.m.

Jay County also had two bowlers competing in individual competition, and both advanced to the semi-state round.

Preston Shoopman was third with a score of 653, and Cody Wright placed eight with 630.

Shoopman and Wright will compete in Saturday’s singles competition at Chippewa Bowl at 2 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]