RECORD SPORTS / POMPTON LAKES – The Pompton Lakes bowling team is rolling in the New Year and has its sights set on the upcoming Passaic County Tournament that gets under way next weekend.
The Cardinals are off to a 7-0 start and have been getting key contributions from their starting lineup.
“We’re off to a good start and I like what I’ve seen from the team the last few weeks,” said 15-year veteran head coach Doug Batsch. “We certainly have what it takes to go far this year and be in the mix for a county title.”
The Cardinals return their entire team from last year’s 11-1 campaign that finished second in the annual Passaic County Tournament and qualified for the state tournament.
Leading the way for the Cardinals this winter is senior Nick Cilento, the defending Passaic County Tournament individual champion and 2015 NJSIAA Individual winner.
“Nick has a lot of experience and has had a lot of success over the last two years or so,” said Batsch. “He won the state individual title as a sophomore and the Passaic County title as a junior and he has shown improvement every year since.”
Cilento is averaging a 222 this season, up eight from last season when he earned high game (279) and high series (700) honors at last year’s Passaic County Tournament championship. This past weekend he bowled a three-game series of 236, 215 and 203 for the high series of 654 to win the FDU New Year’s Team Championships at Parkway Lanes in Elmwood Park.
Joining Cilento on the lanes are senior classmates Esteban Garcia (188 average) and Cole Mulholland (173) along with junior David Neil (205 average), who bowled the first 300 in school history in the first league match of the year against Glen Rock last month.
“David got off to a great start,” said Batsch. “It’s the first 300 in my 15 years at the school and that was great to be a part of.”
Last winter Pompton Lakes finished second to Hawthorne in the NJIC-Colonial Conference and qualified for the state sectional tournament where it finished second and eventually placed fifth in the 10-team field at the Group 1 state tournament.
This season’s Passaic County Championships is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 20 at Parkway Lanes. Pompton Lakes finished fourth overall last winter behind overall team champion West Milford.
“Based on our experience and past history, we should contend for a county title,” said Batsch. “I expect Hawthorne to be in the mix as well. They beat us in one game already this season and they always have a good team.”
Leading up to next week’s PCT, the Cardinals face Glen Rock this afternoon and Eastern Christian on Thursday.
Early next month, the NJSIAA tournament gets underway starting Feb. 2 with the North Jersey sectional championships. The individual tournament final is scheduled for Feb. 15 at Carolier Lanes in North Brunswick and the team championship final follows Feb. 17.
“We need consistency from all our starters,” said Batsch. “We have the team chemistry and we’re building on our experience.”
