After a shaky start in December with a loss to Saint Joseph High School, the JP Stevens bowling team has recovered to finish with a successful season. This stellar team, led by Coach John Canova, consists of both varsity and junior varsity players who work diligently to improve their skills every day.

The season started challenging for the Hawks with a few losses in their opening games, but they found their stride afterward and continued to build momentum as the season progressed, even recording a crushing 4-0 victory over our cross-town rivals, Edison High. The Hawks finished the season with a total of nine wins, six losses, and one draw managing to finish with a respectable position in the white division standings.

One varsity player who stood out this season was freshman Charlie Hyman Cruz. After breaking into the team as a freshman, he managed to finish his debut season with a total of 8,920 pins with 3,015 pins coming from his first game, 2,916 pins coming from his second game, and 2,983 pins coming from his third game. Statistically, he is the Hawks’ best bowler as he knocked down more pins than anyone on the team.

This season also marked the final and glorious season of one of the Hawks’ best assets, their captain, senior Aditya Vishahan. Like always, he did not fail to impress this season by achieving his record best of 8,849 pins. He concluded his high school bowling career with a total of 30,251 pins and a high game of 10,412 throughout his four years with the Hawks.

“Don’t worry if the strikes aren’t falling your way, do your best to make spares,” said Aditya. “Spares make the difference in winning and losing, strikes are nice, but aren’t where the matches are won.”

Moreover, the team also had a great team spirit, supporting each other whether it was on or off the lanes. Everyone tried picking each other up even when one person was not feeling good before a match to enter each game with a positive mindset. Off the lanes, the athletes had a good time with each other through things such as team eats.

Despite such a successful season, the team still is hungry for a better season next year and strives to break their own record. Each bowler is building themself better to increase their averages. Nevertheless, the team supports each other through their journey and bows to not let anything stop them despite any possible setback.