Bethany boys bowling team makes long-awaited return to state, seeking program's first championship

Bronchos won first regional championship in 11 years

By Chase Horsley

Submitted photo of the Bethany boys bowling team

BETHANY - For the first time in eight years, the Bethany boys bowling team will head to the state tournament after defeating Frontier High School, 3-0, in the AMF Windsor Lanes regional final on Feb. 18.

"It feels good to get to the finals and get to state," said Tobias Hurte, a senior.

The Bronchos started qualifying first after eight games with a score of 1,217. The Bronchos had a 92-pin lead on the second-place qualifying team, Tonkawa.

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Because the Bronchos qualified first, it did not have to bowl against another team in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinal, Hurte and his team bowled against Putnam City West, winning 3-0.

Caden Rowe, a sophomore for Bethany, hit a strike in the ninth frame that shut out PC West.

"It felt good hitting the strike to get past PC West and move on to the finals," Rowe said.

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The final match was against Frontier, with the winner becoming regional champions, which Bethany had not done in 11 years.

The Bronchos struck first, winning by 20 pins. The second game was the same story, but Bethany won by 10.

That gave the Bronchos a 2-0 lead, and one more win will have earned them their second regional title. They struggled in the first two frames by not picking up their spares, causing an open.

Bethany's Ty Sechrist, a sophomore, struck the first ball of the third game.

"It was a great feeling to get the first strike of the game," Sechrist said.

That was just the momentum the Bronchos needed. The Bronchos went four strikes in a row to take a big lead on Frontier.

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It was the last regional tournament for Hurte, and he had the 10th frame. Hurte threw his first shot, and it was a strike. He finished the final frame striking out, and with the help of his team, they earned the regional championship.

"It was probably one of the best 10th frames I have ever bowled," Hurte said.

This Saturday, the Bronchos will be heading to the State Tournament in Enid at Oakwood Bowl, where they will be trying to earn its first state title.