GONZALES – Don’t give Brother Martin an opening in the Division I Louisiana High School Athletic Association Division I bowling playoffs.

For the second time in the last four years, Brother Martin was facing defeat deep into the third game. In 2022 it was Catholic-Baton Rouge ready to wrest the championship away from the Crusaders.

It didn’t happen.

This time, it was Slidell, up 76 pins in total after one game and still up 56 pins total with a 10-6 lead in the best-of-27 point match with one game to go.

There were two options. Brother Martin had to win all eight points available in the third game to get to 14 or win three matches, the game total and the three-point super total.

It became very clear, Brother Martin could not win all six matches so option two needed to materialize for the Crusaders to win their eight title in 10 years. And thanks to wins by Blake Hebert (211), Beau Bufkin (226) and Sam Vollenweider (254) the chance was there.

But the team still needed to make up pins and with doubles in the ninth and 10th by every bowler in the lineup, what seemed improbable in 2022 had become another trophy going back to New Orleans for Brother Martin.

Vollenweider was the MVP of the competition, with a 744 series on games of 258-232-254. Hebert also dropped three 200 games of 219-201-211 for the winners as they won the Super Total 3,670 to 3,607.

DIVISION II
While it was a cakewalk in the championship match for top seeded Archbishop Shaw, Baton Rouge’s lone representative in the boys/coed division, University High, acquitted itself very well during its semifinal match in the final coaching stand for football OC and bowling head coach Aaron Vice before he goes on to become the head FB coach at Newman High next month.

The Cubs were up 9-7 in points and had a nine-pin lead over Belle Chasse in total pins going to the final game as Jackson Dukes opened with 225 and 254 and John Hebert had a 227 first game. Belle Chasse came in averaging over 100 pins more than U-High and in the third game, Belle Chase came alive to come up with the necessary game points and win the super total to take the match, 16-11.

Daniel Russo had a 247 game in the finale for U-High. Dukes finished his series with a 638 set.

Shaw would win its second straight Division II title and its third overall, 18-9, over Belle Chasse in the final. Jonathan Arena was the MVP, rolling games of 190-269-203 – 662.

The state singles titles will be decided on Friday at All Star Lanes in Baton Rouge. The qualifying round will begin at 11 a.m. and the stepladder finals will begin at 1:30 p.m. and air on Crescent City Sports. I will be joining Lenny Vangilder to call the streaming broadcast of both the boys and girls divisions.

LHSAA STATE BOYS HIGH SCHOOL PLAYOFFS
At Premier Lanes Gonzales
Division II SEMIFINALS
Belle Chasse 16, University High 11
BC – Evan Shepherd 203, Matthew St. Germain 246, Christian Collinsworth 205-224; Bryce Shepherd 213
UH – John Hebert 227, Jackson Dukes 225-254 – 638

Archbishop Shaw 17, South Terrebonne 10
AS – Zachary Tran 243-207; Cody Barrilleaux 201-207-224 – 632; Brady Barrilleaux 214-216 – 608; Jonathan Arena 238-263 – 682; Joshua Collins 206
ST – Shawn Champagne 223-230 – 631; Lucky Bella 279-278-200 – 707; Arden Jones 216

FINALS
Shaw 18, Belle Chasse 9
SHS – Jonathan Arena – 190-269-203 – 662; Brady Barrilleaux 235; Cody Barrilleaux 236-201 – 606; Robert Calix 216; Antoine Tran 210; Joshua Collins 201
Belle Chasse – Bryce Shepherd 209-235-278 – 722; Christian Collingsworth 253
--

Division I Semifinals
Brother Martin 16, Archbishop Rummel 11
BM – Blke Hebert 278-248-222 – 748; Sam Vollenweider 231-257-226 – 714; Tyler Nunes 246-215 – 648
AR – Anthony Linker 224-241-236 – 701; Blake Clair – 204-243-214 – 661; David Shirah 208-206-207 – 621; Jacob Beatty 230-236 – 656

Slidell 17, Jesuit 10
SHS – Cameron Lackey – 245-212-211 – 668; Lillian Simpson 243-248 – 656; Michael Broussard 216-237 – 650; Hunter Muller 235-222 – 654
Jesuit – Jonathan Cho – 276-241-193 – 720; Grant Gehring 203-222 – 615

FINALS
Brother Martin 14, Slidell 13
BM – Sam Vollenweider 238-232-254 – 744; Tyler Nunes 224 – 613; Blake Hebert 219-201-211 – 631
Beau Bufkin 226; Nick Bruno 211
Slidell – Lillian Simpson 242 – 606; Elyjah White – 212-215 – 608; Landon Hoffman 205-229 – 612; Michael Broussard 206; Hunter Mullen – 208-223-238 -- 609