Spain Park Regains 6A/7A State Bowling Crown; John Carroll Catholic Captures Their First Title in 1A/5A
Mobile, AL – The Spain Park Jaguars have reclaimed their position at the pinnacle of AHSAA boys’ bowling. With a season record of 20-2, the Jaguars triumphed over their metro area rivals, the Thompson Warriors, with a score of 4-2 in the Championship bracket finals on Friday. This victory secured the 2024 Class 6A/7A state boys’ bowling title, the Jaguars’ first since 2022.
Earlier in the day, Stanhope Elmore and Southside-Gadsden took home the 6A/7A and 1A/5A girls’ state bowling crowns respectively.
The Jaguars, under the guidance of Coach Stephen Hobbs, were determined to bring the state title back to Valleydale Road. They faced a tough challenge in the quarterfinals, narrowly defeating Hartselle 4-3, winning by a mere 40 pins. Despite falling behind 2-1 after a heated third game, the Jags, led by senior Luke Eaton, managed to clinch the final two games and advanced to the semifinals.
In the semifinals, Spain Park edged out defending state champion Sparkman with another 4-3 win. Despite a surprise loss in the sixth game, Spain Park took the final match 225-192, contributing to a total of 2,627 pins knocked down by both teams.
The Jags carried this momentum into the finals, establishing a 3-1 lead before game five. Thompson staged a comeback with a 229-217 win, but Spain Park retaliated with a decisive 177-157 victory in game six.
On the other side of the bracket, the Warriors (16-5) under Coach Chris Hollingsworth had a challenging journey as well, defeating Dothan and the top-seeded Hewitt-Trussville Huskies to reach the finals.
In the Class 1A/5A finals, John Carroll Catholic (14-2) secured their first-ever state bowling championship with a thrilling 4-3 win over East Limestone (11-4). After a close game five, John Carroll managed to secure victories in games six and seven to claim the state title. Their journey to the finals included a 4-1 victory over the Gulf Shores Dolphins and a hard-fought 4-3 win over top-seeded Scottsboro.
Despite some struggles, East Limestone, the 2021 state boys’ champions, also made it to the finals. They defeated Elberta and defending state champion Etowah to reach the championship round.
AHSAA State Bowling Championships
at Bowlero Bowling Center, Mobile
Friday’s Championship Results
(Best of 7 Baker format)
CLASS 6A/7A BOYS
First Round
Hewitt-Trussville (16-0) 4, Stanhope Elmore (12-2) 3 (1,323 – 1,297)
Thompson (15-4) 4, Dothan (12-3) 3 (1,276 – 1,334)
Sparkman (21-3) 4, Gadsden City (11-4) 0 (765 – 692)
Spain Park (18-2) 4, Hartselle (19-4) 3 (1,279 – 1,239)
Semifinals
Thompson (16-4) 4, Hewitt-Trussville (16-1) 0 (756 – 691)
Spain Park (19-2) 4, Sparkman (21-4) 3 (1,360 – 1,267)
Championship
Spain Park (20-2) 4, Thompson (16-5) 2 (1,131 – 1,025)
CLASS 1A/5A BOYS
First Round
Scottsboro (12-1) 4, Sipsey Valley (6-3) 1 (881 – 765)
John Carroll Catholic (13-1) 4, Gulf Shores (13-3) 1 (838 – 746)
East Limestone (11-3) 4, Elberta (13-3) 3 (1,281 – 1,156)
Etowah (11-2) 4, Holt (9-4) 3 (1,163 – 1,156)
Semifinals
John Carroll Catholic (14-1) 4, Scottsboro (12-2) 3 (1,168 – 1,192)
East Limestone (12-3) 4, Etowah (11-3) 1 (982 – 857)
Championship
John Carroll Catholic (15-1) 4, vs. East Limestone (11-4) 3 (1,171 – 1,130)
CLASS 6A/7A GIRLS
First Round
Stanhope Elmore (10-0) 4, James Clemens (16-4) 0 (614 – 512)
Oak Mountain (18-4) 4, Baker (17-2) 1 (731-675)
Sparkman (21-1) 4, American Christian (13-2) 3 (1,192 – 1,099)
Hewitt-Trussville (16-6) 4, Thompson (16-2) 2 (1,035 – 1070)
Semifinals
Stanhope Elmore (11-0) 4, Oak Mountain (18-5) 0 (760 – 648)
Sparkman (22-1) 4, Hewitt-Trussville (16-7) 0 (685 – 563)
Championship
Stanhope Elmore (12-0) 4, Sparkman (22-2) 0 (751 – 611)
CLASS 1A/5A GIRLS
First Round
Southside (25-4) 4, Springville (11-6) 0 (717 – 535)
Marbury (13-1) 4, Beauregard (17-3) 1 (797 – 745)
Sipsey Valley (9-1) 4, East Limestone (13-1) 2 (913 – 888)
Scottsboro (11-3) 4, Orange Beach (13-2) 3 (1,034 – 994)
Semifinals
Southside (26-4) 4, Marbury (13-2) 2 (938 – 879)
Scottsboro (12-3) 4, Sipsey Valley (9-2) 3 (1,114 – 1,054)
Championship
Southside (27-4) 4, Scottsboro (12-4) 1 (809 – 762)
Cover Photo: Jackson Foss bowls of East Limestone in the 1A/5A state championship match versus John Carroll Catholic. (AHSAA Photo | David Holtsford)
