Hail to the Victors: Dakota Bowling Team Celebrates State Championship

In their second consecutive trip to the state championship, the boys bowling team wasn't about to come home without the state trophy. 

Last year they lost in the finals and came back as runner-up. This year they are the best in the state after their weekend defeat of Westland John Glenn 1,331-1,164 in the final match to clinch the title.

Dakota bowling coach Joe Berak said the victory was a combination of teamwork, individual brilliance and team chemistry.

“In qualifying, I used all eight bowlers, since the lanes were pretty tough and not everyone had a great line to the pocket,” Berak said. “It is very rare to have the same five boys in the lineup for the duration of a tournament due to lane oil transition, so I mixed and matched bowlers based on how well their game matched up to the lane conditions.”

After the morning’s qualification seeded Dakota at the fifth spot, the coaches discovered a 10-pin scoring error. Upon recalculation, the team was reseeded to sixth. At first glance, this meant they would not face Catholic Central first, the team that snatched the state trophy from their grasp last year. It did mean, however, that the Cougars would now face a tough Davison team led by their singles standout who won the individual title last year. 

The Dakota team, which was also the reigning regional champ, won the match against Davison by a score of 1,405-1,323. 

The team picked up steam and defeated Wayne Memorial 1,396 to 1,263 in the semis and then Westland John Glenn in the finals.

Junior Shawn Worth shined individually for the team with a 232 game in the semis and single-handedly held off John Glenn by throwing eight consecutive strikes in the championship to finish with a 269.

“Shawn quite literally carried the team on his back,” Berak said. “Just to illustrate a point on this accomplishment (the 269 game), the next closest score in the match for either team was a 197.”      

Berak said that the boys were relaxed before the tournament began and perhaps it was the experience of losing in the final last year that gave them the boost they needed physically and mentally.

“The boys were very composed and if there were nerves, they went away pretty quickly,” Berak said. “We were very nervous the prior week at regionals and I reminded them this time to relax and take a deep breath. The boys worked really hard on their game during the entire year, not just during the typical September-April bowling season.”

Members of the Dakota state championship roster include seniors Blake Nottle, Brad Berak, Jake Vymazal, Mike Leskoviansky and Frank Balsamo, juniors Shawn Worth and Nick Mikaelian and sophomore Josh Pointer. 

Berak said some of the boys have known each other since they were 5 years old, which contributed to some strong team chemistry this year.

”I have to say that the most memorable moment was at the completion of the tournament, watching our boys celebrate,” Berak said. “They were hugging and crying, some tears of joy and maybe some of sorrow for those seniors who threw their last shot of their high school career. I realized then that these boys exemplified teamwork and friendship, and that their reward was a memory that will last a lifetime.”