Rock n' bowl: Chiefs begin state play Friday

MOSES LAKE - A team of seniors with the collective experience of a junior varsity team went against the grain of their experience and found a way to succeed.

That group comprises the Moses Lake Chiefs bowling team which beginning tomorrow will take part in the Class 4A 2011 WIAA state championships at the Narrows Plaza in Tacoma.

The tournament will run through Saturday, with the individual title to be decided Friday and the team winner announcement will take place following Saturday's action.

The Chiefs make their fourth appearance at state and first since a fourth-place finish in 2007.

Head coach Billy Brice's best result with the program came via a third-place result in 2004.

Does this team have a chance to equal or even better than mark?

"The goal is to, number one, make state in order to even win it and we did," Brice said. "Now we have to enjoy what we got and just do the best we can. I am not going to press on them a lot. Let's just go over there as Chiefs and let the cards fall where they fall."

If his team's recent run of hot bowling continues anything is possible especially following this year's script.

Led by Shanice Brice, the top returning individual from last year's state tournament, the seniors were a group of mostly inexperienced bowlers with a collective resume of what amounted to a JV squad.

But maturity, gumption, and the play of Shanice Brice, who finished third in Tacoma in 2010, kept the boat afloat, and before anyone knew it, the Chiefs bowlers had found their rhythm.

After finishing second in the regular season, the Chiefs would trump their rivals Wenatchee, who won the season series, at the regional meet, to take first and advance as a team to Tacoma.

With Shanice Brice leading the way anything is possible during the six regular games bowled tomorrow and the 14 baker games set for the following day.

"Shanice's (state title) chances are good because she has bowled on that shot the last two years," Billy Brice said. "She was only 27 pins out of winning last year and she understands the condition. It is going to take patience and you have to take the condition as you get it. There are going to be good games bowled and some bad games bowled. You just can't have a bad game at 109. It has to be around 150."

The rest of the team includes Ashlann Starkweather, Crystal Balderas, Brittany Simpson, Brittany Ledbetter, Andrea Moreno, and Bianca Martinez.

"Fundamentally, Ashlann is pretty sound and she looks good up there," Billy Brice said. "She had a rocky road at time, but she has potential and can do it as long as she can keep fundamentally tough. I wouldn't count her out."

Balderas has proven to be one of the more reliable bowlers.

"She's been consistently around that 150 score," coach Brice said. "I was always waiting for that little bit more but she has a great shot and she has a really sound game. She's a striking machine if the condition lets her do that."

One of the key pieces to the team's late run has been Simpson's increased play.

"She wants to bowl and she made a commitment to get better," Billy Brice said of Simpson. "Everyone gets in a slump and she got bumped down to JV. But when she came back up she kept getting better and better. Her confidence got built up and she knows that she can bowl. She's throwing the ball down the lane and trying to knock down pins."

Moreno and Martinez will be counted on to keep putting up important scores when called upon.

"Andrea has stepped up when the other girls are having their problems," Billy Brice said. "She enjoys the competition and is quietly a strong bowler.

"Bianca has been with us since day one and she understands she can bowl," he added. "She has been a strong contributor and she and Andrea may see a lot of action in order for us to try and win the title. She has great fundamentals and is a very good spare shooter."

Finally, if Ledbetter recaptures her early season form it could mean big times ahead this weekend for MLHS.

"She started out like gangbusters but slumped toward the end," Billy Brice said. "Fundamentally she looks good so if she contributes all she has to do is keep the ball in play and have some fun."

As these seven young women and coach Brice head west it is now a matter of riding their current wave of success, relying on what they know, and the moxie of this mature group of Chiefs that could carry the day.

"We have a hand and let's play it out," Billy Brice said. "When it's all done let's just see how we finish. We are all seniors here, and except Shanice, none have them have been here before. So let's just enjoy the moment."