MCHS Lady Tiger bowling team looking for perfect season, state title

The Morgan City High School Lady Tiger bowling team will look to cap its season with a perfect mark and a state championship when it enters semifinal play at the state’s Final Four at the Raisin Cane’s River Center in Baton Rouge Friday.
Morgan City, the No. 3 seed in the event, will face No. 2 seed Central of Baton Rouge in one semifinal at 11 a.m.
The winner of the that contest will meet the winner of the other semifinal, featuring No. 1 St. Scholastica and No. 4 Central Lafourche, in a 1 p.m. final.
Morgan City, which is returning to the Final Four for the second straight season, enters Friday’s contest with a 15-0 mark.
“I think we had another really, really great season,” Morgan City Bowling Coach Michele LaCombe said. “Proud of all of the girls. I knew we would be very competitive again this year and sitting at 15-0, we definitely did our job. We’re very excited about it.”
The Morgan City-Central contest is a rematch of last year’s state final that Central won, 21-6.
This year’s matchup will feature many of the same participants from a year ago.
Morgan City, a senior-laden squad, returns Hannah Pipes, Meghan Amador, Marissa Davis, Ali Tregle and Mackenzie Amador, while three of Central’s top six bowlers from the finals a year ago also return in Brittnee Robinson, Brianna McCurley and Alanna Coward.
“We have five returning that are comfortable with the situation, because they know what happened last year and how to handle things, but we do have a few new one’s that haven’t experienced it, so I’ve had to kind of get them going to make them understand exactly what point we’re at and how important these two matches are going to be on Friday,” LaCombe said.
A year ago, Central had two bowlers record 600-plus series and three more team members within 10 pins or less of reaching 600 total pins in the win against Morgan City.
Robinson bowled a 615 series, and McCurley and Coward each had a 595 series.
Amador led Morgan City with a 594 series, while Pipes had a 551 series.
“I guess you could say a little motivated,” LaCombe said of her team’s thoughts on the rematch with Central. “Also a little nervous all at the same time since they did beat us last year, but last year was last year. We’re just coming back better this year, and we’re really excited and we’re ready to just do the job with them.”
As for what Morgan City must do differently this year against Central, LaCombe said her team must step up their play.
“Definitely bowl above average, because they’re a very, very competitive team,” LaCombe said. “They bring a large crowd since we’re in their home city, so they (Morgan City) get a little nervous with that, so we just have to focus on the lanes and not worry about anything else.”
This season, McCurley leads Central with a 179 average. Central’s next five top bowlers are Coward at 171; Robinson, 168; Sarah Short, 139; Dante Garcia, 116; and Destini Geautreaux, 115.
Morgan City’s top six bowlers are Pipes with a 199 average, Meghan Amador, 183; Mackenzie Amador, 162; Davis, 156; Tregle, 150; and Kyleigh Campbell, 132.
Morgan City advanced to the finals after finishing 2-0 in the state’s Western Bi-Regional last week. The Lady Tigers knocked off H.L. Bourgeois, 16-11, and Ellender, 18-9.
Central’s journey to the semifinals also included a 2-0 mark in the state’s Eastern Bi-Regionals. The team defeated Cabrini, 22-5, and East Ascension, 25-2.
Aucoin to participate in single’s action
Morgan City High School’s Zachary Aucoin will continue his postseason Friday in boys’ Singles action in the state semifinals at the Raisin Cane’s River Center.
Aucoin, a sophomore, is a first-year member of the Morgan City High School boys’ bowling team, although he has participated in the area’s youth league.
He enters the semifinal with a 187 average. His highest game was a 236 and his highest series was a 652.
Morgan City High School boys Bowling Coach David Spinella said Aucoin is a “cool level-headed clutch performer.”
He will be joined in the semifinals at 11 a.m. by Parkway’s Destin Meza, Terrebonne’s Peyton Barrios and Jordan Boudreaux, Lafayette’s Joseph Kokenge, Central of Baton Rouge’s Dylan Ringo, Holy Rosary’s Alex Dupuy, Holden’s Hunter Cooper, Dutchtown’s Trey Kauffman and Denham Springs’ Jason Thompson.
The singles finals will follow the semifinals.