Prairie, Xavier bowling to wins as teams

CEDAR RAPIDS — Teamwork is a concept few associate with a bowling team.

Offense is limited to one person at a time, and defense is non-existent. With most of the focus seemingly on the individual, how can two high school teams without a single bowler in the top 25 in state average lead the Mississippi Valley Conference?

It's all about teamwork.

'It seems like you might be just thinking about yourself, since it's just one frame,' Cedar Rapids Prairie's Jonathan Keiper said. 'But it's really thinking about your team. Your team needs you for this frame you are bowling.'

Take the Baker round for example. Five varsity players (with the occasional sub) each bowl two of the 10 frames. As a team, the bowlers come together to roll a complete game. It may sound simple, but success lies in the details.

'Your first bowler might go up and their ball might come in light or heavy,' Keiper said. 'They will come back and say the lanes are really oily or really dry and you can adjust based on that.

'It's a lot about communication when you are not bowling.'

Communication has been key in the Hawks' roll to an 8-1 start on the year. Prairie is tied for the lead in the MVC Valley Division with Dubuque Hempstead and is off to its best start since a 10-1 finish in 2011-12. Prairie finished ninth at the state tournament that year.

'We got a couple of freshmen this year, and the new blood has helped,' said Galloro, who leads the Hawks with a 209.7 average, 34th in the state. 'They were already good bowlers to begin with, so that helps.'

Keiper has helped boost Prairie with a 200.7 average, while fellow freshman Noah Meader has a 197.4 average. Prairie head coach Don Wilfong has altered his approach this season, hoping for a more cohesive team.

'There are a lot of different personalities out there,' Wilfong said. 'We are trying to build that brotherly bond.'

The Cedar Rapids Xavier boys' team shares those sentiments. The Saints share the lead in the MVC Mississippi Division with Waterloo West at 6-3.

'The season has been a little rocky because we've had a lot of changes on the varsity squad,' Xavier's Jacob Fulton said. 'But it makes us want it more and makes us better.'

The Saints hope to recapture the chemistry from the 2015 season, which ended with a second-place finish at the Class 2A state tournament.

'If you get one player that gets upset, it can start to bring down the whole team,' Xavier's Michael Buenzow said. 'Sometimes you need to take them aside and help them recognize what they are doing wrong and help them get their mind straight.

'Other people you might need to cheer on. It just depends on the person.'