Four Rochelle bowlers average over 200 during 3,531-2,094 win Monday

ROCHELLE — Four members of the Rochelle Hub varsity bowling team averaged over 200 on Monday, when the purple and white opened the 2023-24 season against Rockford Lutheran.

Sophomore Andrew Powell led the Hubs with a 630 series, while sophomore Levi Waddle rolled a 627 series as Rochelle dominated the Crusaders for a 3,531-2,094 win in nonconference play. Junior Logan Frye and senior Jonathan Alanis each eclipsed the 600-series mark on Monday night, with Frye shooting a 606 series and Alanis contributing a 603 series for the Hubs (1-0, 0-0 Interstate 8). Rochelle will host LaSalle-Peru for a conference match on Tuesday evening.

“I feel like we have a chance to go all the way,” Powell said. “We’re really strong and everybody did great tonight. We want to be better as a team and we want to be there for each other. Our goals are to throw better shots, pick up our spares and not get frustrated.”

The Hubs took control of the match early on, claiming the opening game 1,125-718. Waddle led Rochelle with a 213 to start the match, while Alanis fired a 210 and Powell followed with a 194. Seniors Sam Tracey and Christian Thorne recorded first-game scores of 179 and 171 for the Hubs, who extended their lead with an 1,143-713 win in the second game, where Powell shot a series-best 232 and Frye rolled a 214. Waddle added a 201 for Rochelle in the middle game.

“It felt reassuring to win today and we’re really confident this season,” Alanis said. “We had four guys shoot 600 tonight, which was really cool… My wrist is feeling a lot better and I felt really good out there. We have a very strong team and all of us are experienced. We aren’t filling in many gaps and we have all of the pieces we need. Our goal is to make it to sectionals and possibly the state meet. We also want to have fun, win our matches and pick up our spares.”

Rochelle saved its best effort for the final game, where five of the six starters broke the 200 mark as the Hubs defeated the Crusaders 1,263-667 to clinch the nonconference sweep. Frye and Alanis strung several strikes together, with Frye scoring a 234 and Alanis finishing two pins behind with a 232. Waddle closed out a consistent three-game series with another 213 in the third game, while Thorne threw a series-best 211 and Powell shot a 204 to wrap up his series.