Freshly oiled bowling lanes leave the classic smell of what a bowling alley is full indicative of entertainment. The lanes, glossy and smooth, create the perfect opportunity for fun to be had. Players lace, or velcro, their shoes and shine their balls. As the thud of concrete smashing on the hardwood and the clash of pins falling over increase, the Central York bowling team begins practice.

The bowling team starts open practice again after an impressive first season where they captured a state championship. The chance of being repeat champions has the coaches and players thrilled for the new season.

“We have a great combination of returning bowlers along with bowlers who are new to the game… it will be awesome to watch this year’s team,” said head coach Julie Carson.

Assistant coach Charlie Earnst also carries positive vibes about the season.

“Watching the players we have this year, mature into confident and capable bowlers is the most exciting part of coaching,” said Earnst.

Junior Kamryn Brenneman can’t wait to get the season started this winter either. 

“I’m excited to get to matches against other teams to get the chance to meet new people and have new experiences,” Brenneman mentioned.

Practice began in-game with a focus on situations. Players assembled into teams of two and found their lanes. Today’s specific focus was knocking off the rust from the long offseason.

“We are looking to attack more specific skills during our practice sessions.  We will spend a dedicated amount of time on spare shooting as well as focusing on building upon basic elements of bowling to improve our overall game,” Carson stated.

Earnst also talked about how he is also changing the practices.

“Practices this year will be different than last year. Learning the fundamentals of the game, and sharing my knowledge of the game to help the team grow,” Earnst noted.

Last year the bowling team, impressively made it to regionals after winning the PA’s State Bowling Championship with the help of seniors who graduated.

“[Regionals] was a really fun and exciting experience that I got to take with the team that we made last year. Overall, it was an experience that I would definitely like to experience again and would like to show to new people this year,” Breneman mentioned.

Carson and Earnst also have goals for this season after a robust first season with the team.

“I expect to see a competitive Central York team who will make each league match exciting.  There are several schools who will make us earn a win but I believe we are capable and up for the challenge,” Carson said. “Certainly [bowling team] has a chance to make it to post-season play.”

Earnst believes that the bowling team will continue to be a powerhouse in the league.

“I expect this season to be an exciting and rewarding experience. We have the ability to repeat as conference champions and be a strong presence at regionals. A return to the state championship tournament is a possibility,” Earnst stated.

The season has yet to officially start, but the bowling team is starting to roll and or bowl.