Sports: Right up their alley

By Melissa Yerkov

Times Sports Editor

They've gone from worst to first.

And now they're Public League champions.

The Northeast High School bowling team has experienced quite a roller-coaster ride this season. A few months ago — early December, to be exact — the squad was almost forced to forfeit its matches because of a lack of players. The devoted souls still on the team tried recruiting athletes from other sports, asking friends in the classroom . . . basically begging anyone to round out their starting-six rotation at the bowling alley.

The plan worked — sort of. The Vikings were able to compete with a full roster. They also were winless in their first nine games of the season.

Then came the lightning strike.

Almost as if a switch had been flipped, Northeast's coed bowling team found its groove. They won their first match of the season against Dobbins on Jan. 5 and continued to soar from there.

"Once we started winning, we didn't want to stop. I think our attitude toward the game changed," said freshman bowler Tyler Semola. "Plus it helped that we finally found our three guys and three girls. We found that consistency we needed."

The Vikings discovered their missing links with the addition of senior Rasha Odeh and junior Shaquin Stewart, both first-time bowlers.

"Ms. Barrett needed bowlers and I told her I'd give it a try," said Odeh, referring to coach Karen Barrett. "I bowled for fun before, but never competitively. It was tough at first, but the team really pushed me and helped me improve."

The Vikings rolled along on a 14-game winning streak, claiming five straight matches. Their heroics earned Northeast a place in the postseason — the team defeated Central High School, 3-0, in a huge upset during the semifinals on Valentine's Day.

"We just wanted to win. Our goal was to constantly improve, and we accomplished our goal," said Jacob Virella, a junior who also is a first-time bowler this season. "I think Ms. Barrett was a big part of our success. She really brought us together. She stuck with us and never gave up. She always tells us that we're a playoff team."

The Vikings proved themselves as much more than postseason contenders. On Feb. 23, Northeast defeated Saul High School, 1,725-1,705, in the championship match.

The victory wasn't easy. Saul took an early lead and held it vigorously. They took advantage of early mistakes by Northeast and won the first game of the championship match, 897-834.

Barrett quickly huddled with her team; her words of wisdom seemed to put the wind back in Northeast's sails. They came out blazing in game two, knocking down four consecutive strikes, courtesy of Shaquin Stewart, Connie Furman, Tyler Semola and Jacob Virella.

The Vikings grabbed the lead instantly in the second game and never let go. In the fifth frame, Northeast nailed five consecutive strikes, complemented by a turkey from Elijah Staton.

"That felt real good," said Staton, a senior who bowled 180 in both games of the championship match.

The Vikings remained on top for the remainder of the afternoon, finishing Saul with an 897-808 in game two, then winning the match with an overall score of 1,725-1,705.

"I never take Saul as a weak team because they always come out with top-notch players and they always have a strong score. We didn't take them lightly," Barrett said. "I am feeling very relieved, excited and blessed that I have had a season with these marvelous young guys and ladies who just kept working toward the goal. They didn't give up."

Last week's bowling title was Northeast's third in four years. The Vikings also were Public League champs in 2008 and '09.

"It's crazy that we're here," said Connie Furman, a senior and four-year bowler who has been part of all three championship squads. "After the first three games here, we thought we were done. We didn't even have enough players at one point.

"Honestly, the team has come a long way. We lost pretty much every game," she added. "We scratched our way up here, basically, but we did it. We're here now. We're champions."

Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@bsmphilly.com