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The New Lenox Patriot | November 8, 2018 | 41
Boys Bowling
Nork, Jablonski look to lead West to third straight state appearance
Warriors’ girls coach
moves to boys side
to be with son
James Sanchez, Editor
Lincoln-Way West bowling
made a move that could
benefit both the boys and
girls program.
After eight years with
the girls program, coach
Scott Jablonski will switch
over to the boys side to
lead a team that includes
his son, Cameron, and in
turn, boys coach Scott Ullian
takes over the girls program
where his daughter,
Kenzie, is the team’s top
bowler. Jablonski spent half
of his West coaching career
coaching his daughter, Haley
(Class of 2017), and now
this move gives him the
opportunity to do the same
with Cameron.
“Because I coached the
girls for eight years, it was
a little heartfelt, emotional,
it was rough to leave them,
but I get my time with my
son,” Jablonski said. “And
I spent all those years with
my daughter, I figured I
want to be with him his last
two years.”
Jablonski takes over a
program that is in a bit of
a transitioning phase after
strong seasons the last two
years. The Warriors placed
11th in state last season
after a seventh-place finish
the season before. Now
a lot of those experienced
varsity members are gone.
There are more freshmen
and sophomores in the program
than there are juniors
and seniors.
“We’re not going to have
the depth the boys’ team has
had the last couple of years,
so that’s good and bad,”
Jablonski said. “The good
news is we get to rely on
A few of Lincoln-Way West’s varsity bowling team members, (left to right) Jeremy Sgarlata, Tony Paul, Cameron Jablonski,
Michael Nork and Naythan McNally, pose for a picture Oct. 30 during practice at Laraway Lanes.
PHOTOS BY James Sanchez/22nd Century Media
them more and teach them
more, but I don’t have that
luxury where if someone’s
bowling bad that day that
I could pull him and put
someone else in.”
The Warriors lose state
team members Caleb Kirby
(20th in state in 2018, 11th
in 2017), Alex Kubitz (56th
in 2018), Matt Vander-
Biezen and George Dennison.
However, returning is
Michael Nork and Cameron
who both competed at state
the last two years. Jeremy
Sgarlata is another key returner
in 2018-2019. He
was on last year’s state tournament
roster and bowled
three of the six games.
Nork knows the challenges
ahead with the talent who
graduated last year, but his
approach as the senior leader
is to take it one match at
a time.
“This year, we’re just
going to focus on the five
bowlers who are bowling,”
he said. “We’re all going to
bowl together as one team.
It’s not going to be about
one individual, and we’ll
do our best to make it back
down to state.”
Jablonski expects junior
Tony Paul to take a step
forward. Jablonski coached
Paul’s sisters Ellie (Class
of 2016) and Emily (Class
of 2018), both of whom
were state qualifiers. Nathan
McNally, who played
some varsity last year, and
Glenn Prynn will also be in
the mix. Jablonski coached
Prynn’s sister and girls varsity
member, Lizzie, and
their dad is an assistant
coach on the girls side.
“You can’t really replace
a Kirby, a 220-average
bowler, but I think this
team’s going to have more
chemistry and more heart,
and sometimes you compete
better, win better when
you’re more of a team compared
to when you have
those elite bowlers who
aren’t as tight,” Jablonski
said. “We’re going to have
to rely on extra chemistry
and consistency than having
a few higher scores and
a few lower scores.”
The Warriors finished
third out of 28 teams at
the Baker Invitational on
Saturday. Next up is a dual
at Laraway Lanes against
Sandburg Tuesday, Nov. 13
at 4:30 p.m.. Then their first
road test will be at Bradley-
Bourbonnais Thursday,
Nov. 15 at 4:30 p.m.
Longtime West girls coach Scott Jablonski (right) will move to coach the boys’ program
where his son, Cameron, is one of the returning starters. Boys coach Scott Ullian will
coach the girls’ team, which includes his daughter, Kenzie.