The Class 5A bowling regular season is winding down, and two teams that started outside the spotlight have surged to the top of the rankings. Shadow Ridge’s boys sit at No. 1 with a 61-11 record, while Liberty’s girls hold the top spot at 70-11.

Shadow Ridge coach Jeremiah Baron credits his team’s depth for its success. The Mustangs lack a top-five individual bowler, but four seniors — including eighth-ranked Briggs Robison and ninth-ranked Pablo Ypiña — anchor the lineup.

“The boys (side) is always really competitive,” Baron said. “The top four schools are all in the same range. But I think we have a very good chance to place. It’s just going to come down to who bowls the best at playoff time.”

Shadow Ridge’s only loss came Jan. 7 to Desert Oasis, a defeat Baron called a “blessing in disguise.”

“I think it was a good thing,” the coach said. “Some of the boys wanted to go undefeated, and that’s a lot of extra pressure.”

On the girls side, Liberty has been inconsistent but boasts a 70-11 mark. The Patriots’ lone loss was a 7-2 decision to Desert Oasis on Dec. 12.

“We have a solid team,” Liberty coach Kih Gourrier said. “We ran into a couple matches where we didn’t perform our best, but we plan to be in the mix of things. I think we’re a team people will want to avoid come playoff time.”

Junior Peyton Manning, who transferred from Hawaii, leads the Patriots with a 181 average and is ranked third individually. Gourrier also recruited tennis standouts Sophia Medellin and Lauren Edge for bowling three years ago; they are now seniors ranked eighth and 12th, respectively.

The Class 5A individual playoffs begin Feb. 2, and team postseason competition starts Feb. 9, both at The Orleans Bowling Center.