The Class 5A girls bowling state tournament begins Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at the Orleans Bowling Center, and Palo Verde enters as a legitimate contender. The fourth-seeded Panthers face No. 5 Coronado in the quarterfinals.
Palo Verde coach John Read has seen his team surge at the right time, and much of that momentum comes from his daughter, sophomore Jessica Read. She was seeded seventh in last week’s individual tournament but worked her way to the championship match, where she fell to Liberty’s Peyton Manning 434-382.
“I think I was just zoning in on the pins, focusing on taking breaths,” Jessica Read said. “And hoping for the best.”
Her father acknowledged the emotional toll of watching her compete. “I was an emotional wreck,” John Read said. “I tried not to show her. But now I just feel pure pride. She just bowled lights out.”
Jessica Read, who defeated defending state champion Calee Berry of Coronado in the first round of the individual tournament, said the loss has fueled her for the team event. “I think it will affect me for the better,” she said. “It’s going to lift my spirits.”
Shadow Ridge is the top seed and will face No. 8 Silverado. Liberty is seeded second, and Desert Oasis is third. Defending state champion Coronado, despite being seeded fifth, has experience on its side. Coach Nicholas Elefantis noted that Berry, though eliminated early in individuals, remains a stabilizing force. “Calee has been a significant factor in this team’s success over the last four years,” Elefantis said. “She’s been a stabilizing factor, and last year she helped us put it all together. But it’s all going to come down to depth. You know your leaders are going to show up. It’s what the supporting pieces do.”
Shadow Ridge coach Jeremiah Baron believes his team’s depth sets it apart. “A lot of teams have one or two really, really good bowlers,” Baron said. “But I think our team has four really strong bowlers. We’re not counting anyone out because it’s going to come down to which teams perform under the bright lights.”
The 4A girls tournament opened Monday, with Mojave, Boulder City, Doral Academy and Las Vegas as top seeds in their regions.
Boys bowling
Boys quarterfinals began Monday, with Shadow Ridge as the top seed, followed by Foothill and Palo Verde. Baron noted the tight competition. “The boys division is very tight,” he said. “It’s going to come down to which teams can settle their nerves and bowl to their abilities. It’s going to be a very pressure-packed situation.”
Elefantis echoed that sentiment. “There won’t be any easy matchups,” he said. “It could come down to one shot in the last game.”
In 4A boys, Cimarron-Memorial, Tech, Sierra Vista and Rancho entered as top seeds from their regions Monday. All matches continue through Friday, with state title matches scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at the Orleans.
