Mountain Lanes Host HS Bowlers
By Sherri Blevins
On December 4, 2019, Mountain Lanes Bowling Alley in Rainsville, Alabama, hosted the Southside High School Panther Classic. This event was the first of its kind for the alley and DeKalb County. Sounds of chants and cheers filled the atmosphere as high school athletes competed at the sport of their choice. Parents and excited fans cheered for their favorite team as players rolled strikes and spares to score points for their school.
High School bowling is growing and is now an Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) sanctioned sport. The AHSAA recognized bowling as a high school championship sport from 1972-1978, but then it discontinued the competition. In 2016, the AHSAA added the sport back again, and it continues to grow in popularity.
At the Southside High School Panther Classic, six high schools entered twelve teams into the tournament. Southside, Gadsden City, Etowah, Lincoln, Scottsboro, and Vestavia Hills participated in the event.
Mountain Valley News spoke with Zack Blume, organizer of the competition and Bowling Coach for Southside High School. He explained how the tournament ended up in DeKalb County. He stated that one of his assistant coaches, Billy Fox, had told him about Mountain Lanes because he had bowled there on several occasions and knew it would be a great location for the event and hopefully excite interest in bringing high school bowling to DeKalb County High Schools. Blume said, “Mountain Lanes is a great bowling alley with good people running it.”
Blume stated that it was easy to get a team started. It takes five players and a school representative to form a team. The school representative contacts the AHSAA and declares a team. Teams are allowed to play eighteen games a season and five tournaments. The season begins in October and ends with the AHSAA Regional and State Championships in January.
Blume explained why schools should consider starting a bowling team. He said, “High school bowling is fun, and it gets a lot of students involved in sports that otherwise might not be. I have twenty-four players on my boys and girls teams, and only five of those play other sports. There are also scholarship opportunities for athletes. There are hundreds of colleges looking for female bowlers for their college teams. There are not as many spots open for male students, but there are some.”
Could DeKalb County Schools and Fort Payne City Schools compete in AHSAA competitive bowling? Absolutely, if there are at least five interested athletes and one dedicated coach.
Mountain Lanes Host HS Bowlers