Late game heroics in the baker portion propelled the varsity bowling squads to 26-4 victories over Troy Athens Jan. 4.
The victory was the first-ever Oakland Activities Association win for the boys.
Open frames in three of the first five frames in game one almost doomed them, but they roared back in the final five frames to take game one 193-160.
Sophomore Brandon Hurlburt started the comeback by bowling a strike in the eighth. Junior Mitch Guzanek followed with a strike in the ninth and senior captain Kevin Rein threw three strikes in the 10th to seal the win.
Rein stepped up big again in the final frame of the second baker game and capped off a 158-157 win for the Wildcats.
The boys put the match in the win column after Hurlburt’s 222, Guzanek’s 200 and Rein’s 205 scored victories in head-to-head play.
Senior Brandon Barber scored a point with a win in game two, and freshman Kyle Woody bowled eight strikes in the first nine frames, totaling 241 for the game and defeating his opponent.
The girls were able to pull out a 114-110 victory in the first baker game when junior captain Heather Lafnear struck in the 10th frame, while Athens left the frame open.
Baker game number two would be decided on the final roll as well.
Athens used strikes in the eighth, ninth and first ball in the tenth frame to trim Oxford’s lead, but the Wildcats got a strike from senior Alyssa Hurtado in the eighth, a spare from junior Colleen Walters in the ninth and two strikes an a nine count from Lafnear in the 10th to capture a 150-145 baker victory.
Lafnear’s 231, Hurtado’s 177, Walters 190 and sophomore Caitlyn Wroblewski’s 177 in game one of head’s up bowling put the match out of Athens? reach.
In game two, freshman Ashley Miller scored her first varsity win with a game of 136. The girls move to 2-0 in OAA play.
‘This was a nice day for the team. The kids are really working hard and today that work paid off,? head coach JR Lafnear said. ‘I think they are starting to become more sure of themselves and more confident.?