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Stewarts Creek girls, Blackman boys qualify for state bowling tourney




Stewarts Creeks girls bowling team qualified for the state tournament Saturday for the fourth straight year by defeating Bradley Central. SUBMITTED

Stewarts Creeks girls bowling team qualified for the state tournament Saturday for the fourth straight year by defeating Bradley Central. SUBMITTED

SMYRNA–Stewarts Creek girls bowling qualified for the state tournament as a team for the fourth straight year by defeating Bradley Central 19-4 Saturday morning at the Smyrna Bowling Center.

The total pin count was Stewarts Creek by 140 pins, 1591-1451.

Blackman’s boys also will be making their second appearance in the last three years after defeating Rhea County in Dayton on Saturday.

The state tournament will be Wednesday-Friday at the Smyrna Bowling Center.

“The girls pulled through and finished in the second half. We are a second half kind of a team,” Stewarts Creek bowling coach Jon Ruttencutter said.

This year a new format for the bowling postseason is being used. Instead of the traditional three game series format, the TSSAA went to one game and five baker games whereby the coaches pick five bowlers for each game and they each bowl two frames.

“I like the new format and the bowlers will be used to it when they get to the state tournament,” Ruttencutter said.

In the traditional first game, senior Jaclyn Hackney, daughter of assistant coach Kim Hackney, bowled the high game at 181. Dojance Weatherby rolled a 158 and Bricey Caudill, a junior, had a 144 but has been bothered by an elbow injury that will require an MRI after the state tournament.

“It is sore but you have to tough it through. For us to do well we have to get out of our head and hit our spares,” Caudill said of her injury and state tournament play.

The last two seasons Stewarts Creek has been eliminated by Bartlett in 2020 and the powerhouse in Savannah, Hardin County in 2021. What will it take to get over the hump?

“We have to hit our spares and mark. Hardin County is a great team but with just one senior (on our roster) the future is bright for the next few years, and then we will see what is in eighth grade,” Ruttencutter said.

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