After losing its top two scorers from last year’s undefeated girls’ bowling team, Ewing entered this season looking for new leaders to step up and show the way.
Brianna Jobst and Raquel Sparano have answered the call.
The Blue Devils went 14-0 last season and finished second in the Central Jersey Group 2 championship—missing the title by a pin—and were third in the state Group 2 final. Ewing was led by then-seniors Jessie Garzio, who finished ninth in the state individual tournament, and Rebecca Abelowitz.
Jobst, a senior, and Sparano, a junior, also were key contributors to last year’s success, and although they were uncertain how the Blue Devils would fare this season with the losses of Garzio and Abelowitz, they were prepared to help lead Ewing in the quest to continue its roll.
The result? As of Jan. 25, the Blue Devils were undefeated again, with a 13-0 record, and looking forward to trying to make their mark in the state sectional and group tourneys.
“Raquel and Brianna have done a fantastic job solidifying themselves as leaders, and clearly represent what it means to be a student-athlete,” Ewing’s first-year head coach David Angebranndt said. “Their confidence, poise and dedication speak volumes for their continued success on and off the lanes. After last year’s graduating class, I knew there was some unfinished business, and Raquel and Brianna willingly took the responsibility for the girls’ squad to reach their goals.
Angebranndt said it makes his job easier. “You’re always known as a great coach when you have great talent,” he said. “They’re undefeated and bowling very, very well.”
Jobst, who started bowling because of her friendship with Garzio and is in her fourth year on the bowling team, had a high game of 242 and high series of 620 through Ewing’s first 13 matches.
“I don’t look at myself really as a leader,” Jobst said. “I try to help out the team when I can. I think some of the freshmen get a little nervous at tournaments because they’re not used to all that pressure behind them. You kind of have to ignore it. You have to bowl like it’s a normal match and ignore all the people behind you. Sometimes it’s hard to do. But I think you want to try to accomplish something good, so you just focus on trying your best to do good.”
Sparano is in her second year on the bowling team. She had a high game of 246 and high series of 639 through Ewing’s first 13 matches.
“I started off not really knowing my place,” Sparano said. “Now this year after lots of practice I’m able to not only do better myself but help give advice to the people coming up who were in the same position I was last year.”
In addition to Jobst and Sparano, the Blue Devils have received contributions from newcomers Kaitlyn Leahy, Amelia Baffuto and Louisa Scozzaro.
“We’re doing better than I had expected,” Sparano said. “We lost two bowlers last year that were pretty amazing. I didn’t know what to expected coming into this year, but we’ve been working together really well.”
“They’ve definitely come a long way,” Angebranndt said. “They’re highly supportive of each other and they kind of bounce off each other. It’s five different personalities—and it’s five different personalities that work very well together. Each of them have their own specialty, or thing that they do well, and it works well together as a group. You see it match in and match out. For lack of a better word, they’ve dominated each match so far.”
Sparano’s experience is beneficial when it comes to trying to maintain her composure and adjusting to changing lane conditions.
“That’s probably the most challenging thing about having to go to different bowling alleys for matches; all the conditions are different,” Sparano said. “You have to be able to adapt to any situation.
“I get frustrated when I’m not doing my best, but you need to stay focused and keep a clear head in order to be successful.”
The Blue Devils work together to help each other achieve their best.
“The key is not to get mad at each other when we miss spares or we’re not bowling the greatest,” Jobst said. “The point is to work together and keep up our scores. Sometimes one of can’t find a mark that one of us can see. You can see in a different way when you’re watching than when you’re shooting yourself.”
Angebranndt was a standout baseball player and bowler at Ewing. His assistant, Tara Elonis, who works with the girls on a regular basis, also was a standout bowler for the Blue Devils.
“Having Tara is a bonus,” Angebranndt said. “Having two people on the coaching staff who love the sport as much as we both do, and care about it as much as we both do, it definitely helps where I can rely on her to help the girls out and coach them along and know what she is doing with them is correct and going to benefit them in the long run. She is a tremendous help. She’s bowled in college and knows what it takes to compete.”
Angebranndt also credits Chip Slocum at Slocum’s Bowling Center in Ewing with helping the program.
“It’s tremendous the amount of time and effort the Slocum family puts into helping develop the youth bowling scene in Ewing,” Angebranndt said. “I’ve benefited from it first-hand, and Tara as well, as people who have gone through the tutelage of Mr. Slocum. To have Chip be as dedicated as he is, it takes some weight off the coaches’ shoulders because you don’t have to start from the ground up.”
The passion and experience brought by the coaches doesn’t go unnoticed by Ewing’s bowlers.
“It’s nice to have two people who were on the team and know what the pressure is like and what the lane conditions are like to bowl on so they can help you,” Jobst said. “They’ve been exactly where we are.”
And the Blue Devils know where they would like to go.
“I have high hopes that we are going to make it to states and try to make it as far as we did last year,” Sparano said. “I have a lot of confidence in our team.”
Added Jobst, “I don’t really feel any pressure. But I hope to be able to get a state championship this year since we didn’t make it last year. I think it is within reach.”
Though the team doesn’t look ahead, Angebranndt has high hopes.
“I have no doubt they’re going to do what it takes,” he said. “Having Brianna and Raquel, who were there last year and know what it takes to compete at that level, is a help. It’s definitely going to be exciting coming down the stretch.”
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