The Greenwood High School girls and boys bowling teams are off to a solid start this season reports Head Coach Chad Mercado, in his second year as the GHS bowling coach. Also the head baseball coach, Mercado and his Bulldogs lost most of their season last spring due to the Covid-19 outbreak and the subsequent school shutdowns.
So far this school year the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs have coped well with the health protocols put in place by state authorities to protect players and coaches from getting and spreading the virus. There have been a few cases of Covid-19 reported in the school district, forcing some players and coaches into quarantine, and some athletic events have been cancelled or postponed.
But the football Bulldogs were able to complete a full schedule of 14 games and won the 6A state championship, while the Lady Bulldogs also won the state volleyball title. The GHS girls also finished as runners-up in the state’s cross country competition. And though there were disruptions, the tennis and golf teams were also able to complete their seasons, while the GHS basketball teams continue to play despite some interruptions in scheduling.
Coach Mercado and his bowling teams have also dealt with complications due to the pandemic, but have somehow each managed to win four of their five matches for a combined record of 8-2.
“Our lineups have been a constant adjustment because of Covid and quarantines, but they've handled it great,” said the coach of his players. “Several [kids] have been able to step in despite not being able to bowl junior varsity, and given us a chance to compete.”
Greenwood opened its slate of 10 matches against Fort Smith Northside on December 8th, then faced Ozark twice, Fort Smith Southside, and Alma. They began the second half of their schedule this past Tuesday against Hackett, though results of that match were not available as of this writing. They will conclude their schedule with additional matches against Southside, Alma (twice), and Van Buren on January 28th, before post-season play begins. Most matches are held at Fort Smith’s Midland Lanes.
The coach continued. “Kobe Clay and Nick Yowell have each produced scores over 190, with Nick having a season highlight of 247 against Ozark. Taylor Morehead has also been strong, averaging a 164. For the girls, Riley Golden, Sara Dungan, and newcomer Ashlynn Dungan have all averaged in the 120s, giving our girls a really consistent nucleus.
“The rest of the season we'll just expect the unexpected and try to embody the ‘next man up’ mentality,” said Mercado this past Tuesday. “In fact, we had starters get quarantined this afternoon and were able to track down and call up [other] players literally within an hour of our match.
“Everyone is having to deal with the [same] circumstances though. We haven't played anyone who hasn't been affected, but our Greenwood kids know how to handle challenges, and will do an exceptional job competing for us,” said the coach.
The GHS bowling teams consist of eight girls and twelve boys. The Lady Bulldogs include Cassidy Childress, Sara Dungan, Brooklyn Elmore, Riley Golden, Jacey Maberry, Abi Odom, Ashlynn Dungan, and Kennedy Holland. The GHS boys include Grayson Vaughn, Nicholas Yowell, Grant Huneycutt, Aden Thorman, Brayden Sanders, Evan Hogan, Matthew Harrison, Cooper McCombs, Ben Bryan, Kobe Clay, Taylor Morehead, and Kaleb Kennedy.