One pin, again? Ugh. I was just reading this last night...
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2007/dec/11/all-area-boys-bowling-team/T.J. Baral has traveled more times to Las Vegas and Detroit for bowling tournaments than he can recall. Wherever the best bowlers compete, Baral tries to be there.
His extensive competition experience was a major reason he was relaxed for the
Florida High School Athletic Association’s championship final — even after defending state champion Andrew Koff had set the bar so high it seemed unreachable.
Baral, a junior at Martin County, overcame a large deficit in the third and final game, stringing together the necessary strikes to earn a thrilling victory after Koff had an uncharacteristically shaky finish. For his state title, and his area-best 224.7 average, Baral is the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers Boys Bowler of the Year.
“Andrew was up 40 pins going into the sixth frame. The most I could have shot was 240-something. He was on pace for a 260,†Baral said. “No matter what, I had to put something together. I did that. I knew
all he needed was a nine-spare and 8 pins (in the 10th frame) to beat me and I was like, ‘How hard could that be?’ â€
Koff hit the nine-spare, but then knocked down only seven pins on his final shot — allowing Baral to win the title.
