Both the boys and girls bowling teams recorded their first victory of their seasons against Salem on December 4 at home, and went on to take the lead against Kingsway, Atlantic Tech, West Deptford, and Overbrook.  Coach Rob Raffa is in his first season as boys head coach, taking on the role after psychology teacher Mr. Barbagallo stepped down.

Raffa has a clear vision for the team: “to win a conference championship and to qualify for states.”

He expects his experienced bowlers to lead the team this season, including senior captain Tommy Mature, senior Jason Grasso, and juniors Sean Cocuzza, Alex Lanutti, Joe DiCillo and Danny Reynolds.

The team has changed a lot since last season from losing the seniors, to getting a new coach, but a constant on the team is captain Tommy Mature. In his second season bowling, Tommy was named captain for his leadership and high average.

“We have a great team this year and I have high expectations to win states. We all cheer each other on and always have a positive attitude. It going to be a fun season,” he said.

Mature looks to lead the team this season by increasing his average from 170 to around 195.

Another bowler who bumped up his average is junior Sean Cocuzza. Last season Cocuzza posted an average of 150, but it has jumped to high 180s since then.

“This is my third year bowling, and its been a lot of fun,” he explained. “We have a really good team this year, and I think we have a shot of winning a championship.”

The girls, under the direction of head coach Alyssa Silipino, features seniors Geanna Serechia, Catherine Tortu, Melissa Malcom, and junior Kayli James. The team looks forward to improving their skills this season

“My ultimate goal this season is to do better than I have in the past,” said James. “The varsity girls have started off the season very well, and I’m proud of us.”