A trio of Baldwin County bowling teams has a shot at winning a state championship just across the Bay in Mobile after top finishes from the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s South Regional Championships on Friday, Jan. 19, at Vestavia Bowl.

No matter what, one local boys’ team would enter the state tournament as the south region champions from Class 1A-5A thanks to a Gulf Shores-Elberta regional final. Behind a pin advantage of 1,004-887, the Dolphins won the Baker Format best-of-7 series by a 4-2 margin.

Still, it was the Warriors’ Aiden Freemantle who finished as the top overall boys’ bowler with the best individual score on the day. With games of 202, 176 and 220, Freemantle finished with a three-game score of 598 to edge Holt’s Benson Colburn by only one point.

Jon Devery Thomas (494 for 13th) and Copeland Bryant (469 for 17th) also logged top-20 individual finishes. They helped Elberta construct its fourth straight trip to the state tournament.

Gulf Shores had three representatives in the top 10 individual finishers, led by Rylan Stefankiewicz whose score of 588 left him third overall. Beau Cates and Van Allmon finished consecutively in sixth and seventh with scores of 535 and 518, respectively.

Makos swimming to state

The Orange Beach girls’ team will join them in competing at Mobile’s Bowlero Center at the state championships scheduled for Feb. 1-2 thanks to a top-four finish, also on the Class 1A-5A stage. The Makos swept Houston Academy 4-0 in the first round to punch their ticket to state before they fell to eventual champion Marbury 4-0 in the semifinals.

Sadie Rose was Orange Beach’s top bowler with a three-game total of 434 which ranked fifth overall individually. Mari Hayden Reeves joined her in the top 15 with a score of 404 for 12th overall.

Lions, Toros close season in quarterfinals

Two more local squads, the Foley girls’ team and the Spanish Fort boys’ team, found the end of the road in the Class 6A-7A regional quarterfinals.

The Lions fell to Baker 4-0 where their top individual bowler was Emmarie Avery who finished 10th overall with a score of 442. The Toros lost to Spain Park 4-0 and were led individually by Weston Payne who registered a three-game total of 594.

Below are full, local team results from Friday’s South Regional Championships at Vestavia Bowl with the total pin count in parentheses.

CLASS 6A/7A GIRLS

First Round

Stanhope Elmore 4, McGill-Toolen 0 (626-510)

Baker 4, Foley 0 (734-700)

Oak Mountain 4, Auburn 0 (577-383)

Thompson 4, Dothan 0 (660-405)

Championship

Stanhope Elmore 4, Thompson 0 (758-560)

CLASS 1A/5A GIRLS

First Round

Marbury 4, Citronelle 0 (559-419)

Orange Beach 4, Houston Academy 0 (617-460)

Sipsey Valley 4, Northside 0 (598-440)

Beauregard 4, Satsuma 0 (638-440)

Semifinals

Marbury 4, Orange Beach 0 (676-468)

Sipsey Valley 4, Beauregard 2 (963-932)

Championship

Marbury 4, Sipsey Valley 2 (981-959)

CLASS 6A/7A BOYS

First Round

Thompson 4, Baker 0 (740-580)

Spain Park 4, Spanish Fort 0 (753-588)

Stanhope Elmore 4, Auburn 3 (1,022-1,195)

Dothan 4, Alma Bryant 3 (1,223-1,247)

Championship

Spain Park 4, Stanhope Elmore 3 (1,295-1,138)

CLASS 1A/5A BOYS

First Round

Sipsey Valley 4, Beauregard 3 (1,079-1,161)

Elberta 4, UMS-Wright 2 (954-880)

Holt 4, Satsuma 2 (956-880)

Gulf Shores 4, Marbury 1 (719-673)

Semifinals

Elberta 4, Sipsey Valley 0 (819-706)

Gulf Shores 4, Holt 2 (1,017-978)

Championship

Gulf Shores 4, Elberta 2 (1,004-887)