Sparkman edged Spain Park 4-3 in a grueling AHSAA Class 6A/7A Boys’ State Bowling Championship final and Etowah beat West Point 4-0 in the Class 1A/5A Boys’ title match on Friday at The Alley Bowling Center in Gadsden.

In the girls’ championship, American Christian won its second straight title – this one in the 6A/7A classification after claiming the 1A/5A crown last season – by beating two-time defending champ Sparkman 4-2. Beauregard topped Scottsboro to win the 1A/5A crown on Friday.

BOYS

Coach Lisa Ivey’s Senators roared through the championship bracket of the best-of-7 Baker Format competition, going 3-0 with a first-round 4-0 win over Auburn and a 4-1 semifinal victory over Vestavia Hills to reach the finals. The lineup of Rory Donnelly, Dalton Robinson, Zacary Swain, Alfonso Carrington III and Dalton Tolgo fended off a strong challenge from defending state champion Spain Park to force game 7 in the championship match.

Led by senor Ethan Lee and junior Michael Kimble, the Jaguars had eight strikes in Game 6 to post a 245-185 win to force Game 7. The Senators closed out the match with a 181-177 win.

Coach Stephen Hobbs’ Spain Park team came out of Thursday’s traditional round as top seed for Friday’s championship bracket with the Senators as the No. 2. Spain Park reached the finals with a pair of 4-1 wins over American Christian and Hartselle in the quarterfinals and semifinals to set up the title match.

Spain Park also bowled a 245 in the second game and won Game 3 194-144 to take a 2-1 lead, but Sparkman’s consistency produced narrow wins in Games 4 and 5. The Jags finished with 1,339 pins and the Senators had 1,267 – but Sparkman won by making the rolls when they needed to.

In the 1A/5A finals, Kaed Bradley was red-hot for the winning Blue Devils throughout the championship match. Rolling the fifth and 10th frames for Etowah, he closed out two consecutive strikes in his final roll. Coach Shawanna Roperthen subbed Ben Beitel to make the final roll of the season and he also delivered a strike to close the championship run for Etowah.

The Blue Devils won all four games by a comfortable margin winning the pin battle 813-581. Coach Alana Drinkard’s West Point squad was the No. 8 seed heading into the championship round, but advanced with a 4-0 win over top seed Elberta in the quarterfinals and downing Southside-Gadsden 4-2 in the semifinals – winning the pin count 1,004 to 928 with a strong 208-156 win in Game 6.

Etowah reached the finals beating Satsuma 4-2 and Marbury 4-2.

GIRLS

The road to the American Christian’s second consecutive title included beating Sparkman in the North Regional finals last week. The second time around, the Tuscaloosa team, coached by Bob Holley, pulled off the shocker again – thanks in part by the clutch play of sophomore Cate Olson and her gritty teammates.

Olson, who had the second highest series (590) among the girls in Thursday traditional round, helped keep the pressure on in Friday’s competition as American Christian overcame a 197-182 loss in Game 1 of the finals by winning three of the next four games. The Lady Patriots won Game 2 187-160, and after losing Game 3 176-160 to the Senators, closed out the championship match winning 173-162, 184-158 and 181-132 in Game 6.

American Christian totaled 1,067 pins and Sparkman had 985. The final 82-pin difference included a 49-pin cushion in the final match. The Patriots began the final game leading 63 pins. Jenna Webber and Natalie Alsup led Sparkman’s effort.

Coach Shane Lake’s Beauregard squad had a difficult road to the 1A/5A state title. The Hornets beat South Regional champion Marbury in the first round of the championship bracket 4-2 in a match separated by just 47 pins. The semifinal match was even tougher vs. perennial favorite Southside-Gadsden, winner of the first four girls’ state titles from 2016-2019 after the AHSAA instituted bowling as a championship sport eight years ago.

Friday’s semifinal win over the Panthers was a precarious 4-3 victory with Beauregard taking the final game of the seven-set match with a 150-145 win. Southside, which won the first game of the semifinal match in dominating style 194-120, finished the match with 47 more pins than the Hornets, 1,080 – 1,043.

Coach Matthew Brewer’s Scottsboro team advanced to its first state bowling finals with a 4-3 win over Sipsey Valley and 4-2 triumph over Gulf Shores in the semis. Sophie Mulkey was the only senior on the Wildcats’ team – which got some outstanding play by a noticeably young lineup that included seventh graders Gracie Anderton, Jilliann Hambrick and Surina Patel.

First-time champion Beauregard took control of the championship match early by winning Game 1 141-136. The Hornets closed out the title run winning the final three games 142-119, 160-87, and 133-92. Beauregard, led by juniors Carlee Craft and Keely Kirby, won the final match pin battle 576-434.

AHSAA STATE BOWLING CHAMPIONSHIPS

At The Alley Bowling Center, Gadsden

CLASS 1A/5A BOYS’ DIVISION

Friday’s Championship Bracket Pairings/Results

(Best-of-7 Baker Format series)

First Round

West Point 4, Elberta 0 (West Point 666 pins, Elberta 580)

Southside-Gadsden 4, Beauregard 2 (Southside 987 pins, Beauregard 915)

Etowah 4, Satsuma 2 (Etowah 1,062 pins, Satsuma 942)

Marbury 4, Corner 3 (Marbury 1,061 pins, Corner 995)

Semifinals

West Point 4, Southside-Gadsden 2 (West Point 1,004 pins, Southside 928)

Etowah 4, Marbury 2 (Etowah 989 pins, Marbury 935)

Finals

Etowah 4, West Point 0 (Etowah 813 pins, West Point 581)

CLASS 6A/7A BOYS’ DIVISION

Friday’s Championship Bracket Pairings/Results

(Best-of-7 Baker Format series)

First Round

Spain Park 4, American Christian 1 (Spain Park 950 pins, American Christian 789)

Hartselle 4, Hewitt-Trussville 2 (Hartselle 1,119 pins, Hewitt-Trussville 993)

Vestavia Hills 4, Spanish Fort 1 (Vestavia Hills 901 pins, Spanish Fort 787)

Sparkman 4, Auburn 0 (Sparkman 790 pins, Auburn 553)

Semifinals

Spain Park 4, Hartselle 1 (Spain Park 978 pins, Hartselle 791)

Sparkman 4, Vestavia Hills 3 (Sparkman 1,287 pins, Vestavia Hills 1,231)

Finals

Sparkman 4, Spain Park 3 (Sparkman 1,267 pins, Spain Park 1,339)

CLASS 1A/5A GIRLS’ DIVISION

Friday’s Championship Bracket Pairings/Results

(Best-of-7 Baker Format series)

First Round

Southside-Gadsden 4, John Carroll Catholic 2 (Southside-Gadsden 906 pins, John Carroll 740)

Beauregard 4, Marbury 2 (Beauregard 793 pins, Marbury 746)

Scottsboro 4, Sipsey Valley 3 (Scottsboro 968 pins, Sipsey Valley 865)

Gulf Shores 4, East Limestone 2 (Gulf Shores 761 pins, East Limestone 733)

Semifinals

Beauregard 4, Southside-Gadsden 3 (Beauregard 1,043 pins, Southside 1,080)

Scottsboro 4, Gulf Shores 2 (Scottsboro 799 pins, Gulf Shores 805)

Finals

Beauregard 4, Scottsboro 0 (Beauregard 576 pins, Scottsboro 434)

CLASS 6A/7A GIRLS’ DIVISION

Friday’s Championship Bracket Pairings

(Best-of-7 Baker Format series)

First Round

Stanhope Elmore 4, Hewitt-Trussville 0 (Stanhope Elmore 670 pins, Hewitt-Trussville 580)

American Christian 4, Hartselle 1 (American Christian 762 pins, Hartselle 644)

Oak Mountain 4, Baker 3 (Oak Mountain 962 pins, Baker 870)

Sparkman 4, Thompson 1 (Sparkman 818 pins, Thompson 647)

Semifinals

American Christian 4, Stanhope Elmore 3 (American Christian 1,076 pins, Stanhope Elmore 1,017)

Sparkman 4, Oak Mountain 2 (Sparkman 1,015 pins, Oak Mountain 839)

Finals

American Christian 4, Sparkman 2 (American Christian 1,067 pins, Sparkman 985)