What A Weekend!

On Friday night I loaded up the car and headed to LaPorte, IN with 5 of my girlfriends for a weekend of scrapping.

Now, this is also the weekend the boys would be competing in Anderson, IN for the State High School Bowling Title. I wasn't about to miss this once in a lifetime event!

So, after scrapping until 11:00pm in LaPorte I headed to bed for a couple of hours sleep, got up at 4:00am and drove down to Anderson in time for the 9:00 start. And, it was worth it! Before competition began they announced the members of All-State Academic Team and Ben was selected! That is a huge honor as it is based not just on average, points won, and matches played but also on grade point average and SAT scores.

Then the competition began. The tournament started with 8 of the top boys teams in the state competing for the top 4 spots to make it to the stepladder competition. The Clay boys team hung in there in the 2nd spot until the 6th out of 7 games when they fell to number 4. But that was good enough to move on the the stepladder.

In the first stepladder game they competed against the number 3 team and won! This sent them to the next round against number 2. That is when their dream season reached its conclusion.

This team started and ended their season in the middle of the conference. It wasn't until the post-season play began that they found their groove. And rode it all the way to the state finals.
Where they finished #3 in the state of Indiana. #3 out of 195 boys team competing. And #1 in our hearts. They played this season as a team. And they played it with class. No bickering, no finger pointing and in the end with their heads held high. They accomplished so much more than anyone expected. But they believed they could do it. And darned it they didn't.

After that excitement I drove back to LaPorte and finished out my scrapbook weekend. I managed to complete 11 pages, eat more junk food then I should have, laughed until my stomach ached and had the time of my life.

What a weekend! I'm going to bed now..........

We're Going to State!!!!

Yesterday, the Clay Varisty Boys Bowling Team created school history. They are the first team to win semi-state and the only team ever to compete for the State Title.

I can't decide which is the best part. Having this happen during Ben's senior, and last, season. Or having both the boys part of the starting five. They are experiencing this together and the emotions Mark and I are feeling are indescribable.

So next weekend we will be in Anderson, Indiana cheering on the boys and displaying that colonial pride.!

Here's the winning team and winning trophy from semi-state. Left to right are Trevor, sub #1, Travis who starts in the #1 spot, Aaron, sub #2, Steve who starts in the #2 spot, Ben, team anchor or #4 spot, Andy who starts in the #3 spot, Daniel, #4 spot and anchor. The two on the right are our coaches. On the end is Head Coach Brad who is 22 and next to him is our assistant Coach Mark who is just 19. I wonder if they set a record for the youngest coaches to take a team to state?

Roll on boys.................

Semi-State Bound!!!

This morning in Peru, Indiana the Clay Bowling Team qualified for Semi-State. At the beginning of last weekend there were 250 teams competing for State. As of this morning we are down to 16 teams remaining. And our boys are one of the 16!

Next Saturday they will compete in semi-state right here in South Bend. And it is being hosted by Chippewa, our home lanes! Nothing like home court advantage to make you smile


Here are some scenes from today:

We're Going To Regionals!

This past weekend the Clay High School Bowling Team finished as Sectional Runner-up qualifying them to advance to Regionals!

Andy actually finished just 6 pins shy of advancing in singles!

We will be in Peru, Indiana on Saturday, February 7th looking to qualify for semi-state.

Roll on Colonials!................................