Jets roll to second-place finish

Behind four All-County bowlers, East Meadow captured its second straight Conference IV title and finished runner-up to Sewanhaka District at the Nassau team tournament at Garden City Bowl.

The Jets, who were led by senior Corey Rogan’s record-setting performance, rallied in the afternoon session after sitting in fifth place through three games. Rogan set a new county mark with a 1,562 pinfall for six games, averaging an amazing 260.3.

“We showed a lot of heart,” coach Andrew Ghirardi said. “We were 330 pins out of first after three games. Nobody gave up, and we were in position to win going into the last game.”

Rogan, who led the county during the conference season with an average of 226.1 and had a 300 game on Jan. 14, carried East Meadow through the morning session with games of 290, 203 and 278 for a 771 series. And he wasn’t done. After a break for lunch, he shot 267, 278 and 247. “Every time we needed Corey to come through, he did,” Ghirardi said. “He handled the pressure as well as anyone could. He was in a zone all day.”

Though Rogan came up short in his quest to make the state sectional team, falling four pins shy of qualifying at the county individual tournament despite a 217 average in the six-game event, there’s not much more he could’ve accomplished. He is looking to compete at the college level, Ghirardi said.

Eighth-grader Jeffrey Juarez ranked second on the Jets in average at 215.9 and sparked the lineup from the leadoff spot. He had a high game of 277. “He’s probably the best eighth-grader in the county,” Ghirardi said of Juarez, who last season averaged 218. “He’s got phenomenal mechanics and gets consistent results.”

Like Rogan, senior Chris Bonomo also enjoyed a 300 game during the regular season. Bonomo averaged 209.3 in conference play with a high series of 725.  “Chris is a powerful bowler who makes the pins fly,” Ghirardi said. “When he’s on, he can carry a team.”

Sophomore Joey Sineno, who averaged 210.4 in conference play, was a big reason for the Jets’ second-place finish at the county tournament. He broke through with a 703 series in the afternoon, rolling games of 249, 236 and 218. “He really buckled down and helped us make a move,” Ghirardi said. “Every shot was there for him in the afternoon.”

Freshmen Vinny Napolitano and Daniel Gonzalez and sophomore Andrew Gold also contributed for the Jets, who won 11 of 12 conference matches and compiled a record of 113.5-17.5 under the traditional 11-point system.