The crash of pins resounds in the alley as the Mount Carmel bowling team gets ready for the upcoming season. With each toss off the ball, focus and grit develop, and the team is ready to face the challenge.

The MC bowling team is looking to build on their success from last season, when they finished first in the Catholic League South. The players claim that their season-ending loss last year to St. Patrick motivated them as they enter a new year.

Senior captain RJ Risos said he feels confident about what the group can accomplish this season.

“When we started, I was a little nervous heading into the season,” Risos said. “A lot of our varsity squad was made up of seniors, and our best guys were seniors, so I was nervous about how the new guys were going to step up. But after a couple of practices, seeing how everyone’s doing, I’m feeling pretty confident in this group.”

Risos said several returning players have made noticeable improvements which is a huge deal for this team to have great success this season. With star seniors leaving it was very important for the team to take this leap.

“There’s been a lot of improvement from me, from [junior] Derrick Rucker, and from [junior] Myles Hankton,” he said. “He was a JV bowler before, but now he’s definitely a varsity starter. Jordan Avila has made tremendous strides, and the new people coming in look great and are ready to fill in the gaps that were left behind by last year’s seniors.”

Head coach Armando Gonzalez said the main focus early on in the season has been helping returning players and new players adjust to the expectations set. Expectations are what make teams great and Coach Gonzalez is set to instill these into the players so they improve from last year and look to make a run.

“We were very close last year; our goal is to advance past regionals,” Gonzalez said. “We got to sectionals. If we can get past sectionals, even better. That’s our goal.”

Coach Gonzalez said the team has the skill to win if they stay disciplined, with there being a few new guys on the team he was really adamant making sure the team stays on the right track and is locked in.

“It’s important for these bowlers, especially the newer guys, to listen and apply everything we teach them,” he said. “If they listen and stay disciplined, I think we’ll win the Catholic League. We have a team good enough to do that.”

He was also heavy on needing the returning players to push not only themselves further this year, but also the rest of the team.

“I need them to move up to the next level,” Coach Gonzalez said. “What I mean by that is for them to improve at least 20 pins above average. As they get better, younger bowlers will see how far they’ve come and hopefully follow that example.”

Coach Gonzalez identified several players who will be key contributors. With these guys stepping up MC bowing

“Derrick’s right now our leading bowler,” he said. “As long as he continues to bowl the way he’s been doing, he’ll be fine. Myles Hankton is going to be a big contributor, along with RJ Risos. If those three can bowl the way they’re capable, we should compete.”

He also mentioned younger bowlers with potential to make an impact.

“We have a freshman and a sophomore that I think will compete,” Coach Gonzalez said. “Armonie [Smith] and Xavier [Alvarez] have bowled all their lives and should be able to help us.”

The coach’s most significant message to the team is simple. With the team having some expectations this year Coach Gonzalez really wants the team locked in and giving all they got.

“The biggest thing I teach them is to treat the little things as if it’s the most important thing we’ve got going on,” he said. “If they do that, they’ll be fine.”

Risos said he and Rucker have stepped into the leadership roles after the graduation of key contributors Alberto Rodriguez and Julian Avila.

“They were the cornerstones of this team,” Risos said. “They were the culture. They were the mentors. They were everything. With those two guys gone, me and Derrick have taken initiative to try and replace them, not just with our scores, but also with how we act and how we teach these new guys to be better and bowl better.”

Risos also spoke about his goals for this year.

“I’ve never averaged 200 in my life, but I’ve been feeling great,” he said. “My mental game’s been great. I feel like my intelligence and game IQ are a lot better now. I really feel like I can average around 200 and cement myself as one of the best the CCL South has to offer.”

He added that the offseason was the key to his improvement. Risos was able to develop on all facets of his game and as a leader for this team he looks to make a huge impact and set the standard.

“This summer I did a lot of thinking, a lot of research, and a lot of precise adjustments to my game that really helped,” Risos said. “I’m coming into the season a lot more mature mentally because I’ve not been the greatest at staying calm or focused when one thing goes bad. This year, I feel confident. Everything feels like it’s coming into place.”

Rucker said the team’s energy and focus have been strong heading into the season. He has been another player who has developed well over the past year, and the combination of him and Risos is a scary site for the CCL.

“The vibe’s great,” Rucker said. “We’re excited. We all know what it takes to win, and everyone’s been putting in the work to get better every day.”

When asked about this year’s group and describing them in a few words, Risos did not hesitate at all.

“Ready, hungry, and raw,” he said. “A lot of the guys are not very experienced, but they show so much potential. We’re really touted to make a massive impact.”

He also hopes more students notice what the team is doing. As a school some MC sports tend to get overshadowed by the big ones like baseball, football and basketball. Many tend to forget how great all the teams truly are.

“Bowling gets pushed aside as that thing people do if they have nothing better to do during the winter,” Risos said. “But this is real competition. It gets intense, and people get excited and emotional about these matches. I want people to really understand that and give us their support.”

With returning players and a lot of talent, the Caravan, coming off a great season last year, looks to continue to improve and add another title to MC’s athletic legacy.