Kougars strike it big at regional

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MICHIGAN CITY -- What's in a name?

Some people might attribute good karma to the surprise that took place in Saturday's boys team event of the Michigan City Regional.

The event was held at Suburban Lanes.

And for the first time in the new configuration of local conferences, two teams from the Suburban Conference will be headed to semistate.

In only its second year of having a bowling program, Kankakee Valley followed up its conference title and second-place finish in the sectional with an improbable, but well-earned victory in the regional, 366-338 over Highland, which was the top seed after qualifying.

"I thought we had a good team, but I didn't think we had this in us," KV coach Butch Shepard said.

As the lanes went through the usual transition of oil breaking down and moving, one decision by Highland made all the difference.

"We were glad Highland picked to finish on Lane 10," said Shepard, referring to the top seed getting to choose its starting lane on the championship pair. "We've been winning all day on Lane 9 and 10 was tough, so that worked out well."

Highland still advanced to the semistate for the second straight year while Boone Grove, the other Suburban Conference qualifier, hung on for the third advancing spot.

"It was definitely a goal," Wolves coach Karen Yankauskas said about reaching semistate for only the second time in 10 years. "With the seniors we had I thought we could do it this year."

A bigger surprise might be the possibility of a region boys team earning a second state title disappearing with two tourneys remaining.

Defending state champion Clark finished seventh while 2007 champ Griffith finished fourth. Even 2008 state finals qualifier Lake Central fell short in fifth.

Don't think any of that went unnoticed with the bowlers.

"Hey, we beat (host team) Michigan City; we beat LC; we beat Clark -- that's something to say right there," Highland's Kyle Massig said. "We came in here (Suburban Lanes) never bowling here before. That's something to say."

Something else to say would be how the Trojans have turned around a season that seemed to be lost a month ago.

That was before Highland bowled itself into conference and sectionals titles and a trip to Chippewa Bowl in South Bend for the semistate.

"They feel good about themselves," said Highland coach Claude Jackson, who never doubted that his team would return to South Bend. "Yes, I did (think we would return) because of how we did last year in certain events. They had the drive and desire to get back."