Cetwinski keeps the Knights rolling

Lincoln-Way Central's Eddie Cetwinski receives high-fives from his teammates at the Joliet IHSA Boys Bowling Sectional Tournament.
(Larry Kane / For the Herald News)

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Eddie Cetwinski has been there, done that.

Tyler Heintzelman hadn't really been anywhere, and hadn't done a whole lot of anything yet.

But together, the pair and their teammates became the stories Saturday at what many consider the state's toughest state qualifier in boys bowling, the Joliet Township Sectional at Town & Country Lanes.

Cetwinski, a senior, rolled a 1,382 total for six games, a 230.3 average, to claim the individual title and lead Lincoln-Way Central to the team championship. Heintzelman, a sophomore, fired a 1,365 total, a 227.5 average, to finish second individually and help power Minooka to a second-place finish and the other team berth in next weekend's state tournament at St. Clair Bowl in O'Fallon.

Lincoln-Way Central finished with a 6,369 total, which calculates to just under 212 per man per game. Minooka came in at 6,224, or 207.5 per man per game.

Impressive as those scores are, however, they were needed to conquer one loaded sectional.

Bolingbrook, which hung within earshot of a state qualifying berth all day, finished third with a 6,100 total. Then came Lockport at 5,963, 2006 state third-place finisher Lincoln-Way East at 5,938, Romeoville at 5,859, Plainfield South at 5,836, Plainfield Central at 5,810, Plainfield North at 5,793, Sandburg at 5,785, Joliet at 5,741 and Lemont at 5,418.

"For a while this morning, the way so many came out of the gates, I thought we would have to shoot 6,500 to get [to state]," Lincoln-Way Central coach Ken Fiore said. "But I thought when the conditions changed, the scores would drop, and they did to some degree."

But at least until the final game, Fiore's Knights kept things on an even keel. Their first five games were 1,149, 1,107, 1,051, 1,042 and 1,056, and they entered Game 6 with a 176-pin cushion over Minooka.

"At that point, I told the guys to relax," Fiore said. "This was the last sectional for four of them since they are seniors, and they needed to have fun with it. We're competitive, and it's important to be competitive, but you can't forget to have fun, too."

Cetwinski and fellow senior Mike Kozlowski bowled at state two years ago. That time, Cetwinski led the field after Day 1 (the first six games), and the Knights were sixth at that point. They wound up ninth.

This time?

"Our top priority will be to go there and put numbers up," Cetwinski said. "Right now we are bowling extremely well. We are putting up a lot of strikes. This is a whole new year, and we are a solid team."

"This team is strong," Fiore said. "Two years ago we had a good 3-4 guys, but we were struggling with the fifth man. This year we go a solid 6-7 deep. I just feel sorry for our No. 6 man, Eric Carreon, who was all-conference last year. It's tough not to bowl him. But he still is only a sophomore and will be a team leader next year."

The Knights entered the sectional riding the momentum of last week's SouthWest Suburban title. Cetwinski was the individual champion there as well.

"Back-to-back titles for our team and individually, that's great," Cetwinski said. "We just brought our game and bowled today.

"We got out of the blocks with a 3,307 for the three games in the morning. We were up 50 or 60 pins, and then in the afternoon, we beat the teams that were right behind us each of the first couple games, and that pretty much did it."

Cetwinski and Heintzelman finishing 1-2 individually left open the two automatic state qualifying berths for members of non-advancing teams. Joliet sophomore Adam Johnson and Plainfield North junior Andy Humphery seized the opportunity. Johnson finished with a 244 game and 726 afternoon series (his first 700) for a 1,346 total and 224.3 average. That nosed out Humphrey, who totaled 1,340 and averaged 223.3.

"It was a pretty rough morning squad," Johnson said of missing three 10-pins in his first game. "But it worked out well even though I was a little nervous. I think what did it for me was my mom and all the JT moms cheering all day and getting me motivated."

"This is pretty crazy, getting to state," Humphery said. "I was consistent in the morning, started the afternoon with a 266 but finished with a 190 and 180. I was just trying to get through today."

Six at-large individual berths statewide will be handed out as well, and you have to figure the Joliet area will have some representation there as well. For example, Lincoln-Way East sophomore Josh Randall shot 1,338, a 223 average, for fifth place in the sectional. Lemont sophomore Joey Petzoldt was sixth at 1,323, a 220.5 average.

Then came Plainfield Central senior Mike Murnick (1,310, 218.3 average); Romeoville senior Jason Smith (1,301, 216.8); Lincoln-Way East senior Alex Sessa (1,294, 215.7), Minooka junior Sam Biesack (1,293, 215.5), and Plainfield North junior Alex Noble (1,286, 214.3).

As dominant as Cetwinski was, he received ample support from his teammates as senior Steve McNellis averaged 211.8, Kozlowski 210.3, senior Kiel Cundari 207.5 and freshman Cody Vogler 201.5.

But on a day of feel-good stories, how can any top Minooka's Heintzelman and the key he became in the Indians reaching state for the first time.

"I want to say the word -- finally," coach Derrick Rapsky said. "We have had so many good teams past and present, and we never got to state. This is such a good sectional. It's ridiculous how many kids averaged over 200 today. But I challenged our guys, and they did the job."

Sometimes a coaching decision can make all the difference in the world. Heintzelman had bowled two varsity games -- that's games, not series or invitations -- all season. Yet the Indians staff had a feeling this was the time to insert him into the lineup.

It's called going with the hot hand.

"Tyler bowled a 1,341 last week at the conference meet," Rapsky said. "He was bowling jayvee, but that beat everyone, even all the varsity guys. Shows you what I know, doesn't it?

"Anyway, the coaches got together and made the call that we should ride the hot hand today. To be honest, we have eight kids who can bowl in any varsity competition and do the job."

On this occasion, in addition to Heintzelman averaging 227.5 in posting his best six-game set ever, Minooka featured Biesack at 215.5, junior Chris Ruffino at 207.5, sophomore Ryan Lakota at 195.3 and senior Robert Krumlinde at 191.5.

"No, I wasn't really nervous," Heintzelman said, his lack of varsity experience notwithstanding. "I felt good right from the start, and my teammates kept me going."

When it was over, a couple of them took turns lifting their new hero into the air. You get out of the Joliet Sectional, and a little celebrating is only natural.