Another surprise in the making

Updated: March 23, 2011 9:48AM

One of the greatest surprises in Illinois high school sports occurred in 1986 when Tinley Park, just 25 players strong, captured the Class 4A state football title.

On its own scale, it would be pretty surprising - no, shocking - if Tinley Park's boys bowling team were to win it all at this year's state finals. In fact, it would be incredible enough if the Titans were to just get there as a team.

This weekend, though, their focus isn't on surprising or shocking anybody, just making history.

Which leads me to a great bowling tale told to me last week by first-year coach Brad Walsh.

Walsh, a longtime girls bowling coach at Hillcrest before coming to Tinley Park, said he was looking for some sort of rally point to wrap a preseason speech around.

He found his inspiration during a walk through the main gym. Actually, it was what he didn't find that provided him with a proverbial carrot.

"I noticed that there were no bowling banners hanging anywhere," he said. "I decided to find out if the kids were aware of that."

The day after tryouts were completed, Walsh took the team into the gym and asked them if they noticed anything in particular about the walls.

"One of the kids said, ‘There aren't any bowling banners. Why is that?' " Walsh said. "I told them that there weren't any banners because no Tinley Park bowling team has ever done anything to earn one."

Not a single conference title. Sectional title. State appearance. Nada.

One of the lads noticed something else, according to Walsh.

"He said, ‘There isn't even an open spot for a banner. When we get one where is it going to go?' I told him, ‘Our job is win conference. It'll be somebody else's job to make it fit up there.' "

And so, the Titans that day set their sights on having a banner season. Now, they're right on the doorstep.

Thursday, they defeated T.F. North to complete a 6-0 run against South Suburban Blue competition. They're 10-3 overall going into Saturday's conference meet at Oak Forest Bowl.

"We should have won it last year, but we let it slip away," senior Bobby Smith said. "Now it's time for us to step up. It's our time to shine. We want to put ourselves on the map at Tinley Park."

Smith is the Titans' top bowler, carrying a 206 average. He's also the only Titan with any state experience, having advanced as a sophomore. His older brother, John, also was a top bowler at Tinley Park from 2005 to '08 but never qualified for state.

The year he went to state, Bobby Smith didn't win the conference title. Last year he won conference, but came up short of a state berth by 15 pins.

"Two years ago when I was there I was very timid, very young," Smith said. "I was in a sea of very big fish. Last year I was mad about not making it, but I was at least happy about winning conference.

"Now I want to do both in the same year."

The starting five, which also includes senior Nick Jacklich (202 average), junior Josh Barron (196), sophomore Jeff Nichols (196) and senior Jon Plescher (190), appears to be peaking.

Wednesday, they rolled a season-high 2,134 series, only to lose a crossover to one of the best teams out of the South Suburban Red, Richards (2,225). The Titans have, however, beaten quality teams in Brother Rice and T.F. South, both of which went to state last season.

Tinley Park will be seeing some of the Southland's best at the Sandburg Sectional. But first things first.

"This group is really determined to win conference and prove that we belong with the elite teams in the area," Walsh said. "If we bowl to our potential we have a legitimate chance to qualify for state as well."

Custodians, stand by.

© 2012 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied or distributed without permission. For more information about reprints and permissions, visit www.suntimesreprints.com. To order a reprint of this article, click here.