Boys bowling: Super sophs lead resurgent Romeoville

When Tony Talley came back to his alma mater, Romeoville, in 2009 to coach boys bowling, it was with one clear goal in mind.

“I bleed blue and orange,” he said. “I love my school. This school has never won a team championship in any sport and that is my goal to bring that here. I just want to bring something back.”

After engineering one of the most surprising success stories in the state last season, Talley thinks this could be the year that goal is met.

“Last year we had a taste of success,” he said. “This year we want a state title. I don’t know if that’s presumptuous of us, but if we don’t believe we’re good enough to win state then it won’t happen.”

The Spartans return three of their top five bowlers from a team that made the state tournament for the first time in school history and finished ninth. Two of the returnees are sophomores, Dakota Vostry and Kyle Zaremba.

Vostry finished 59th in the state, fifth-highest of any freshman. Zaremba showed what he was capable of when he won the Joliet West Sectional, arguably the state’s toughest sectional. There, he beat eventual state champion Kyle Anderson, of Lockport, and two others who finished in the top 10 at state.

“There was a lot of excitement last year,” Vostry said. “It was a really fun season.”

It was also a season that completely changed the mentality within the program.

A perennial cellar-dweller in the Southwest Prairie Conference, the Spartans finished last in the league in 2008-09 and sixth of seven teams in 2009-10.

Then came last season. Romeoville was strong from the start, eventually taking second in the conference behind Oswego, then shockingly claiming second place in the Joliet West Sectional, keeping traditional powers Oswego and Lockport from making state.

Now, the Spartans expect to be mentioned in the same sentence as those teams.

“I used to coach at Plainfield South and I told the guys that whenever I came to Romeoville I expected nothing but a sweep,” Talley said. “I wanted to instill a sense of pride here and it’s worked. Our kids had a no-quit attitude last year.”

Junior Brandon Lisak-Talley is the Spartans’ other top returner while seniors Will Thompson and Corey McReady and junior Jacob Young should also figure to heavily contribute.

“We’re going to be deeper this year,” Talley said. “But I’ve told those guys they don’t need to be heroes. I’ve got my two super sophs and I just need role players who won’t screw it up.”

The Spartans have to make up for the loss to graduation of top bowler Cal Kramer, along with Jesus Reyes. Talley sees the biggest hole in the leadership department.

“Those guys were our leaders,” he said. “The biggest key for us is to have a team mentality. If they don’t get that, I’ll make them run until they do.”

For his part, Vostry seems to be catching on.

“I don’t have any individual goals,” he said. “Team bowling is all we’re focused on. We’re just trying to get back downstate and have a great time.”

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