05/29/2010--The Glendale Falcons from Springfield, MO are the 2010 Missouri BPA High School State Champions, defeating last year's runner up Hazelwood Central Hawks 220-179 in the Championship Match.

Team Qualifying Scores

First 10 Baker Games

Final 6 Baker Games

Championship Bracket

Photo Gallery

Glendale, seeded second after three qualifying games and sixteen baker games, had pushed the top seed Hazelwood Central Hawks twice during their previous meetings in match play.  In fact, it was only a mark in the 10th of the position round that kept the Hawks as the top seed, after entering with nearly a 140-pin lead.

In Game 1 of the Stepladder Finals, the Oak Park Northmen, last year's defending champions, ground out a victory with clutch marks in the final three frames of a low scoring contest with the Parkview Vikings. Although the Vikings could have struck out to tie, missed spares and splits in the middle of the game proved the difference. It ended up a one pin margin, with Oak Park victorious 158-158.

Game 2 gave us another one pin match, with the Oakville Tigers defeating the Northmen, 171-170. Oak Park seemed to have control of the match until the eighth frame, especially with Oakville throwing a Big Four in the seventh. However, a missed 7-pin in the eighth, and a 6-7 split by Oak Park's anchor in the 10th gave Oakville the chance they needed. Filled frames in the 8th, 9th, and 10th gave them the victory, and a chance to bowl Glendale.

The third game was never really close.  Glendale steadily filled frames, except for a 4-6-7 split in the 6th frame.  Oakville got bad break after bad break, splitting four consecutive frames from the 4th to the 7th, and five total times.  Glendale pushed on with a 193-125 score.

The much anticipated final match found Glendale against the team that ran away with last year's tournament, only to finish second then too.  Both teams were a little shaky to start, opening in the 1st Frame.  Hazelwood doubled quickly in the 2nd and 3rd, while Glendale seemed to give them the opening they were looking for with a big split (3-6-7-10) in the fourth.  However, they'd never look back, stringing the next six strikes while Hazelwood could manage only spares on the dryer than normal lanes.  Glendale's striking led them to a 220-179 victory, and the 2010 Championship.  Glendale will split $4,000 in scholarship funds, while Hazelwood bowlers receive $2,400.

Tournament Format --- School Rosters

Twenty-four teams from around the state of Missouri converged on Ellisville this weekend for the second annual event. Competition consisted of three regular team games, followed by sixteen baker games. Total pinfall and bonus pins on the day led to the Top 5 teams bowling stepladder for the $10,000 in scholarship funds.

The Missouri BPA and Pepsi Cola sponsor this event, which grew from 16 teams in the inaugural event to 24 in only a year's time. Teams qualify from their individual conferences to make the trip to this day-long exciting event.

MOUSBC.org was proud to provide game by game coverage of the competition.  On that day, families and friends of the bowlers across the state responded, with over 2,500 page views and over 22,000 hits on Saturday alone.