Unbeaten Nature Coast headed to districts

Two years removed from a state championship for the boys and a third-place state finish for the girls, the Nature Coast bowling program has picked up where it left off.

Both of its teams head into Tuesday's District 4 Tournament at Liberty Lanes in Largo, starting at 8 a.m., with unbeaten slates.

The boys team took home a district championship in each of its two previous seasons of existence (2006, 2007) and looks to take the first step toward reclaiming the state crown it never got to defend.

The girls came in third in the district their first campaign, just missing out on a state berth, but qualified the following year by finishing second to Eustis.

The top two teams and top three individuals not on those teams will advance to the FHSAA Finals held Nov. 10-11 at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando.

With the Nature Coast program temporarily shut down in 2008, Largo-Indian Rocks Christian won the district on both the boys and girls side.

Nature Coast met Indians Rocks Christian twice this regular season, with the Sharks and Lady Sharks winning each time.

The boys come in 7-0, also having downed district foes Tampa-Jesuit (three times) and Mount Dora Bible (twice).

The Nature Coast girls are 4-0 with two wins apiece against Indian Rocks Christian and Mount Dora Bible, and have climbed to 19-0 all-time in the regular season.

Fittingly Jeff Morgan and Billy Lummus, the two remaining starters from the 2007 state championship squad, are leading this year's team each averaging 205 in 14 games.

With Dalton Dokoupil (196), Darian Curtis (187) and Connor Garvey (180) joining them in the lineup, the Sharks are actually averaging higher (993) than they did two years ago (988).

In Baker play, however, they are at 185 compared to the 196 of their highly-successful predecessors. At the same point in the season, though, the 2007 team was averaging only 178 in Baker action.

Best-of-5 Baker matches ultimately decide both the district and state champions.

For the girls, Melissa Martin (175), Nikki Williams (170) and Franki Palmero (165) have paced a young, inexperienced group. There are no returning starters from 2007.

AT A GLANCE
WHAT: 2009 District 4 Bowling Tournament
WHO: Tampa-Bayshore Christian, Bradenton Christian, Clearwater-Calvary Christian, Eustis, Largo-Indian Rocks Christian, Tampa-Jesuit, Leesburg, Mount Dora, Mount Dora Bible, Nature Coast, St. Petersburg Catholic, Groveland-South Lake, Tampa Prep, Tavares and Umatilla.
WHEN: Nov. 3
WHERE: Liberty Lanes in Largo.
FORMAT: One round of regular 5-on-5 team play, with the top four advancing to the double-elimination, best-of-5 Baker second round.
AT STAKE: The top two teams and top three individuals not on those teams advance to the Nov. 10-11 FHSAA Finals at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando
DIRECTIONS: Take the Suncoast Parkway south toward Tampa to Interstate 275. Take I-275 west to exit 31 (Martin Luther King Jr./Ulmerton Road) onto Ulmerton Road toward St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport. Turn left on 49th Street. Turn right on County Road 296. Turn right on Starkey Road. The bowling alley is located at 11401 Starkey Road.