The Soddy-Daisy High School boys' bowlers made a return to the state tournament easy on themselves Monday.
The Trojans, champions of Region 3, took control from the start and breezed to a 22.5-4.5 sectional win over Region 4 runner-up LaVergne at Holiday Bowl Hixson.
Later Monday, Bradley Central lost 21-6 to Smyrna High School at the Smyrna Bowling Center, site of the state tournament this Thursday through Saturday.
Division I Boys' State SectionalMonday at Holiday Bowl HixsonSODDY-DAISY 22.5, LaVERGNE 4.5Game 1: Soddy-Daisy, 7.5-0.5Highlights: SD -- Joseph Leffew 277, Matt Lyon 257, Kaleb Langston 227, Adam Gravitt 208, Andy Holden 204, Alllyn Pickett 189. L -- Michael Heika 189, Zach Roc 177, Justin Burns 174, Drew Shukla 174, Brandon Thiede 172, Brent Batts 156.Game 2: Soddy-Daisy, 6-2Highlights: SD -- Leffew 254, Pickett 226, Lyon 213, Langston 207, Gravitt 195, Holden 151. L -- Burns 209, Roc 201, Thiede 194, Shukla 191, Batts 178, Heika 146.Game 3: Soddy-Daisy, 6-2Highlights: SD -- Lyon 235, Gravitt 232, Jeremy Hood 205, Leffew 204, Holden 192, Wes Lowery 156. L -- Shukla 234, Roc 229, Batts 171, Heika 169, Theide 159, Burns 157.Total pins (3 pts.): Soddy-Daisy, 3,832-3,280.
Soddy-Daisy finished second in the Division I state last year, and four of the Trojans will be competing in the individual tournament before team play gets under way Friday afternoon. Two of those, Joseph Leffew and Matt Lyon, had series of 735 and 705 in the sectional.
Leffew rolled a 277 game and Lyon had a 257 in game one, when only Allyn Pickett's tie with Michael Heika kept the Trojans from an 8-0 sweep. While Pickett's 189 was the only score below 204 for Soddy-Daisy (21-1), it was the best opening total for LaVergne.
The Wolverines picked up in game two but still lost 6-2 and would have officially been beaten had Adam Gravitt totaled seven more pins for Soddy-Daisy. Andy Holden, whose 151 in that game was the Trojans' worst score of the day, clinched the team win as the hosts' first finisher in game three, when Gravitt had a 232 with Lyon's 235.
Soddy-Daisy finished with a 3,832 total for the day, continuing a progression of improved scores from the district final through the region tournament.
"They did very well today," Trojans coach David O'Malley Sr. said. "It was nice that Joseph came up with a 277 in the first game. He had a very good day."
"I came out with faith in the team, hopefully to bowl to the best of our ability," Leffew said. "We wanted to shut them out by the end of the second game."
They very nearly did that, preventing any drama.
Leffew and Pickett are juniors while two-time TSSAA "Mr. Bowling" Lyon, fellow 2011 finalist Kaleb Langston, Holden and Gravitt are seniors, so the Trojans have plenty of experience.