Oregon Sectional boys bowling preview for Sauk Valley

Oregon Sectional

The basics: 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Plum Hollow Family Center in Dixon

Local interest: Amboy, Dixon, Oregon, Sterling

Other teams competing: Harlem, Hononegah, Dakota, Sycamore, Rock Island, Yorkville, Woodstock, Huntley, Belvidere, Marengo

Returning local state qualifiers: Dixon’s Aaron Fitzanko, Cody Geil, Sam Gingras, David Laird, Wyatt Miller and Daniel Sotelo; Oregon’s Gavvin Surmo.

Advancing: The top four teams from each sectional, along with the top five individuals not on a qualifying team, advance to the state finals at St. Clair Bowl in O’Fallon on Friday, Jan. 31 to Feb. 1.

FYI: The Oregon Sectional features four teams that finished in the top 12 at state last year in Harlem (seventh), Hononegah (ninth), Dakota (10th) and Dixon (11th).

Dixon advanced to state as a team last season and placed 11th with a 11,576 two-day total, 826 pins from first place. Amboy’s Dominic Fonderoli and Sterling’s David Oelrichs and Bryce Kooy are competing as individuals with a shot at qualifying for state on the line.

Both Dixon and Oregon advanced as teams to the sectional and have competed alongside some of the best teams in the state this season. Dixon is coming off a second-place finish at last week’s regional with a 6,052 six-game series, just behind Sycamore (6,260); Oregon also took second at its regional with a 6,249 six-game series, behind only Harlem (6,449).

Dixon’s Sotelo (1,303) took second and Laird (1,292) was third at the sectional; Miller set the school record with a 1,463 earlier this season.

Oregon’s Matthew Stahl was second at the regional with a 1,330, and Gavvin Surmo was fourth with a 1,298. RJ Keene had a 1,276 and Ethan Smice rolled a 1,197 for the Hawks. Surmo qualified for state two years ago as a sophomore.