It was a night full of strikes and grit as the Stillwater varsity bowling team battled Hoosick Falls for the Class C Sectional Championship on Feb. 13.

Down by 108 pins with two games to go, victory seemed out of reach – but team captain Alex Mell had other ideas. The Stillwater High School senior led the charge to a comeback, scoring 255 in the second game and 210 in the third, while his fellow Warriors steadily made up ground with each passing frame. In the end, Stillwater emerged triumphant and secured the title of Class C Sectional Champions.

The high stakes competition featured impressive performances from all team members. Mell won the award for second high individual game with a match score of 255, while junior Jacob Smith’s score of 662 earned him third high in a three-game series. Moreover, Smith’s 1242 six-game total was one of the best marks of the day and landed him just shy of qualifying for the six-man Section II All-Star Team.

Although Stillwater had an outstanding season, the team will not be heading to the statewide tournament in Syracuse next month as Lansingburgh will be the Section II small-school representative. But the varsity bowlers ended their season on a high note, bringing home two championship titles and leaving it all on the lanes until next year.