Española needed a miracle.
Entering the last game of the championship series of the state championship, the Sundevil bowling team trailed by 40 pins.
And their opponent was a juggernaut. Artesia High School had won the state championship for five years running. And in the qualifying rounds, they led everyone else by more than 600 pins.
“I could guarantee, 99 percent of the people in this building would have given that game to Artesia,” said sophomore Raymond Archuleta, who said he was nervous for the entire series. “If you would’ve taken a vote, everyone would have taken Artesia in that game.”
But by the seventh frame, an opportunity arose. With Española rolling hot, Artesia left open in both the seventh and eighth frames after splits, suddenly charting for a score below expectations. And Española capitalized at the end.
The Sundevils believed, and rallied to seal the deal. They pulled off the upset, winning the series of three “Baker games” (a team of five bowlers rotate one frame at a time) 577-548, taking the state championship on Feb. 9 at Tenpins and More in Rio Rancho.
“The chemistry that they have is just the best that you can have,” said Española coach Jeanie Brito. “It’s a young team, so all they can do from here on out is move up.”
Española senior Raymond Lujan said they were not scoreboard watching the lane over.
“We were honestly just bowling as a team and doing what we know we can do every day,” he said. “When it all comes down to it, we knew that we were the better team, and we could do it.”
Archuleta started the final frame with a strike, but his second shot hit just nine, leaving a final score of 246. If Artesia’s anchor turkeyed the final frame, they would finish with a 208 — taking the series by two. Archuleta looked at the scoreboard, and saw that the door was open.
“I honestly felt like he was going to do it,” Archuleta said. “I felt like I didn’t get it done. That first shot he threw in the 10th frame left ringing 10 (one pin standing), and right there I knew that we won. It was the best feeling I’ve had all season.”
But the shot missed, leaving one pin standing, and the Bulldogs conceded the match.
“I’m going to need a massage after this,” Brito said. “I cried with my kids.”
Artesia had dominated the entire day, while a group of four solidified the top during the qualifying rounds. The first round consisted of three individual games by five bowlers, which the Bulldogs dominated with a 2944 total, 500 more than the next highest, with Española, Pojoaque and Taos in the next group. Archuleta led the Sundevils with a 214 in the first game, while Justin Hoak led Pojoaque with a 209 and Caleb Roybal bowled a 202.
Then, in four Baker games, they extended their lead with a 780 total, as the top four advanced to the semifinals. After three more Baker games, Artesia only extended their lead. Española finished second with a total score of 3,697 — 173 ahead of Pojoaque in third place.
And the scores reset for the championship series, making it anyone’s game.
But after the Sundevils started the first game with four open frames, they had a major uphill climb, finishing the first game at 137 and falling behind by 44 pins.
The second game started with strikes in five of six frames and a decent 194 score, as Artesia scored 190 in game two.
But game three was nearly impeccable by the Sundevils, hitting strikes in eight of 10 frames and sparing the other two. And when the Bulldogs faltered, the Sundevils took advantage to come out on top.
Their score of 246, at the most crucial moment, was not just the high team score of the day. It was the highest Baker score at any state tournament listed on the New Mexico High School Bowling Association website, dating back at least five years, in any round at any classification.
For the past two years, the Sundevils had finished in fourth place at the state championship.
Pojoaque, who had finished in second place the last two years, grabbed third place, missing out on the championship series by 173 pins.
Throughout the championship series, the Elks all stayed to cheer on the Sundevils.
The win was the first state title in school history, though they finished in second place multiple times.
“To beat a team like Artesia, especially going down 40 in the last game,” Archuleta said. “It’s amazing. It’s the best feeling ever.”
With Archuleta a sophomore, and most of the team returning for next year, the Sundevils will continue to be a threat on the lanes.
“Being the only senior on the team makes me love you guys (teammates) so much more. Makes me value our friendship. And value everyone as a team. I hope to see you guys win another one soon.”