Carol City seniors Christopher Pichardo and Ronald Davis are as close to brothers as you can be without being related.

The two have been friends since the sixth grade at Stevens Lake Middle School.

They've starred on the Chiefs' bowling team since they began high school.

And each has had to rely on the other's friendship more than ever during a difficult road to the state bowling championship, which begins Tuesday morning at the Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando.

Pichardo will bowl with a heavy heart.

His great aunt, Maria Gonzalez Ramon, is lying on a hospital bed suffering from kidney failure.

``She's on life support -- at first the doctors gave her five or six weeks to live but a few days ago they shortened it to a week or two,'' Pichardo said.

When Gonzalez Ramon first got sick the boys made a promise to her that they would make the state tournament this season -- at the time it was no easy feat.

Carol City cut its boys' bowling team right before the season started.

Pichardo and Davis asked Carol City principal Nelson Izquierdo to reconsider the decision.

Pichardo and Davis convinced the school to continue the program.

``[Izquierdo] said, `he's never seen boys' so passionate about it,' '' Pichardo said.

Since the bowling program had been cut the team missed its first two matches landing them in second to last place in their district. Remarkably, they were able to rally their team to finish in third place and qualified for a spot in the district tournament.

``It really means a lot to me because she's like my auntie and during districts she was in my heart,'' Davis said. ``When we went to the hospital and showed her our ribbons she was so happy she started to cry.''

In the district tournament, the Chiefs failed to qualify for the team portion of the state tournament, but Pichardo and Davis qualified individually after finishing second and third, respectively. The pair hope to have a strong showing at the state bowling tournament in Orlando on Tuesday.

``We kept out promise to our auntie. That's who we're doing it for -- to make her proud,'' Davis said. ``For us to see the smile on her face in the condition she's in makes us very happy.''

Both Pichardo and Davis both plan on continuing to bowl after high school, regardless if it's for a college team.

After graduation next year Pichardo is planning on attending DeVry University and is trying to become a computer technician. Pichardo wants to continue bowling in amateur leagues and hopes he can win some money to pay for some of his school costs.

Davis has dreams of bowling for a college team and is working on securing a scholarship to Witchita State University.

VARNER HONORED

Former Gulliver Prep standout Donovan Varner, a sophomore wide receiver at Duke University, was named to the 2009 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District III football team.

Varner ranks sixth among wide receivers in catches per game in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season, and has posted a high GPA in the classroom.

He has started all nine games with 44 catches for 674 yards and five touchdowns.

BOYS' SOCCER

• Booker T. Washington 1, Hialeah-Miami Lakes 0: Linal McCoy had a shutout. Jose Ramos scored one goal. Allan Fernandez played outstanding defense. BTW 1-0.

• Edison 6, Westland Hialeah 0: Wadley Prudhomme, Junior Milien, and Minol Pena each had two goals. ED 3-0.

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