McCarthy’s Covone, South Plantation’s Collins are Broward’s Bowling Coaches of the Year
The South Plantation girls made school history in 2021, while Archbishop McCarthy’s kept building on a promising 2020 with another good season last year.
Now their coaches are the Miami Herald’s Broward County Bowling Coaches of the Year.
Jennifer Collins led the Paladins to their first state championship appearance after team victories at the District 15 and Broward County Athletic Association championships. Chris Covone guided the Mustangs to a second straight district title and appearance another appearance the state championship.
“Like any other sport, a tournament day is a one-day event where you’re either on or you’re not and our guys stayed on track, and were motivated to get back to the state tournament,” Covone said, “and they did a great job.”
Said Collins, who had two underclassmen earn first-team all-county honors from the Herald: “It was a great experience for my underclassmen to see some of the skill that’s out there.”
Archbishop McCarthy went undefeated in the regular season, and then scored more than 200 points better than anyone else at the District 15 championship and earned a return trip to Orlando.
South Plantation scored nearly 400 points more than anyone else at its district championship to earn a spot in the state finals for the first time. The Paladins finished 23rd overall at Boardwalk Bowl Entertainment Center.
In both the district and BCAA championships, Collins had to make sure her bowlers shook off their nerves, so she gave them an unusual routine.
“We have this little thing that I pull them to the side and I just tell them to dance, just kind of like do a dance-off, like pretend like they’re doing a TikTok because that’s what they’re all famous for doing and then kind of regroup,” she said. “It really helped them this year.”
This story was originally published January 26, 2022 at 9:45 AM.
