Superstar sophomore bowler Joe Dominguez is already a two time student-athlete of the month. He is described by former coach, Mr. Mehl, as a bowler with “natural talent” and “the potential to be the best bowler in the state.” I had the pleasure to sit down and ask him about being athlete of the month.

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What position do you play and what is the most difficult thing about your position?

– I’m the Anchor. Being the anchor means that your team has to trust you. You are the last bowler on your team to go, so if the team is down, it’s up to you to try and bowl a big frame to help get the win. 

What do you like best about your sport?

– Everyone overlooks bowling and nobody thinks it’s a difficult sport.  However, once you start to bowl competitively you realize it takes a lot of mental integrity to be good at this sport. 

What is one of your most memorable moments playing your sport?
– In 2018, I bowled in a championship called the Junior Gold Championship and got first place! It was recorded and broadcasted on CBS Sports.

Do you have a favorite memory or game while playing for Township?

– The day we beat Howell, which is widely regarded as one of the best teams in the state. When we won 2-1, the whole team was in awe of our collective accomplishment.

Who was your personal and professional inspiration to start playing your sport? 

– At a young age I was diagnosed with ADHD so the doctors recommended focusing my attention into a passion. My parents loved bowling so I wanted to follow in their footsteps and try my hand at it. That was the best decision I’ve ever made.

What do you like to do in the offseason? 

– Practice.

What is something interesting that people don’t know about you?

– I’m a New Orleans Saints fan.

Do you have any pre game rituals or superstitions?

– Every game we go in a huddle to hype each other up but I wouldn’t call that a superstition. I don’t believe in those. 

What is your favorite school subject and why?

– Math, because it’s the one subject I’ve never been bad at.  

What is your favorite type of music and who is your favorite musician?

– I’ve recently been getting back into rap. My favorite artists are Playboi Carti and Travis Scott.

What is your favorite pregame snack or meal?

– The team and I always have french fries from the bowling alley because you can never go wrong with french fries.  

Do you have a favorite hobby outside of your sport?

– I like playing video games in my free time. Lately, I’ve been playing a lot of Madden and Call Of Duty.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

– If I could live anywhere it would have to be in Texas. If becoming a professional bowler doesn’t work out, I want to be an engineer and Texas has a lot of job opportunities in engineering.  

Do you see yourself bowling in college?

– Yes, in college I hope to bowl for Wichita State.

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Here are some of Joe’s accomplishments from December and a rundown of his success:

• High Game of 257 on December 6th
• High Series of 721 on December 6th
• Averaging 220 which is 4th in the Shore Conference
• As one of the top bowlers in the Shore Conference, Joe has helped lead the team to a winning percentage that will put them in consideration for the Shore Conference and State Tournaments.

Following her being named FTHS December Athlete of the Month, the Patriot Press sat down with wrestling sensation Sophia Santorelli.

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First of all, congratulations!

– Thank you!

What sport do you play?

– I do wrestling.

How did you get into wrestling and what do you like best about it?

– Honestly, I didn’t even know I wanted to do wrestling until this year but Mr. Bane really got me into it and pushed me to do it. I don’t have a thing I like the best, but I do love learning because I didn’t know anything about the sport until this year so I do like the learning part of it.

That’s amazing that this is your first year!

– Thank you!

Do you have a favorite wrestling memory so far this year or a favorite match thus far?

– Obviously, my favorite match is my first one because I did get two pins and I got first place.

Would you say the most challenging aspect [of wrestling] is learning the new game?

– Yeah, it’s learning because while you’re in the match you can’t stop and look over and practice. I’m still learning so sometimes I get stuck in one position and I can’t get out or I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.

Do you have any pre-match rituals or superstitions?

– I usually just don’t talk and keep to myself to get my head ready for the match. That’s what the sport is about, using your head and where you want your body to go.

Any music?

– Not really, actually. I like to listen to everybody else’s matches before mine and what the coaches are saying because listening really helps me and watching.

So getting an idea of your surroundings?

– Yeah.

Do you have any favorite hobbies outside of wrestling?

– Outside of wrestling, [I play] soccer.

Did you have an inspiration to get into wrestling?

– Coach Bane, definitely. He really believed in me and put faith in me. I was so nervous to do it. I thought I was going to be the only girl, but then I got my friend to do it with me.

What do you like best about the Township wrestling team?

– The one thing I like the best is that the boys aren’t judgemental to the girls. I don’t think they’ve had girls [wrestling] here at Township but everyone was so welcoming.

So did that make it easier to get started?

– Yes. I don’t feel as nervous around them anymore.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

– I don’t have an actual state, but definitely out west and in the country. I used to live in Staten Island, which is in the city. It was so compact and I just need to get out of a compact area and have my own space.

Favorite school subject?

– Probably math for this year.

Congrats again, Sophia, and great job!

– Thank you!

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Here are some of Sophia’s accomplishments from December:

• Recorded first win in program history for a female
  wrestler.
• Earned a Gold Medal by winning the FTHS
  Tournament on December 28.

Here’s what Coach Heubel had to say about Sophia:

“Sophia is one of a handful of female wrestlers that have joined the program this year. She is a good teammate and role model to future female wrestlers. The hope is that she and her fellow female teammates are trailblazers in the Girls Wrestling chapter of FTHS Wrestling.”