Keyport keglers expect more success this winter BY WARREN RAPPLEYEA Staff Writer The Keyport High School bowling team heads into the campaign looking to maintain its position as one of the top teams in the Shore Conference. The Red Raiders have long been a power in the conference’s Northern Monmouth Division, which has been split into A and B divisions for this season. Keyport will compete in the A division. On the girls’ side, the Red Raiders are coming off a 35-7 showing that saw Keyport win the Shore’s Northern Monmouth Division. Jenna Stumpf also topped the conference for the second consecutive season with a 176.6 average, nine pins above her showing the year before. Keyport has, however, begun the season without Melissa Manzie and Catherine Wegman. Manzie, a lefty who averaged 167 pins, is out with a knee injury and may not return until mid-January. Wegman, a sophomore who averaged 148.8, is recovering from knee surgery and may miss two or three matches. Coach Sal Principe expects that Stephanie Duke, who averaged 147 pins, and Jen Valentino, who averaged 143 pins, will pick up the slack. Both have improved and the coach believes that will translate to higher averages. Erin DeRosa and freshman Devon Loihle will also see action. “We’ll miss Catherine Wegman and Jen Valentino, but fortunately Catherine shouldn’t be out too long,” Principe said. “In the meantime, the girls will just have to put up as many pins as possible. We’re going to have a lot of competition this year, particularly from St. John Vianney.” The boys team, meanwhile, went 34-14 last winter, good for third in the Northern Monmouth Conference, after first-place showings the previous two years. Defending champion Keansburg remains the team to beat. Principe’s boys will be without Bob Rohe, who averaged 213 pins, but Marty Visaggio is poised to become the Red Raiders’ No. 1 roller. Visaggio averaged 187.3, and Principe said the senior could easily exceed the coveted 200-pin mark and has regularly been hitting that in practice sessions. Junior James Cornelius averaged 181 last winter, giving Keyport a solid second roller. Phil Specchio and Kevin Costello averaged 161 and 150 pins, respectively. Junior Brian Servedio, a newcomer to the team, has been in the 170s in practices. Nick Maupi, Bobby Hicks and sophomore Pat Dyrne round out the team. Keyport will host the second annual Red Raider Holiday Tournament for both boys and girls teams on Dec. 27 at the Airport Plaza Brunswick Zone in Hazlet.