The 2021 bowling season was unlike anything DLS head coach Jay Lang, '92, had ever experienced before. 

Due to COVID-19 protocols, teams were limited to six bowlers per match, instead of the usual eight, and the time between tryouts and DLS's first meet was reduced from a month to six days.

Despite the unusual times, though, the varsity squad persevered, and managed to put together a 7-3 season, good for a second-place finish in Catholic League regular season play. Lang & Co. followed it up with a runner-up finish in the Catholic League Tournament. 

Senior captain Jack Gohlke led the way for the Pilots all season long. He bowled a Catholic League season-high 290 for a single game, and posted a 524 in a two-game series -- the second-highest two-game series total in the league in 2021.

Gohlke also produced a 212 average -- good for second best in the league -- and earned All-Catholic League honors as a result of his dominant play.

He's come a long way since nearly being cut on the last day of tryouts during his freshman year at Macomb Dakota. He transferred to DLS in time for his sophomore year.

"It's really cool to have been named All-Catholic League, knowing how hard I've worked the last four years," Gohlke said. "I had never bowled competitively until my freshman year at Dakota. However, the Dakota girls bowling coach (Paul Price) thought I was coachable and thought he could do something with me. And the rest is history."

Fast-forward to this year's Catholic League Tournament, where he put on an impressive display.  

DLS went up against the U-D Jesuit Cubs in the semifinals. The Cubs won the CHSL regular season championship. However, due to a positive COVID-19 case, they had to use their junior varsity team in the tourney.  

And boy, did the Cubs still give the Pilots a run for their money. 

In fact, DLS's first of two semifinal matches with U-D went down to the bitter end. Luckily, for the Pilots, just the right man had the bowling ball in his hands to close out the match: Gohlke. 

The Purple and Gold needed two straight strikes and a nine-pin from Gohlke to defeat the Cubs, and he delivered just that. As a result, the Pilots beat U-D in game one, 157-156, and they went on to sweep the three-game series.  

DLS was unable to carry that momentum into the finals, and fell to Divine Child in back-to-back games.

Jack's younger brother, Drew Gohlke, a sophomore, was a big contributor throughout the season as well, finishing with a 198 average and a high game of 268.

Meanwhile, the Pilots' JV team finished the season with a 7-3 record and in a tie for second place in the CHSL. The JV bowlers who recorded high games this year were Eddie Olejniczak (278), Brent Charrette (278), and Matt Lachajewski (268).