FSHS senior Matthew Eagle gets a fist bump after rolling a 243 in his first game in the Free State Inviitational Saturday at Royal Crest Lanes.

Free State High senior bowler Matthew Eagle made it look easy on Saturday. It was the first tournament of the season, and he didn’t need any time to adjust.

Eighteen teams were in attendance, and Eagle drew the most attention at the Free State Invitational at Royal Crest Lanes. Strike after strike, Eagle continued to grab his ball, roll and turn around to celebrate with his teammates.

Eagle rolled a 788 in his three-game series, the top score overall by 34 pins. It was the best series of his career by 80 pins, and it helped the Firebirds to the No. 2 seed for the Baker-formatted match play.

In match play, where five teammates alternate bowling toward one score, the Firebirds beat Topeka Seaman and Sacred Heart before losing to Olathe North in the championship.

“It was really fun,” Eagle said. “I’m really happy with how we did, especially compared to last year. We improved a lot. It looks like the start of a good season.”

In the best-of-three championship, the Firebirds — Eagle, Alex Jimenez, Cameron Edens, Alex Craig, Avery Allen and Tom Reno — won the first game, 256-160, by rolling eight strikes, including five in a row. They lost the last two games, 170-145 and 210-193.

“The boys did an amazing job today,” FSHS coach Burton Gepford said. “They really fulfilled the expectations that I had for them.”

But before match play, Eagle stole the show.

He opened the final game of his series with 10 straight strikes, before knocking down nine pins on his 11th roll. He missed on his last roll trying to pick up the spare, when the ball clipped his ankle during his delivery, finishing with a 288 and only two strikes short of a perfect game.

It was the best game of his life. Eagle said he rolled a 279, his previous best, 10 times before finally inching closer to the elusive perfect game.

“I just tried to focus,” Eagle said. “The more you can block out that you’re on a big streak, the better. Just do your normal shot. It’s hard not to get nervous. I think I started really feeling it in the 10th frame. I made a good shot, it just didn’t come up quite strong enough.”

But Eagle wasn’t the only Free State bowler in a rhythm on Saturday. Craig took fourth place individually with a career-best series total of 674. Jimenez was seventh with a 670, and Allen finished 22nd with a 618.

“That was my first 600 series in a tournament ever,” Craig said. “It feels great, to be honest.”

Lawrence High’s boys bowling team took fifth place during the three-game series, but did not qualify for the eight-team Baker match play. Each school rolls six Baker-formatted games after their three-game series, which is added to their final tally.

Morgan Sisson led the Lions with a 667 series, taking 10th place overall. Triston Decker was 17th with a 630 series, and Javier Lemmons rolled a 627 for 20th place.

“A couple of them started slow, then they gained their momentum and figured it back out,” LHS coach Paula Bastemeyer said. “When they went into match play, they just couldn’t get anything to carry. They would put it in there, and sometimes you get the roll, and sometimes you don’t. They just were not getting it today.”

Free State Invitational

Saturday at Royal Crest Lanes

Three-game series

Varsity team scores: Shawnee Heights 2805, Free State 2765, Sacred Heart 2604, Washburn Rural 2558, Lawrence 2525, Topeka Seaman 2507, SM Northwest 2496, Mill Valley 2449, Olathe North 2428, Topeka West 2412, Manhattan 2312, SM North 2213, Topeka Hayden 2157, Topeka 2139, SM West 2039, St. James 2038, Highland Park 1849, Atchison 1778.

Junior Varsity team scores: Lawrence 2354, SM Northwest 2280, Mill Valley 2209, Washburn Rural 2163, Shawnee Heights 2083, Free State 2048, Topeka 1933, Olathe North 1906, Topeka Seaman 1877, Topeka West 1797, SM North 1796, SM West 1647, St. James 1524, Topeka Hayden 1423, Highland Park 1375.

Lawrence High varsity: 10. Morgan Sisson, 230-213-224 — 667; 17. Triston Decker, 158-259-213 — 630; 20. Javier Lemmons, 237-200-190 — 627; Adonis Stanwix, 171-167-200 — 538; Hunter Krom, 191-144-201 — 536; Cameron Stussie, 190-139-194 — 523.

Free State varsity: 1. Matthew Eagle, 243-257-288 — 788; 4. Alex Craig, 245-184-245 — 674; 7. Alex Jimenez, 172-243-255 — 670; 22. Avery Allen, 196-218-204 — 618; Tom Reno, 168-148-186 — 502; Cameron Edens, 187-140-167 — 494.

Lawrence High JV: 1. Noah Goepfert, 219-243-203 — 665; 2. Montez Sanchez, 192-235-193 — 620; 15. Jared Radford, 167-167-189 — 523; 23. Quinton Cress, 150-168-188 — 506; Nico Carlson, 190-126-164 — 480; Ethan Huslig, 135-135-147 — 417.

Free State JV: 8. Bayn Schrader, 190-203-164 — 557; 22. Zach Lockwood, 168-168-172 — 508; 24. Matt Meseke, 172-169-157 — 498; Sam Fanshier, 135-152-165 — 452; Cody Thompson, 140-143-169 — 452; Dylan Edwinson, 127-124-180 — 431.