Years ago, four young boys met at summer camp at Ogden Recreation. Little did they know that this friendship would span all through their school years and beyond to form a bond of brotherhood through their love of bowling.
Josh Winter, Manny Panetta, Carter Schum and Jesse Taccone are the powerhouse bowlers for Spencerport’s varsity bowling team. Their love for bowling and their friendship began after they met at summer camp, which led to a play date at Gates Bowl when they were just eight years old. Their passion for bowling really started when Manny was bowling in a Saturday morning bumper league at Gates Bowl, and he invited his new friends to join him.
Jesse has bowling in his bloodline; his dad, Ty, and grandfather, Jesse Taccone, were avid bowlers. Jesse’s dad helped coach the boys in bowling technique. “He got me my first bowling ball and taught me how to throw a curve ball,” recalls Carter. The bumper league bowling eventually became travel league bowling. Throughout the years they won multiple championships and scholarships.
Their friendship and bowling skills really took off in middle school when they began bowling at the varsity level in Spencerport. Jesse was in seventh grade and the other three were in eighth grade when they began. This year Carter, Josh and Manny are seniors at Spencerport and Jesse is a junior.
They have shared many years of successes. Jesse, at the age of 14, bowled a perfect 300 match against Rush Henrietta. The team was Sectional runner up in 2021 and Sectional Champions in 2022. In 2023, they won the Monroe County division championship, defeating more established programs like Rush Henrietta and Hilton. Josh and Jesse achieved individual top performances, beating out one of the top bowlers in the country, and Jesse was named to the All-Greater Rochester team. The boys team also set a new school record for high series last winter.
“The town is often known for soccer and wrestling programs, but these kids developed a new dynasty in a lesser-known sport – bowling,” said Carter’s mom, Ellen.
The boys reflected on how much bowling and their friendship impacted their young lives. “Bowling can positively affect your life and I want others to know that the sport teaches you many things like learning to stay calm and keeping a cool mind no matter what,” said Manny.
Josh agreed that the sport really influenced him. “This sport really helps teach us how to process information quickly and learn to think quickly on our feet.”
Carter found in improving his bowling skills that it also helped him build his confidence. He said, “This is a mental game, and it is so important to not overreact and to stay confident.”
Being part of the varsity bowling program in Spencerport has given the boys an added level of academic accountability. “Our grades need to be up, and we can’t blow off school or we can’t bowl,” said Josh. Kelly Taccone, Jesse’s mom, commented, “Friendships are so important. Good friends are hard to come by and good to have.” Jesse concurred, adding, “We help pick our team mates up and build them up if they are struggling.”
The boys have spent nearly ten years in a brotherhood born from their shared love of bowling. As they approach the end of their school and bowling year together, they look forward to closing out their varsity career together with even more successes and memories. “This is a brotherhood I will always remember,” said Carter. The three seniors (Manny, Carter, and Josh) are wrapping up their senior year and making plans for college and their future but plan to remain best friends. “Our goal is to do our best to leave the bowling team prepared for success in the future. Leave it better than we found it,” said Josh.
Although bowling is not usually a high spectator sport, the boys enthusiastically agreed that the matches can get “electric and intense.” The boys and their families proudly bring that same Ranger pride to bowling that you often see in higher profile sports. They welcome the community to come feel the energy at their matches.
To watch the Spencerport varsity bowling team compete and cheer the boys on, find their schedule at https://www.sectionvny.org/g5-bin/client.cgi?G5genie=783.
The boys have spent alot of time on the lanes together over the years and plan to remain best friends long past their high school careers.
Photo provided
Photo by Karen Fien
