Oilers fall to Jersey-Calhoun in dual shotgun meet

East Alton-Wood River’s co-ed varsity shotgun shooting team dropped both scores in Thursday’s home competition against Jersey-Calhoun in Cottage Hills, finishing on the short side of 117-99 and 109-97.

The Oilers were led by Dayton Bowling, who turned in the top individual rounds noted for East Alton-Wood River with a 23 in round one and a 24 in round two. Bowling’s steady shooting gave the Oilers a reliable presence across both rounds, even as Jersey-Calhoun posted the higher team totals in each segment of the meet.

Shotgun competition results often come down to consistency across the lineup, and that was the difference Thursday. Jersey-Calhoun reached 117 in the opening round while the Oilers scored 99, then followed with a 109 in the second round to East Alton-Wood River’s 97. The close margin in the second round showed improvement from the Oilers, who trimmed the gap while continuing to get strong work from Bowling.

Competing at home in Cottage Hills, East Alton-Wood River stayed in the meet with its best individual efforts and kept pressure on Jersey-Calhoun into the second round. Bowling’s 24 in round two stood out as one of the stronger marks of the day for the Oilers and helped the team remain more competitive in the later portion of the event.

While the result went to Jersey-Calhoun, the Oilers had a clear bright spot in Bowling’s performance across both rounds. East Alton-Wood River will look to build on that production and turn those individual scores into stronger overall team totals as the season moves forward.