The 2020-21 Friday Night All-Stars draft is just over a week away! As an avid fan of sports drafts in general, draft nights are always some of my favourite times, and obviously as a fan and member of the largest competitive bowling league in Winnipeg, the Friday Night All-Stars draft is an important event. And what goes great with draft time? Mock drafts, obviously! Here are my guesses for how the first round will play out based on the current list of bowlers with their names in the draft - though the list is not finalized until next Friday so more names may join in the meantime.
#1. Ben Jeffers (232) selects Darren Maxwell (246) -- team average: 478
A first-time captain, Ben will probably look for someone to bowl his anchor position and takes the highest average bowler available in the draft.
#2. Jesse Gagnon (232) selects Andrew LaMonica (229) -- team average: 461
They have a rapport from the St. James YBC program, and Andrew is likely to take the next step like Matt Rodych, Colton Youzwa, and Jeston Bartram did last year.
#3. Dan Sim (232) selects Ethan Buckman (238) -- team average: 470
Dan likes to take the best bowler on the board and at this point that should be Ethan. Expect a jump on that 238 entry average in a more competitive environment.
#4. Cindy Cousins (235) selects Char Hurd (223) -- team average: 458
Good chemistry here and Char is likely to improve on last year’s 223 average. Plus, coming in at a team average of 458 should provide good draft position in the next round.
#5. Ray Bartel (235) selects Bob Borden (230) -- team average: 465
A proven combination with a ton of match play league experience reunites with this selection.
#6. Wayne King (236) selects Craig Enns (228) -- team average: 464
Two Friday All-Stars veterans come together here. Craig is usually a captain, so getting the opportunity to draft him gives this team a very strong 3rd and 4th spot in the lineup.
#7. Chris Jeffers (239) selects Alycia Mann (245) -- team average: 484
This pick seems wide open, but Alycia is a great pick in the middle of the first round, bringing a 245 average over from Dakota YBC last season.
#8. Jennifer Devenney (240) selects Calvin Cline (227) -- team average: 467
She likes to pick people she’s close with, and Calvin is also close to the top of the list when it comes to remaining averages.
#9. Mike Ruddock (240) selects Linda Orne (229) -- team average: 469
Linda is a super consistent third and should fit in well with Mike.
#10. Matt Rodych (241) selects Amanda Devenney (226) -- team average: 467
They made a great player-coach tandem in YBC, now Matt and his mentor team up on Friday nights.
#11. Jesse Leyte (245) selects Shane Dutkowski (207) -- team average: 452
Jesse goes for a chemistry pick that gives him great draft position in the second round here.
#12. Colton Youzwa (247) selects Dylan Stevenson (227) -- team average: 474
After playing on a dominant young team last year, Colton takes another good young bowler with the drive to improve.
#13. Jeston Bartram (249) selects Chad Hurd (215) -- team average: 464
This pick sets Jeston up nicely for the rest of the draft - he gets a good second round position where he can pick someone that will create a solid 2-3-4 lineup.
#14. Trevor Cook (255) selects Holly Chaikowski (219) -- team average: 474
They’re friends and former teammates in another league, plus there’s upside as 219 is a down year for Holly.
#15. Dwayne Gelardi (255) selects Kelly Smith (223) -- team average: 478
Dwayne likes having a young team, knows Kelly well, and she’s also one of the higher averages left on the board.
#16. Matt Turanski (260) selects Neil Stewart (198) -- team average: 458
They’re regular teammates in Friday Night All-Stars, plus this puts Matt in a tie situation for the second pick in the second round, so the pick makes sense for chemistry and strategic reasons.
