2026

Mustache Bandits Go Back-to-Back in a Playoff Finish for the Ages

The road to the 2026 BAD Bowling championship came down to one final night, one final game, and, fittingly, one final frame.

After a regular season full of tight standings, shifting playoff hopes, and more than a few “wait, was this my beer?” moments, the postseason delivered exactly what everyone hoped for: drama, chaos, and a championship decided by almost nothing.

Round 1: The Cut Gets Cruel

The playoffs opened with all six teams on the lanes and only three spots available in the championship match.

For the Hambone Heroes, it was a familiar position. For the second straight season, they entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, looking like a team built for a deep run. But bowling has a funny way of ignoring the script. Despite a strong regular season and another top-seeded finish, the Heroes came up short in Round 1, finishing at 1,940 net pins and missing out on the final match.

Bowling for Soup also saw its season end in the opening round, finishing at 1,924 net pins. And for the second straight year, the Finals were missing one very important ingredient: Nolan Moon. At this point, Nolan missing championship night is becoming less of an absence and more of a league tradition. We’re not saying the league needs to launch an official investigation, but if he misses it again next year, we may have to start calling it the Moon Curse.

Meanwhile, The Bowling Stones battled their way to 1,966 net pins, ahead of both Hambone Heroes and Bowling for Soup, and got a huge round from Liz Lauzon, who led the team with a 426 net series. Hana Abate was right behind her with 396, and Taylor Coughlin added 393, giving the Stones a strong playoff showing even though they came up short of the final three.

Marco Bowlo finished Round 1 on top with 2,089 net pins, edging out Spare Parts, who posted 2,087. Right behind them were the defending champion Mustache Bandits, who grabbed the third and final championship spot with 2,056.

Two pins separated first and second. Thirty-three pins separated first and third.

Championship Match

Once the field was cut to three, the final match gave us exactly what a championship should: three teams with a real shot, one game to decide it, and no room to breathe.

Spare Parts made their case with 985 net pins, led by Pat Kelleher’s strong 212 net and Glennon Montgomery’s 206. Marco Bowlo pushed even harder, finishing with 996 net pins, getting big games from Chuck Woodard at 209 net and Jeremy Strege at 205.

But the Mustache Bandits found just enough.

The defending champs posted 1,008 net pins, slipping past Marco Bowlo by just 12 pins to claim their second straight BAD Bowling championship and 3rd title in 4 years.

Boyle Set the Tone, Dunoyer Finishes the Job

The MVP of the night for the Bandits was Kevin Boyle, who helped keep the defending champs alive through the playoff grind and delivered when they needed steady production most.

But in the final match, the spotlight belonged to James Dunoyer. James led the Bandits with a 223 net, the top score on the team in the championship round, giving Mustache Bandits the push they needed in a match that came down to the smallest of margins.

And then came the final frame.

With the title still hanging in the balance, James Dunoyer and Seth Babin both stepped up and buried strikes, pushing the Bandits over the finish line and sealing one of the tightest championship wins in league history. That is how legends are made.

A Championship Worth Earning

Marco Bowlo had a championship-caliber night. Spare Parts had the firepower to win it. But the Mustache Bandits had just enough — enough strikes, enough marks, enough late-frame nerve — to survive.

They entered the night as the TRUE defending champions. They left as something bigger.

The Mustache Bandits are your 2026 BAD Bowling champions — back-to-back title winners, and officially the team everyone will be chasing in 2027.

And finally, a huge thank you to everyone who bowled, pre-bowled, subbed, showed up, wore your league shirts, stayed late, and made this season what it was. It was another great year of BAD Bowling, and we’re already looking forward to keeping the balls rolling in 2027.