LAKEPORT, Calif. – The third annual Bass Bowling event at Lakeside Family Fun and Event Center had a strange twist Sunday evening.

Bass Bowling is an event that has students from Kelseyville High School compete with students from Clear Lake High School for a winner take all prize of $500, courtesy of Lakeside Family Fun and Event Center.

The event called for each school to field three teams each, one from their respective varsity football, junior varsity football and cheer squads. The teams were to compete in bowling, laser tag and dodge ball, and the school that won the most competitions would win the $500.

Kelseyville had just enough students show up to fill up their teams, but Clear Lake High could only fill out their cheer squad team. This meant that Clear Lake High would have to forfeit two thirds of the competitions, and all but hand the $500 prize money to Kelseyville High for the third year in a row.

But after winning the first round of bowling, many of the Kelseyville students left due to the lack of sufficient competition and early curfews, and soon they were unable to field any team.

Because the Clear Lake High cheer squad hung in to the end, they ended up winning $500 for their school by forfeit.

“It was like the old saying, 'It ain't over until it's over,'” said Bass Bowl Director Phil Smoley. “There was no way the Cardinals were going to win unless Kelseyville dropped out before Clear Lake High did. Kelseyville had three times more students attend the event initially, but it was the Cardinals who were left at the end. I was impressed with the Cardinal girls because they were ready to compete in spite of the odds.”

Lakeside Family Fun and Event Center sponsors and manages Bass Bowling at their multipurpose facility in Lakeport.

“They went way beyond our expectations to put on this event,” Smoley said. “They decorated the place in the schools colors and had added staff to manage the events. It's a great place to have an event, and we will be back next year.”

Bass Bowling is a prelude event for the upcoming Bass Bowl, sponsored by SERVPRO of Lake and Mendocino Counties.

The SERVPRO Bass Bowl is the annual high school football rivalry game between the Cardinals of Clear Lake High and the Knights of Kelseyville.

This is the fourth year for the Bass Bowl, and the Cardinals lead the series two games to one.

The winning team takes home the Bass Bowl Trophy and totem pole. The game is this Friday night at Clear Lake High in Lakeport and will feature a Civil War cannon that will fire after every score.

For more information, go to www.BassBowl.com .