Sports people love to talk about streaks.

There’s Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak.

This past NFL season, Drew Brees snapped Johnny Unitas’ record 47-game touchdown pass streak.

Then there’s UCLA’s college basketball record 88-game winning streak.

For streaks of consecutive games played, Cal Ripken Jr. and Brett Favre come to mind.

Butler has its own streak to take pride in.

It hasn’t gotten too much notoriety and it’s definitely stayed under the radar in terms of the Butler County sports world.

It is impressive, nonetheless.

The Butler High School varsity girls bowling team has a streak of 40 consecutive match wins in regular season play.

That program has not lost a regular season match — ever.

Its senior anchors, Autumn Hepler and Brea Suchonic, were freshmen when the program entered its debut season in the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Bowling League. They left Family Bowlaway last Wednesday after Senior Day festivities having never experienced a regular season high school defeat.

They never will.

Hepler carries a 190 average. Suchonic’s average is 187. They have the top two averages in the North section of the WPIBL.

They are daughters of accomplished Butler County bowlers Jim Hepler and Jeff Suchonic, respectively. Those two guys are assistant coaches for the Tornado bowling team.

In the first game against Knoch in the regular season finale, Autumn Hepler bowled a 126 and Brea Suchonic a 129.

Were they unhappy about it? Yes. Were they flustered over it? Hardly.

Their teammates aren’t bad bowlers, either. Megan Paul, a sophomore, carries a 178 average. Junior Kelly Bintrim averages 171 and sophomore Mikayla White averages 160. That trio took care of business in that first game.

Hepler rolled a 173 and 204 in the final two games, Suchonic a 212 and 223.

And the streak continued.

That’s the kind of mental toughness that exists on this team. And mental toughness is a required trait for success in bowling.

Butler’s girls have not captured a state championship yet. The team has placed sixth, second and fourth at the state tournament over the past three seasons.

The fairy tale ending for Hepler and Suchonic would be to end their prep bowling careers hoisting the state championship trophy.

Whether or not that happens, the bar has been set for Butler bowling.

Eventually, this team will lose.

It will have an off day as a unit. The opposition will have its season-best day against the Tornado.

The law of averages says that’s going to happen.

The fact it hasn’t happened in four years is truly incredible.