THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 15, 1995 TAG: 9501130230
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
In the very near future a bowler will register the 250th perfect game in local tenpin league play.
Nothing could more clearly demonstrate how scoring has progressed.
Possibly there may have been a 300 game or two that never reached the local record books but the first 12-striker on the honor rolls of the Norfolk Bowling Association was credited to Bob Schuler at the now-defunct Pin-Path Lanes in 1959.
Area bowlers had been trying for a half century to accomplish that feat.
Only five 300 games were rolled in the 13 years after Schuler's perfecto. Four were bowled in THE PAST WEEK.
The real avalanche of 300s began in 1988 when 19 bowlers shot 300s. Rufus Peacock had a pair at two different centers.
After a drop back to 10 in 1989, there were 23 in 1990, 27 in 1991, 19 in 1992, 21 in 1993 and a whopping 52 a year ago.
Already this season there have been 21.
Through the years only four have been posted by local women bowlers, including one this season by Doris English. Two were rolled by Fran Sansone (1990 and 1991) and the other by Maryann LaBlue in 1978.
No duckpin bowler has ever registered a 300 game. The current national records are 279 for men and 265 for women.
Locally the record holders are James ``Tiger'' Baker and Christy Mattern.
Baker posted a 272 and Mattern had a 226.
Bowler of the Week honors go to the area's newest 300 shooters - David Martin, John Mathias, Eric Hofmann and Pat Dineen.
Martin fired his 300 in the Cosmopolitan Tenpin League at Pinboy's of Norfolk, going on to a 769 series.
Mathias hit his 12-striker in a 799 series in the Big Chiefs Tenpin League at Indian River.
Hofmann and Dineen had their 300s in the same league - the Virginia Beach Commercial at Plaza Bowl.
Hofmann, rolling his first 300, sandwiched it between games of 243 and 235 for a 778 series.
Dineen opened the night with nine in a row, then crossed over the headpin to finish at 277. After a 201 game he followed with his 300, also crossing over in the 10th but carrying the strike.
Coincidentally Dineen was the first bowler ever to post a 300 at Plaza Bowl, accomplishing the feat 18 years ago.
Tenpin topics: Todd Allred barely missed the week's fifth 300 when the No. 4 pin refused to fall on his last shot after 11 in a row. The 299 was chalked up in the Tuesday Mixed Majors at Plaza Bowl. . . . Art Bisner also had 299 in a 711 series in the WCMS League at Indian River. . . . And still another 299 was posted by Kenny Wilson in the Sunday Nite Mixers League at Pinboy's of Western Branch. . . . With all the big individual games, Jim Marrion went on a three-game scoring spree in the Charles Peete League at Pinboy's of Norfolk. He put together games of 256, 269 and 289 for a splendid 814, the 16th 800 series ever rolled locally. . . . Junior bowler Thomas Paulo zipped 118 pins over average with a 244 game at Pinboy's of Lynnhaven. . . . That sub bowler with the highest average in the Thursday loop at Scott Center is duckpinner Troy Tippin. He fired a 600 series last week. . . . Gina Forehand celebrated her 40th birthday with a 290 game in the Monday Nite Mixed League at Pinboy's of Military. . . . Youth league teammates Danny Tepovich and Mike Snell had series of 683 and 711, respectively, in the Major/Senior loop at Pinboy's of Norfolk. Danny averages 192 and Mike sports a 190 average. . . . Other gems of the week included Tom Godman's 296 in the Playmates League at Pinboy's of Chesapeake, Chris Baron's 297 in the Tuesday Nite Mixed at Indian River, Harold Credle Jr. with 290 in the Youth Scratch Doubles League at Pinboy's of Chesapeake and Dewey Cotterell's 290 in the Tuesday Nite Mixed League at Pinboy's of Norfolk.
Duckpin data: The week's finest single was registered by a youth leaguer. Chris Ricks notched a 190 in his 386 series in the Victory Youth League. In the same league two bowlers were the recipients of the nationally awarded Star of the Month citations. Ashley Johnson was the top Prep (7-9) in October with a 124 game and Michael Frederick was the top Prep for November with 143. . . . The Portsmouth Match Game Championship resumes tonight at Victory Lanes with the field to be reduced to the final seven bowlers. . . . An arm injury has sidelined two-league regular Herb Ripley, possibly for the remainder of the season. . . . Sharon Reaves rolled a 160 game in the Tuesday Housewives League at Bowlarama. . . . Jack Cunningham smacked a 172 single in the Mary Crabtree Singles League, raising his average to 120. . . . Three world records that were posted locally still stand. Kathy Lischio set the women's 10-game record of 1,508 at Collinwood Lanes in 1979. Buddy Creamer chalked up the men's 12-game record of 2,025 at the same center in 1983. In 1991 at Bowlarama Tiger Baker, Dan Grizzard and Sharon Thomas hit 1,723 for a four-game series record for a three-bowler mixed team. . . . The Virginia Ladies All-Stars will visit Victory Lanes next month. A Star-Am will be on Friday, Feb. 24, followed by the two-day feature tournament. by CNB