We are at about the mid-point in the 2021-2022 league bowling season at good old Orchard Lanes up on the Heights in beautiful Hood River. It’s a perfect time to recap our high scores and see how our top players and winning teams are doing.
Last week we were inundated with several feet of snow, so all leagues canceled except for the hardy who showed up for the pin busting Fraternal league. Hats off to them; they are great group who are clearly motivated by bowling in the fast paced, high scoring and competitive Fraternal league.
The following is a list of our top bowlers who are all currently averaging 200 pins per game or better. We have often sung the praises of what it means to average 200 in bowling. Granted, none of us are pros, but we thoroughly enjoy league bowling, and a 200 average is the mark of an exceptionally good bowler. A 200 average has traditionally been considered like par in golf. It’s a beautiful number! You will note the plus/minus number next to the averages, which reflects how their current average compares to last season:
1. Jeff Miler, 222, +3
2. Patrick Olson, 221, +7
3. Josh Worth, 217, +6
4. Jeremy Bloom, 213, -3
5. Levi Phelps, 212, +12
6. Chad Mason, 211, +6
7. Mike Parke, 206, -4
8. Ken Espersen, 206, +1
9. Rod Pratt, 205,+7
10. John Riggleman, 204, +7
11. Bill Pullum, 204, +4
12. Bryan Mason, 203, +16
13. Stan Pratnicki, 202, +1
14. Jeff Brittle, 201, +11
15. Dustin Ticknor, 200, -3
As far as who’s hot, the plus numbers show it’s a three-person race between Bryan Mason, Levi Phelps, and Jeff Brittle.
Bryan Mason has been a solid, long-time, dependable regular who was in a bit of a slump for the past couple of seasons. Not anymore! His whopping 16 pins per game improvement this season is nothing short of miraculous. He’s sure found an answer to his woes which leads us to wonder what has keyed his big turn-around. Two big 700 sets in the past three weeks shows he’s in the zone now.
Our young Mr. Phelps isn’t starring in Mission Impossible; it just seems that way on the lanes. He has accepted the assignment! Levi’s speedy sphere is simply crushing those poor, hapless 3 pound, 6 ounce pins week in and week out. There’s an old saying that youth must be served — clearly, it’s time we all take notice. Levi Phelps has elevated his game to another level with his cool 212 average. He’s joined the elite in Hood River bowling.
Jeff Brittle isn’t brittle anymore. The notorious big-hooking power player has come to bowl this season. Not only can he hook the ball out of the building, he’s proved he can also score with the best of us. An 11 pins average improvement for Jeff is an eye opener at this point in his long career. He’s been a long-time regular, so it shows persistence pays off. Just hang in there everybody!
In addition to their high averages, we’ve already had four perfect 300 games at the lanes this season, two by Jeff Miller and one each by Josh Worth and Jeremy Bloom. Mr. Bloom also rolled the highest three game series, an astounding 822!
As for our pin pounding ladies, Nancy Brittle leads with a 194 average followed closely by Bernie Keys at 193 and Ciena Brittle at 191. Ciena is the daughter of Nancy Asai and Jeff Brittle, so that could explain why she’s so talented on the lanes! Nancy leads in the high game and series battle with a 268 and beautiful 720. Ciena is just a notch back at 249 and 692. Bernie’s highs are 245 and 660. Folks, take a close look at these mighty fine numbers. We don’t understand why more women don’t bowl leagues. Nancy, Ciena and Bernie prove that women can bowl well. Get involved, put something into it and bowling will get in your blood — it’s fun and challenging. It’s a whole lot more than those pretend games in your hand-held devices that you play on your rear as you do the lazy couch potato thing. You won’t burn any calories doing that!
In our leagues, let’s salute our teams with local sponsors like Collins Aerospace, Mid-Columbia Diesel, Pat’s Pro Shop, Orchard Lanes, Wild Giant Studio, Tinman Heating, Randy’s Painting, Double A Orchards, 6th Street Bistro, Montavon’s Berries, Hood River Sports Club, Mt. Hood BBQ, Electronics Assemblers, Hood River Supply and E & L Auto Machining. These local businesses play a key role in our great game, so please support them.
Collins Aerospace won the first round in the Industrial league paced by all-star Jeff Miller’s big pro-like average. Round two has three weeks to go with Pat’s Pro Shop leading by a comfortable 30-point margin. Patrick Olson is the main man on the Pro Shop trio with his big average in this league.
Team Nishi took the first half in the Tuesday Nite Mixed league by a comfy 4-point margin which was keyed by Joey Sheirbon’s dangerous down and in slants. Double A Orchards is leading the second half at about the halfway point by a whopping five-point margin. There’s still room for another team to emerge on top, but the fearsome Double A foursome are odds on favorites to take the second half right now.
Verna’s team won the first half in the senior Colts and Fillies league by a squeaker of just two-points over the Skamaniacs. The second half just got underway last week so any of the 11 teams in the league can rise to the top. The seniors claim they don’t get too intense about winning but we don’t believe it. This season they will have a roll off for their league championship at the end of the season and Verna’s Team has already qualified for that contest by winning the first half.
The 3 Wizards won the first round in the Fraternal league thanks to Stan Pratnicki’s pin busting power. Stan plays the lanes just off the right gutter with so much speed it looks like his ball is airborne for the entire 60 feet from the foul line to the pins. His game is gutsy to say the least!
With just a couple more weeks to go in round 2, 6th Street Bistro currently leads by 10-points, but anything is possible in this league and no lead is safe. However, the Bistro trio is loaded with big shooters, Jeremy Bloom with his high average and Bryan Mason, who is the hottest bowler in town right now. It’s going to be hard to overtake these guys.
The County league has just two more weeks to go in its first half with three teams in contention, The Unbowlievables, The Alley Cats and The Munsons. Just 1.5 points separates these three squads in this ultra-fun league.
Why not join in on the fun? Let’s go bowling everybody!
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