Last week, Your Rental Center (YRC) won the third round in the high-flying Wednesday night Fraternal League at Hood River’s Orchard Lanes. Bowling for the big shooters are the league’s individual point winner Zach Mohun, steady Woody Eskildsen, and power ball artist Aaron Troxel. Congratulations!
It was mighty close, though, as YRC just squeaked by the first-round winner, Men with Balls (MWB), by a mere 1.5 points to take the round. YRC was only able to take two points in their match with Buntings last week. Buntings was hotter than a legendary Ferrari V-12 and MWB was also on fire, taking 19 points in their match with FIVE minus TWO (5-2). 5-2 needed to win big and if they had reversed the tables with MWB, they would have won the third round! 5-2 is a heck of a team, but MWB bowled tough as usual. It sure looks like they are ready to defend their league championship title that they won last season.
Here’s an interesting point: had MWB won the third round, they would have been a double round winner this season, which would have really shaken things up in the roll-off for the league championship next week as they would have only had to beat the second round winner, Myassis Dragon (MD), for the title. But, as it stands now, four teams qualified for the league championship roll-off, just as the Las Vegas odds makers had it: round winners YRC, MWB, MD and 5-2, who became eligible as the wildcard team because they won more points than any other team but didn’t win a round.
However, we have an interesting twist on things. 5-2 will have to forfeit because they will be out of town next week as they are bowling our National tournament in Reno at the awesome National Bowling Stadium. And, that’s too bad — we’re sorry they won’t be here, but we wish them nothing but strikes and spares in the biggest bowling tournament on the planet!
So, we will have a three-team roll-off for the championship of the highest average, most competitive league from Portland to Pendleton — heck, the Fraternal may be the best league all the way to Boise, who knows! The league championship roll-off will be a total pins contest over three games, plus handicap. These three teams are ready and well matched; this roll-off is shaping up to be a classic donnybrook!
MWB are led by the powerful Barker boys and the No. 2 individual point winner, Levi Phelps. MD features steadily improving Paul Weatherly, young flame thrower Alex Frazier, and the prolific pin pounder, Lynn Spellman. Come on up and watch the fireworks… will we have a repeat champion?
Here are the highs for the 2015-16 Fraternal League: High average, men, Jeff Miller, 218; High average, women, Bernie Keys, 174; High scratch series, men, Michael Allen, 777; High scratch series, women, Bernie Keys, 609; High scratch game, men, Roger Montavon and Jeff Miller, 299; High scratch game, women, Bernie Keys, 248; Most individual points won, Zach Mohun, 60.5. We must note that Zach won the points title by a razor-thin .5 point over young power bowler Levi Phelps. These two exciting top point-getters are both in the championship roll-off next week, so they get another opportunity to spur their teams on one more time. It will sure be fun to see who prevails. Good luck and good bowling, everybody!
League Reports:
Wednesday night Fraternal: Bryan Mason, 246 game & 669 series; Bernie Keys, 182 game & 493 series; Court Barker, 279 game; Patrick Olson, 258 game; Michael Allen, 236 game; Lynn Spellman, 235 game; Jeff Miller, 235 game.
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