Boston Strong Balls Sweep; Tied With Fire And Ice At 10-2 After Three Weeks
Williams (650), Brady (633) Pace Tommie Triumph

South Glens Falls - Boston Strong Balls (formerly known as the Dredgers) continued to mow down all opposition in the venerable Forever Young league, sweeping the Marauders 4-0 Thursday afternoon to move into a share of first place with a 10-2 record.

Fire And Ice took three from the vacancy behind Floyd Butler's 203-567 and stayed even with BSB. The Tomahawks and C & P each tallied three points and are tied for third at 8-4. The Lady Slippers also took three to move to 7-5. Three teams are tied for sixth with even marks of 6-6.

The Tommies' Don Williams and Roy Brady registered the only 600 or better sets of the day. Williams shot 650 on games of 236, 217 and 197 to raise his league-best average to 208, while Brady went 224-215-194 for 633. The Toms looked to have an easy sweep in hand, but the BCs stellar leadoff man Bob George (575) rolled 259 in the finale and got some capable backup from Chuck Boykin's 204 in a 559.

Mark Basso of the Yanks came oh-so-close to the magic mark, putting 223 and 213 games at the end of his 598. Ray Davignon had 203-563 and partner Chuck Winney 193-536 for Leftover. Tracy Clemmons put 189-504 on the bottom for the league leaders.

Fire And Ice Rises To Top, Dredgers Close
Nine 500 Sets 'Highlight' Crazy Week

South Glens Falls - Fire And Ice (7-1) went 3-1 versus the Lady Slippers as the Butlers continued their strong play to go into first place as the Forever Young league wrapped up its second session. Linda put 147 and 159 in front of her 424 while Floyd began with 208 and leveled off to 565.

Dredgers (6-2) leadoff man Patrick Scanlan had 231 within a 538 total, pacing his team to a 3-1 win over The Singers.

The BCs split with the Head Pins as Bob George and Chuck Boykin shot 542 and 543 respectively.

The Tomahawks rode a five-strike finish by anchor Don Williams in the finale to pull out a 3-1 triumph over C & P. Cathy Pribis assured her duo a late point with a great 154 finish (30 over average). Williams shook off a four-split third game with the five-bagger to manage a 593 set, best of the day, after beginning with 223 and 193. Partner Roy Brady had a consistent 188-201-181 for 570.

Ray Davignon fired 579 on games of 193, 213 and 173 but his Leftover team was spanked by the Gutter Dusters 3-1 behind Jerry Johnson's 480 (60 over his average).

Wyman Swinton had the best single game of the afternoon, an opening 232 for Last Dance. Bill Eddy put 221 in front of his 529 effort for the Bills while Richard Minor finished his 529 for The Last Two with a fine 202 as the two teams fought to a 2-2 draw.

Fifteen Teams Kick Off Forever Young Campaign
Two Unbeatens; Williams (634), Three Others Hit 600

"Haggen... Festus Haggen"

South Glens Falls - The fifth edition of the Forever Young league hit the starting gate Thursday afternoon, with a robust complement of fifteen teams taking their marks. When the dust cleared, a pair of squads were still unblemished.

Floyd Butler fired an even 600 series on games of 198, 219 and 183 and got some help from better-half Linda to sweep Last Chance 4-0. This, despite a spectacularly consistent 575 rolled by anchor Ray Davignon (194-190-191).

The C & P duo (Cathy and Paul Pribis) weren't the best of hosts as they welcomed the new team of Lois Bennett and Ellen Marcantonio (Head Pins) with a whitewashing, as well.

Five teams went 3-1 on the day: the BCs got 222-587 from anchor Chuck Boykin and 208-526 from Bob George to beat the Bills (Eddy and Pike); the Lady Slippers rode a 201 opener by Cathy Tracy and an 8-pin squeaker in the finale to top the short-handed Marauders; the Dredgers had a relatively easy time against the Gutter Dusters as Tracy Clemmons kept building on his Tuesday Classic league win; The Singers took three from the BYE team and would have had the sweep if not for their 2-pin loss in the opener; and The Last Two outpointed The Last Dance notwithstanding 182-204-226 for 612 by Wyman Swinton.

The marquee matchup had two old foes doing battle once again, the defending champion Yanks and the two-time titlist Tomahawks. It looked like a Yank romp was a given after Ingrid and Mark Basso took Game 1 by ten and Game 2 by half-a-hundred. At that point, Roy Brady and Don Williams put the hammer down, bombing 257 and 229 respectively in the finale to win by 102 and salvage a split. Brady put a putrid 151 between 206 and the 257 to finish with 614, while his partner had 187 and 218 for starters in his league-best 634 outing.

No Mercy As Yanks Thrash Tomahawks
Bassos Take FY Title Handily

South Glens Falls - It only took one game. And, what a game it was.

Yank anchor Mark Basso followed up a first-game 205 with a resounding 237 - which, combined with mom Ingrid's 163, gave the team an incredible 534 game with handicap. That was more than sufficient to defeat the Tomahawks and capture the 2012 Forever Young league championship.

Needing three points to defend their title, the Toms got good efforts from Roy Brady (193) and Don Williams (216) in the opener. That was not enough to offset Mark's deuce, and the Toms found themselves in a 20-pin hole with their backs firmly against the wall, with no margin for error.

The champs then poured it on, winning by 151 and putting a huge exclamation point on an outstanding, almost wire-to-wire run to the crown.

The Tommies got a lone point with a 98-pin laugher in the finale - but, the champagne was already flowing.

Williams shot 652 on games of 216, 189 and 247 to finish the season with a 203 average to lead the circuit. Brady had the high single game (268) and set (722).

The Gamblers swamped the CC's in their opener, then added two close wins to sweep and end up in third position. Phil Camp's 192-522 led the victory. Barb Trottier paced The Singers to a 4-0 romp against Hi-Lo. Both squads were a bowler short.

Frosty + One beat the Racy Retirees 3-1 and the Marauders handled The Librarians by the same count. P+C swept the vacancy to round out the action.

Congratulations to Ingrid and Mark for a job well done, and a richly-deserved first championship.

One Down, One To Go
Tomahawks Win, Force Yet Another Showdown

Harry S. Truman bowling alley in the Eisenhower Old Executive Office Building

South Glens Falls - If this were tennis, the Yanks stood on the brink of championship point after two games on Thursday afternoon - staring into the eyes of the Tomahawks. Somebody blinked, and it wasn't the Tommies.

Don Williams put a seven-bagger inside a 259 finale to lock up a 3-1 win and send the Forever Young to a Week 15 showdown next week at the House of Thrills.

The Tomahawks rolled to a convincing 64-pin victory in the opener as Williams complemented leadoff man Roy Brady's 225 with a 223 of his own. The always-tough Yanks responded with a 16-pin triumph in the middle game, lowering the overall deficit to a manageable 48. Williams spared to open the third game, then reeled off seven consecutive bombs to leave no doubt of the match's outcome.

Mark Basso shot 179-504 in the defeat. Williams ended with a league-best 670 while Brady added 598. The winners are a stellar 24-4 over the last seven sessions.

The two teams meet again next Thursday for the league championship. The Yanks need two points to win their first crown, and the Toms require another 3-1 or better to win their second straight.

In other action, the CC's got 211-566 from Chuck Boykin to beat The Singers 3-1. The Gamblers rolled over The Librarians 4-0 with anchor Phil Camp shooting 174-500. Frosty + One took four versus the vacancy, as Patrick Scanlan continued his improvement with 175-462. Hi-Lo swept the Marauders as Curt Williams produced 191-519, and the Racy Retirees got a pair of points against a totally absent P+C tandem.

Barb Trottier finished with a 181 to pace the females' single game, and Carol Finkle had the high series at 426.

Next week, another finishing chapter in the FY's fourth season. Be there. Aloha.

The Stage Is Set
Yanks, Tomahawks Take It To The Limit

Just the facts

South Glens Falls - The Yanks dropped the Forever Young opener Thursday against The Singers by sixty pins, then stormed back with wins in the next two games - leading to a 2-2 draw. The Singers were in desperation mode, needing a sweep to remain in the race. Anchor Joe Sycuro had a 203 and 196 included in a decent 534 series.

At the north end, the Tomahawks faced the sometimes-troublesome bye team. The Toms needed to bowl 382 (191 apiece) in each game to secure their points. They took care of business in style.

Don Williams continued his current hot streak, hammering 231 and 246 games before finishing with a clutch tenth-frame strike and a 211. That final game was as close as the Tommies came to relinquishing a point (six pins). Williams' total of 688 was league-high for the day and pushed his average above the 200 mark, just 53 total pins shy of partner Roy Brady, who leads the pack at 202.

Chuck Boykin was hot on the Williams trail, firing an outstanding 686 set on games of 203, 247 and 236. The CC's had no issue versus The Librarians as a result, handily taking the 4-0 verdict and moving into third place alone.

The Gamblers are now fifth after a sweep of the Marauders. Mary Tessino's 183-480 paced the triumph, and was tops on the female side for the afternoon.

Hi-Lo beat the Racy Retirees 4-0 as Curt Williams sparkled with a 197 and 192 in a 556 effort. Cathy Tracy did well for the losers with 168-431. Frosty + One rolled over P+C 3-1 as Patrick Scanlan had a personal best for the year of 188-492.

Two weeks are left on the schedule, with no suspense left except for the top two teams. Leading by 3½ points, the Yanks face the Tomahawks next Thursday - and again the following week in the position round. So, six games with eight points available to determine a winner. The first-year Yanks obviously will be seeking their initial title, while the Brady-Williams duo are the defending champs. Williams also captured the inaugural league honor with Kenny Tooker in 2009.

A 3-1 or better Yanks outcome next week will clinch. Anything less, and we'll go right to the end. The Tommies will give up an even hundred pins per game.

Two Team Race To The Wire
Yanks Continue To Win, Face Tough Schedule

South Glens Falls - The Yanks breezed past Hi-Lo Thursday in the Forever Young league, knocking them from title contention. The league leaders followed a familiar formula, winning the opener by a small margin, then firing twin games in the 160s and coasting to a victory. The Yanks are 23-5 over the last seven sessions.

The Tomahawks will not go away. Don Williams shot 651 on games of 212, 248 and 191 and Roy Brady contributed 650 (235-184-231) for a sweep against the always-tough Marauders. Audrey Baker and Roger Nelligan bested their averages in each game, to no avail. The Tommies trail the Yanks by 5½.

The Singers saw their hopes of a title probably evaporate as they were upset 3-1 by P+C. Barb and Joe cling to third place, with all the money riding on next week's Yanks showdown. Trailing by 8½ may be too steep a hill to climb.

The CC's and Frosty + One played what is considered a suspended match. Gary Frost is scheduled to make up his absence, but for the time being his team won the match 2½-1½. Rookie sensation Nick Gebo used the opportunity to act as a pacer with Frosty leadoff man Patrick Scanlan and fired an outstanding 711 series on games of 248, 229 and 235.

The Racy Retirees swamped the slumping Librarians 4-0 behind Cathy Tracy's 189-470 effort. The Gamblers swept the vacancy as Mary Tessino rolled a sensational 497 set to pace the weekly ladies' scores.

The real action begins next week, as the league enters upon the final three Thursdays of play. A dozen points are available.

The Singers (28) take on the Yanks (36½) in the marquee contest, while both of the Tomahawks (31) will have to shoot 191 against the vacancy to earn their points. And that's just to whet your appetite.

Week 14 has the Yanks and Tomahawks doing battle. The final session is a position round - and, perhaps a rematch between the Tommies and Yanks.

High drama at Pine.

Four Weeks Of Heavy Lifting Ahead
Yanks Win, Tommies & Singers Loom

South Glens Falls - The Yanks remained atop the Forever Young league standings with a 3-1 victory against the Racy Retirees Thursday afternoon at Pine Lanes. Ingrid Basso once again put a well-above-average 163 game in the middle to pick up anchor Mark Basso and provide a tense ten-pin win in a crucial spot.

The Tomahawks brought out the brooms and swept P+C to move into second place, just 5½ points behind. Don Williams took the day's high honors with a 613 series on games of 216, 210 and 187. Partner Roy Brady was right there as well, with a pair of deuces included in a 591 effort.

The Singers bowled the vacancy and came away with three points and a virtual tie with the Tommies at 27-17. Joe Sycuro barely missed the 500 level with 494. The team made a fine comeback after coming up short in the opener.

The CC's pounded the Gamblers 4-0 as Chuck Boykin put 226 at the end of a fine 561 set. Carol Finkle set the standard for the ladies (as usual) with her 179-416.

Frosty + One beat Hi-Lo 3-1 thanks in part to rookie Patrick Scanlan's 183 second game, and The Librarians continued on their recent downward spiral - falling 4-0 to the Marauders. Roger Nelligan rolled a 173-495 for the winners.

There are four weeks remaining in the season. In two weeks, the Yanks face off against The Singers. Following that, they get the Tomahawks. The fifteenth week is a position round, so any predictions now certainly fall well within the margin of error.

Brady, Yanks Continue To Impress

South Glens Falls - The record book took a pounding Thursday afternoon as Roy Brady took high honors in the Forever Young league with a mistake-free 722 series on games of 268, 247 and 207. The single and triple were season-highs, just short of the 277-725 rolled in 2010 by teammate Don Williams. Williams added 213-204-178 for 595 as the Tomahawks took a 3-1 decision against the CC's. Chuck Boykin paced the losers with 202-184-193 (579).

The Yanks continued on their torrid streak, surviving a first-game scare to sweep The Librarians and maintain their 5½ point lead in the standings. Mark Basso had 184-518 and mom Ingrid finished up with a blistering 166 game for the winners. The Yanks are 16-4 over the past five sessions.

The Singers swept Frosty + One behind anchor Joe Sycuro's fine 194-535 to move into the runner-up spot alone. Hi-Lo took three from the Gamblers as Curt Williams fashioned a 232-577.

In other action, the Racy Retirees beat the Marauders 3-1 and the league welcomed a new sub, Nick Gebo, who responded with 643 (217-210-216) - pairing with Paul Pribis to get four points versus the vacancy.

Carol Finkle showed the way for the women with a 168 game, and Barb Trottier had 454 for the best series.

The league is now at the two-thirds mark, with five weeks remaining on the schedule (20 available points).

Yanks Sweep; Add Three To Lead

Long Branch bartender Sam Noonan

South Glens Falls - The Yanks widened their breathing room from the top perch of the Forever Young league Thursday with a resounding 4-0 victory over Frosty + One. Leadoff Yank Ingrid Basso showed the way with 163-454. Her individual games were 30, 39 and 13 pins above her average. The spread between first and second place is now 5½ with six weeks (24 available points) remaining on the schedule.

The Tomahawks, The Singers and The CC's are all nestled in second place. The Tommies rolled over the Racy Retirees 3-1 behind Roy Brady and his season-high 655 on games of 235, 217 and 203. Anchor Don Williams contributed his third consecutive 600 or better series, a 613 on games of 211, 221 and 181.

The Singers dropped their match 3-1 to the Gamblers, who got an outstanding 223 and 177 effort from Phil Camp (548) in the second and third games to claim the win. Joe Sycuro rolled a steady 525 for the losers, with all games in the 170s.

The CC's took care of Hi-Lo by 3-1 with Chuck Boykin's 214-550 leading the way. Curt Williams had 191-534 for Hi-Lo.

Michele Gottlieb bowled all by her lonesome on lanes 13 and 14, taking The Librarians to a sweep over the vacancy via her amazing 207 finale. Her 499 set was tops for the ladies, as well.

P+C topped the Marauders in action further down the standings ladder.