BSB Listing To Port After Mitchell Broadside
Standings Tighten Considerably With Five Weeks Left

"Here, Patrick... here, Tracy..."

South Glens Falls - A perfect storm of circumstances led to the sinking of the Boston Strong Balls express on Thursday afternoon as the Forever Young league wrapped up its tenth week of play at Kingpin's Alley. The river dredgers looked to have an easy time, facing a C + P duo that was absent - but, young area superstar Cameron Mitchell appeared to take over for Cathy Pribis and at least, make the match competitive.

Lo and behold, BSB was missing a key piece, as well. Anchor Tracy Clemmons was AWOL, placing extreme pressure on Patrick Scanlan to duel with Mitchell one-on-one. Cameron reeled off games of 219, 240 and 214 for a league-best 673 while Scanlan foundered with three games under his average - the result was a C + P sweep of the circuit leaders, dropping them to 28-12 and cutting their standings margin to a mere 1½ points.

Now resting tantalizingly close to the top spot is The Last Two. Mac Brill and Richard Minor took care of business in a big way, beating the no-show Lady Slippers 4-0 after a brush with disaster in the opener. Brill put 202 in the middle of his 490 set.

Third-place Leftover rode anchor Ray Davignon's 181-203-215 (599) and Chuck Winney's 204-540 to an important 3-1 victory over the defending champion Yanks. Mark Basso flew solo to a consistent 183-179-175 (537) for the losers.

The ever-dangerous Tomahawks swept The Singers behind Don Williams' 193-227-225 (645) and Roy Brady's 245-609. The Toms pulled within 5½ of the lead with the win. The winners received unexpected support from opponent Barb Trottier's grandchildren Taylor, Paige, Jordan and Maddie who formed a cheering section for Roy and Don.

The BC's (Bob George and Chuck Boykin) dropped the first game versus the BYE team, then roared back for a 3-1 triumph. The pair shot a session-best 454 (521 with handicap) in Game 2 and finished strong with 399 (466) in the finale. Bob tallied 606 on his 196-239-171 effort and Chuck went 215-228 after a poor opener for 589.

Floyd Butler rolled a steady 552 on games of 185, 180 and 187 to no avail as the Sir Bills beat Fire And Ice 3-1. Anchor Phil Hack continued his improvement for Last Dance, going 62 pins over average in their 4-0 shutout of the Gutter Dusters. Roger Nelligan registered 192-470 in the Marauders' 3-1 waltz over the absent Head Pins.

Williams raised his average a pin to 204, while Brady stayed at 201.

Next week: Boston Strong Balls vs. Leftover, The Last Two vs. BC's provide the juice as the league heads down the home stretch.

BSB Keep Rollin' Down The River; The Last Two Creep Closer
Mitchell Sparkles With 612; Williams Saves Tommies' Season

South Glens Falls - Scoring was certainly at a premium Thursday afternoon as the Forever Young league keglers fought for respectability. The circuit had the honor of being the first organization to compete under the facility's new ownership. The closing on the property now known as Kingpin's Alley occurred during play. Congratulations to the new owners, Alison and Doug "Bossman" Bohannon.

Cameron Mitchell subbed for the absent Bill Pike and teamed with Bill Eddy to hold back the Head Pins 3-1. Cameron had the lone 600 series of the day, a 612 on games of 216, 184 and 212. Eddy contributed 512 to the victory.

Chuck Boykin and Ray Davignon each stroked 578 in match splits. Chuck went 188-182-208 in BC's draw with the Lady Slippers and Ray shot 192-210-176 in Leftover's 2-2 result versus C+P. Richard Minor flew solo for The Last Two, whitewashing the BYE team 4-0 with 577 on games of 199, 176 and 202.

Don Williams (202-206-570) was placed in a familiar position in the second and third games for the Tomahawks after they were soundly thrashed in the opener against Last Dance. The middle game saw the veteran Tommie anchor needing a tenth-frame double and a good count to pull out a win, which he accomplished to win by four pins. Then in the finale, the task required all three tenth-frame strikes to eke out a one-pin victory. Williams ended the day with a five-bagger to seal that deal. The 2-2 split kept hope alive for the Toms. Partner Roy Brady had a pair of efforts in the 190s for 556.

Joe Sycuro and teammate Barb Trottier each broke the 500 barrier - Joe with 168-195-186 for 549 and Barb had 509 after finishing strong with 192 and 178 games. The Singers shut out the Gutter Dusters 4-0.

Mark Basso scrapped his way to 211-521, but a critical tenth-frame miss of a 10-pin cost the Yanks a point. Anchor Tracy Clemmons converted a solid 9-pin in the last frame to pull out a 2-2 tie for league-leading Boston Strong Balls

Six weeks remain on the FY schedule. Boston Strong Balls (28-8) are 5½ up on The Last Two and seven ahead of the Lady Slippers. Leftover is another half-point back, then a half-dozen teams are within a single point of each other.

Williams and Brady each lost a couple pins in average to sit at 203 and 201, respectively.

Next week's big showdowns feature The Last Two vs. the Lady Slippers, followed in importance by The Singers vs. the Tomahawks.

Burdick's 697 Pushes Lady Slippers Into Second
BSB Gains More Separation With Win Over Tommies

"One of these days, Alice..."

South Glens Falls - Three 600 sets and two near-misses provided the individual highlights as the Forever Young league returned from its July 4th hiatus and whizzed past the halfway mark Thursday afternoon at Pine Lanes.

The legendary Harry Burdick rolled an impressive 697 on games of 226, 223 and 248 as he capably filled in for anchor Cathy Tracy - pacing the Lady Slippers to a 4-0 whitewash of the Sir Bills. It was Harry's first go-round in the FY league.

The legendary (in his own mind) Don Williams managed a weird 641 set on games of 197, 211 and 233 that included a stretch of 14 strikes over 15 frames. Ray Davignon produced the other gem, a 603 (191-219-193). Chuck Boykin continued his emergence from a recent slump with 204-183-208 for 595 and late-bloomer Roger Nelligan pounded 188-209-196 for 593.

The marquee matchup of the session left everyone dissatisfied, except Patrick Scanlan and Tracy Clemmons. Boston Strong Balls dominated the Tomahawks over the first two games, winning by 59 and 18 to build up enough cushion to get that third total-pins point after a Tommie 6-pin squeaker in the finale. Clemmons led the winners with a consistent 184-172-171 for 527.

The win pushed BSB's record to a gaudy 26-6, a full 7 clear of the Lady Slippers and 7½ in front of The Last Two and Leftover. Seven weeks of competition remain in the season (28 available points), so today's victory looms large for those pesky river dredgers. Eleven teams are within five points of each other - from the 19-13 Lady Slippers to the 14-18 Yanks and Gutter Dusters. A lot of kegling remains.

Next week, the league leaders square off against the defending champ Yanks in mid-house (lanes 13&14). The dynamic duo of Ingrid and son Mark Basso served notice that the race ain't quite over yet, with Ingrid blasting 202-490 and Mark 227-189-557 in a 3-1 win against Fire And Ice. Floyd Butler started like gangbusters with 243, but fell to end with 553.

Rookie (80 years young) Phil Hack endured the absence of teammate Virginia Muller and, using a freshly-drilled sphere from the "Bossman", flashed a well-above-average 375 to give the juice to a 4-0 Last Dance triumph against the BYE team. Next week, Mr. Hack and Ms. Muller get the beloved Tomahawks.

Chuck Winney paired with Davignon, contributing 202-187-547 in Leftover's 3-1 decision versus the Head Pins.

Williams jumped past Roy Brady (203) into the average lead with 205. Davignon moved up to 196, while Floyd sits at 189, Boykin 187 and Bob George 180. Mr. Basso is knocking on that door with 179.

Brady (658), Williams (640) Hot As Tommies Surge
BSB Holding On As High-Noon Showdown Approaches

Same bullshit fifty years later...

South Glens Falls - The league-leading Boston Strong Balls had a bit of a slip Thursday as the Forever Young circuit neared the halfway point of the season at Pine Lanes. Tracy Clemmons and Patrick Scanlan faced the absent Head Pins and came away with only a 2-2 draw, bringing their record to a formidable 23-5. After dumping the first two games, BSB rebounded smartly to avoid disaster with Tracy (185) and Patrick (159) having their best games in the finale.

The Last Two are now 5½ back in second place after a 4-0 sweep against Fire And Ice. Linda Butler had an outstanding 190-179-154-523 effort in the defeat.

Third place to ninth is separated by a mere game-and-a-half. The Tomahawks (15½-12½) managed three points against the actual BYE team, with Roy Brady (231-170-257) and Don Williams (253-193-194) firing 658 and 640, respectively. The Tommies are tied with Leftover, who edged the Sir Bills 2½-1½ behind anchor Ray Davignon's 209-561.

The Lady Slippers and BCs are next at 15-13. The Lady Slippers couldn't follow up on last week's upset of the Tommies, dropping a 3-1 decision to Last Dance, who welcomed Phil Hack as Virginia Muller's newest partner. The BCs handily took care of business with a 4-0 nod over the vacationing Gutter Dusters. Chuck Boykin had 202-212-182 for 596 and teammate Bob George added 202-551.

The aforementioned Fire And Ice joins the Marauders and The Singers at an even .500 (14-14). The Marauders used their 47-pin handicap-per-game edge wisely, beating the struggling Yanks 3-1 despite Mark Basso's 196-218-573. The Singers bested C&P 3-1 in other action.

All trained FY fan eyes will be on July 11th's marquee showdown between BSB and the Toms. A strong dredger showing could cause the league to fold its tent early and just give Tracy and Patrick the crown. Williams and Brady have other ideas, however.

Brady improved his average to 207 and Williams stayed within earshot at 204. Davignon (195) and Floyd (190) are the other pair of keglers at or over 190.

Few problems surfaced as the league got its first taste of the new scoring system.

The will be no bowling next Thursday (July 4th).

BSB Dredge Up Another Sweep
Boykin Lone Bowler Over 600

Lady Slippers Surprise Tommies

South Glens Falls - The seafaring duo of Boston Strong Balls ran their record to a gaudy 21-3 Thursday afternoon via a sweep of the Sir Bills. Patrick Scanlan paced the win with a steady 157-158-168 for 483.

The lead ballooned to seven games over Fire And Ice and the Lady Slippers. The Butlers were upset 4-0 by the BCs despite anchor Floyd Butler's decent 582 on games of 201, 198 and 183. The winners got 617 from anchor Chuck Boykin (194-208-215) and 194-533 from Bob George.

The Lady Slippers handled the Tomahawks pretty easily in a 3-1 shocker at the northern end. Mickey Michels was well above her average all three games, while Tommie stalwarts Roy Brady (204-560) and Don Williams (574) were pathetic.

The Last Two defeated the Marauders 3-1 and moved into fourth place alone. Leftover rode Ray Davignon's 203-189-202-594 and Chuck Winney's consistent 179-185-191-555 to a whitewash of Last Dance.

Joe Sycuro just missed 500, but never wavered with 167-166-164 for 497 as The Singers pasted the defending champ Yanks.

Lackluster attendance has left only six teams above the .500 level after six sessions.

The Last Two vs. Fire And Ice headline next week's matchups.

Brady Shoots Season-Best 703 In Tommie Draw
Boston Strong Balls Continue Assault On Standings

South Glens Falls - Roy Brady opened with eight consecutive strikes Thursday afternoon on his way to 263, then added 223 and 217 for a Forever Young season-high 703 - but, the Tomahawks were unable to capitalize despite anchor Don Williams' 235-234-639 effort as Leftover Ray Davignon put 217 and 242 at the end of a 628 series and leadoff man Chuck Winney threw a consistent 548 (188-181-179). The result was a 2-2 tie between the teams.

Boston Strong Balls (17-3) were victorious again, losing the first game and coming back for a 3-1 nod over Last Dance. Tracy Clemmons flirted with that magic 600 number with 237-596.

Fire And Ice took four points as the Pribis family were marked absent. Floyd Butler had a steady 567 (196-181-190) for the winners. Floyd and Linda are three behind the dredgers after five sessions.

Brady catapulted to a 209 average after his huge performance, with teammate Williams sitting at 205. Davignon is third (196) and Floyd fourth (194). Three keglers (Mark Basso, Bob George and Chuck Boykin) are all at or around 180.

Budding young superstar Cameron Mitchell made his FY debut as a pacer with 618 on games of 235, 187 and 196.

The Tomahawks and Lady Slippers meet in the marquee matchup next Thursday.

BSB Continue Rampage With Another Sweep
Three 600 Sets In Week 4; Brady Best With 627

"You talkin' to me?"

South Glens Falls - Fire And Ice were edging closer, but they ran out of time. Boston Strong Balls (formerly known as the Dredgers) won the opener by a comfy 59, then hung on for 23- and 8-pin victories to sweep the match and push their record to a superb 14-2 in the Forever Young league on Thursday afternoon at Pine Lanes. The losers retained a share of the runner-up spot with a 10-6 mark. Floyd Butler finessed an outstanding 616 on consistent games of 201, 204 and 211 but the league leaders countered with a huge handicap-fueled performance from leadoff man Patrick Scanlan (538 scratch which became 712 with assistance).

The Lady Slippers slid into a tie with the Butlers via a 3-1 win at the expense of The Singers. The Tomahawks fell to The Last Two 2½-1½ despite a league-best 627 from Roy Brady, who put 258 in the middle and finished strong with 207. Tommie anchor Don Williams had myriad problems with sticky approaches, shooting a sub-par 561 series. However, the Hadley superstar lived up to the legend by throwing a clutch tenth-frame bomb in the finale to salvage a half-point.

Ray Davignon had the circuit's other 600, a 606 on games of 170, 219 and 217.

The league voted unanimously to boycott the lanes next week and extend the season a week, due to a scheduled influx of 275 Queensbury Middle Schoolers. According to sources, it was the first unanimous vote ever recorded in any bowling league, anywhere.

Brady and Williams each sport 203 averages after a dozen games, with Roy having a 6-pin overall advantage. Floyd and Ray are in the 190s, at 195 and 193, respectively.

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.