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Bowlers light up the lanes

By DEREK J. LARIVIERE, Times Correspondent
Published September 4, 2007

You might expect there to be a little bit of a transition period in the first week of bowling for some of the fall season regulars.

Most bowlers do not bowl during the summer, so the first couple of weeks of each season are used to shake off the rust.

If that was the case this year, it was tough to tell from the scores.

The new Coca-Cola Classic League at Mariner Lanes on Monday night featured some high scores with Joe Correa's performance leading the way. His 299 high scratch game and 785 high scratch series were tops in the county. His son Nick Correa followed the pace with a 279 game.

Also in the Classic league, Tommy Cahill tossed a 777 series. On almost any other week, a score like that would be good enough to lead the county, but Correa's night made it difficult to gain attention in the league.

Over at Spring Hill Lanes, the center wrapped up its final summer league with the last week in the Summer Scratch Trio League on Thursday. The center began the Monday Nite Men's League and the Joni Classic League on Thursday. Jim Jobin was able to register high scores Thursday in both a summer and fall league when he tossed a 268 high game in the Summer Scratch Trio and a 255 game and 663 series in the Joni Classic scratch league.

Cary Esser completed the only 700 series at Spring Hill last week with a 728 series on the opening night of the Monday Nite Men's League. His game scores of 248, 247 and 233 showed the kind of consistency that makes a 700 so impressive. That same night, two other competitors came close to the 700 mark, but both fell just short. Adam Butters, who competed in the Summer Scratch Trio League, notched a 697 series, while John Rapacki tossed a 695 series.

UPCOMING OPENERS: Next week, Spring Hill begins play with the Mike's Auto Body High Rollers League, T.G.I.F. League and most of the center's mixed leagues.

The Mike's Auto Body High Rollers, formerly Gator Nutrition High Rollers, has been the banner league at Spring Hill for some time, along with the Kevin's Pro Shop League. The High Rollers, a mixed league, compete Monday with a $60,000 prize fund, and Kevin's Pro Shop sponsors the men's-only league that competes on Wednesdays.

Over at Mariner, the Coca-Cola Classic League, formerly HNA Mariner Classic, will be the banner league for that house. With an estimated prize fund of more than $70,000, the league already has attracted many of the county's best bowlers on Monday nights. The other big league at Mariner is expected to be the Thursday Thunder League.

[Last modified September 3, 2007, 20:04:25]