Northpinellas: Gibbs High School rolls to scratch division title

Matt Mayhugh and his Gibbs teammates fired a solid 935 first game and never looked back Tuesday at Sunshine Bowl, winning the scratch division of the Pinellas County High School League.

The defending boys scratch champion, Dixie Hollins, finished second. East Lake was third, Palm Harbor University High fourth, St. Petersburg fifth and Largo sixth.

Teresa Scanlon recorded her first career 600 scratch series to lead Palm Harbor to the girls scratch title.

She got help from Erin Duffy, Abby Mello, Patty Wilkinson and Kelly Fecke as they defeated second-place finisher St. Petersburg 13-8.

Northeast took third, and Pinellas Park's No. 1 squad was fourth.

Boca Ciega was the defending champion in handicap and scratch, but it did not have teams this season.

The scratch showdown, first in the 28-year history of the league, involved six boys squads and four girls teams.

Ten other girls squads and 22 boys teams fought it out for the handicap championship Thursday at Seminole Lanes.

Mayhugh rolled a 261-667 series. Justin Morris (244-611), Nick Bongiorno (229-577) and Steve Troesch (201-510) helped capture 13 of the possible 21 points from East Lake with a 2,425 total pin fall.

The Gladiators won the boys Open Division title in the state tournament in January with Pat Deegan, Bongiorno, Troesch and Mayhugh.

Justin Sevier and Morris will fill out the state squad because the Baker Format will be used in the finals for the first time and five-person teams are needed.

Greg Kashmanian fired a 626 for East Lake. He was followed by Ryan Price (583), Drew Anusbigian (569) and Jared Kramer (500), but the team fell nearly 200 pins shy with a 2,278 total.

Dixie Hollins made the largest jump in the finals -- fourth to second.

The Rebels took 19 points from St. Petersburg, with Ron Rohr, Pablo Lakilak, Mike Van Every, Ron Sullivan, Ryan Brembs and Robbie Winkelman sharing the load.

Brembs logged a 248 game, and Winkleman was the only bowler to roll three games for a 615 series.

The state tournament is Dec. 9 at Lake Worth. It will be scratch only in Championship and Open divisions with 32 boys and 32 girls teams in the field.

REGIONAL NEARS:The PBA southern regional scheduled Dec. 8-10 at Clearwater's Countryside Lanes includes the usual pro-am tournament open to youth, adult and senior bowlers.

The pro-am is scheduled for Dec. 8. The youth squad, which has a $20 entry fee, rolls at 4 p. m. The seniors, who have a $25 fee, get underway at 6 p.m. Adult pro-ams, which have a $45 registration fee, are scheduled for Dec. 8 at 4, 6, 8 and 10 p.m. Pro-am players will roll three, no-tap games, each with a different pro.

Registration in the pro-ams before midnight tonight saves $5.

The 150-pro field will have a practice session Dec. 8 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. The tournament proper opens Dec. 9 at 9 a.m. with qualifying rounds.

The top 16 qualifiers return Dec. 10 for 16 match-play games before the cut to the top five for the stepladder finals later on Sunday.

Steve Hoskins of Tarpon Springs, fresh off a 10th PBA tour victory in Texas last week, is expected to compete, along with other top-name pros.

Admission to the tournament is $2 per day.

WHEELCHAIRS ON LINE: Jim Sullivan's annual Wheelchair Awareness Bowl-A-Thon is scheduled for Sunday at Largo Lanes, offering a challenge to stand-up bowlers.

Sullivan started the tournament to demonstrate the difficulties wheelchair-bound competitors face at the line.

The event puts able-bodied folks in wheelchairs to roll three games under challenging conditions.

Some of the low scores surprise even the participants.

Four-person teams may enter for the $100 fee, and walk-ins are welcome for the 10:30 a.m. start.

For more information, call Sullivan, 586-1785.

AROUND THE LANES: Scott Howard rolled an 800 at Countryside Lanes, and Bob Hafer shot a 300-790. ... Jeff Peterson fired a 300-729 at AMF Kenneth City Lanes. ... Bob Donohue and Chris Springstead nailed 300 games at Liberty Lanes, and Paul Victory rolled a 299. ... The local Turtle Club's tournament is Dec. 10, and the ladies scratch tournament is Dec. 17 at Largo Lanes.

- Phil Gulick can be reached at xerxes6@aol.com or xerxes6@juno.com.

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