BOWLING: Ricky Trujillo and Teammates, Carrillo, Macias and Botello Roll League High Series

By Willie Theis

Ricky Trujillo was a top-notch player on a perennial winning baseball team at Virgin Valley High School and knows how to put together a winning team which also has great team chemistry. And that’s what he did with much success with his Strikes R Us team in the City High Rollers League.

And after week five, his team still holds the league’s record for the highest team handicap series with a 3,130 total team score. So, without getting into all the minutia of how it happened, let’s look at the big picture of the individual team members who made it happen.

And it must begin with Trujillo who rolled his first-ever 700 series, a 718 with an eye-popping 27 strikes which included 11 with one open frame in a 267 opening game. Next, he tossed a clean 238 and finished with a 213 all of which raised his average to 203.

Martin Carrillo’s 599 series on games of 214, 208 and 158 included a total of 16 strikes also played a pivotal roll in the team’s success that night. Carrillo also graduated from VVHS, loves sports, and if they could somehow be a job, he’d never have to go to work because he loves the sports that much, and that includes his favorite baseball team, the Boston Red Sox.

Raul Macias is also an alumnus of VVHS and played a key role in the team reaching the aforementioned 3,130 total team score as he rolled a scratch season-high 598 series while throwing 20 strikes, and his series puts him on the cusp of grabbing a headline for when he throws his first 600 series.

And that brings us to the final team member, Octavio Botello who’s 528 series and 200 game also played a key role in the the lofty perch the team currently holds in the league. Botello also graduated from VVHS where he played football and has also proven to be a great addition to both Trujillo’s team and the league overall.

In other hard-hitting action, Chase Evans tattooed the 1-3 pocket for 23 strikes in a top-notch 680 effort including a seven-bagger in a 244 all of which raised his Mesquite Merchants Men’s League average to 216. And that is not surprising given the fact this summer Evans finished his City High Rollers League with a 217 average, and also in his best summer league outing fell just eight pins shy of an eye-popping 800 series with a 792 set.

And like Evans, Michael “Smurffzzz” Ramirez is another standout young bowler with a two-handed delivery who’s 676 series raised his Early Risers League average to a lofty 225 from 223, and Sal Diaz is another young man who’s two-handed delivery can throw strikes with the best of ’em  as he rolled 20 in a 665 set on games of 237, 224 and 204.

Meanwhile, Milan Carr has shown he can also be a strike-throwing machine with a traditional delivery like he did in October 2023 when he racked up an eye-popping total of 50 strikes in back-to-back clean series scores of 757 and 752. And how’s this as another illustration of how he can pile up the strikes? In one of his 300 games back in New York he peeled off 25 straight over three games. Bay-bee! Now let’s pivot back to last week Thursday when Carr chucked 19 strikes in a 654 effort.

Max Snyder hails from St. George and is bowling in his first season at the Virgin River Bowling Center and punched out his third 600, a season-high 652 with 22 total strikes during games of 226, 213 and 213 which also raised his average to 195 from 190. However, that’s a depressed average due to an uncharacteristic 505 series in week 2. No doubt about it, as the season continues to unfold he’ll be garnering more ink.

Dylan Kesl is doing a super job in the pro shop and also did a terrific job on the lanes averaging 215 between series scores of 649 and 647, Dave Castro (648-247) put together a second straight week of darn good bowling, and Austin Finster who’s a barista at the Starbucks located near Smith’s fired 23 strikes in a 640 effort including a terrific 269 game.

And Nick Paul no doubt upped his184 average as he uncorked a 638 with18 total strikes in games of 234, 224, 180, and it’s just a matter of when Chance Evans (625-224) remembers to bring his strike ball to the party and unleashes a barrage of strikes for a 700-plus series, huge 600 set, monster game, or strike gold and deliver a combination of these. And he has the game and skill-set for all of these outcomes.

In other action, Frank Addamo (624-226) delivered some first-rate scores, Logan Hendrick hung a 622 on the VRBC with games of 235, 229, 180, and Allen Cope (601-237) tossed his third consecutive 600 series in the Wednesday morning E.R. League which lifted his average to 189 from 186.

In the single game scene, Al Oliveira rolled nine strikes in a 261, Mike Saldivar (625) fired a 255, Bill Rife’s 245 fell three sticks shy of eclipsing his E.R. League high 247, and Mike Dunlop’s six-bagger paved the way for a 244.

Johnny Harper tossed eight total strikes which included a six-bagger in a 242, Nick Medina’s six-bagger paved the way for a 235, and Jacoby Ford put together an impressive seven-bagger in a 233 effort and with his delivery has a bright future on the lanes.

Harry Uncles was the first manager of the Smith’s store in Mesquite when it first opened and he booked a 227, Alan Jacobson (614) logged a 223 and when he wants a good workout he gets on a rowing machine, while Gary Smith nabs ink for a 217, and octogenarian Bob Morgan’s (534) week included a 209.

Finally, Jake Swingler guaranteed teammate Gayle Parison he’d throw a deuce game as a way of celebrating her return from Kentucky where she spent a month helping out a daughter, and sure as heck, a 210 proved for the umpteenth time he’s a man of his word, while Mark Maguire, no, not the former MLB home run slugger posted a 207, as did Paul Buntin who’s 207 also featured seven total strikes, and Steve Serrano’s clutch turkey in the 10th for a 207 enabled his team to pull out a win by two pins.

In women’s bowling action, Diane Marget delivered a standout effort with 18 strikes and only one open in games of 234, 225 & 202 which raised her City High Rollers League average to 190. She’s been a scoring juggernaut for years, especially back in her heyday in Minnesota where she had a career-high 215, average, a jaw-dropping career-high 786 series along with ten 300 games. And when she tosses one in Mesquite it would mean she will have thrown a perfecto in five different decades.

Meanwhile, Sandy Sheppard (599-229) has been setting a blistering score pace in her Kings & Queens League where she currently sports an impressive 204 average with a season-high 666 set, and a winning bet is she’ll finish the season with an ever higher series.

Reiko Schultz tossed a 561 on consistent games of 191, 189, and 181, MaryAnn Davis (549-203) continued a strong start to her season and raised her Early Risers League average to 186 from 185. and LeeAnn Harmes (549-195) is another bowler putting together a heckuva good season.

And after several years away from the sport, it’s great seeing Kim Finnegan back on the lanes, and in her Ladies Trio League she logged a 547 series. And what her husband (Bill) would be most impressed with is the fact that along two of her games (198, 193) were clean, and on her spare shots, had marks on an amazing 20-of-21 attempts. Come to think of it, Bill Finnegan has been bowling for almost six weeks in the E.R. League, and I’m not sure he’s even had 20 marks all season. Ouch!

In the single game scene, Lexi Mattson (539) and her two-handed delivery had a four-bagger in a 229, and if she keeps working on improving her spare game, she has serious potential to be outstanding, and if you’ve ever seen her throw a bowling ball you’ll understand why.

Bev Cormani (564) smacked a 225 and she’s the first woman to ever bowl a 700 series in Mesquite bowling, Shirl Kitzmiller shocked even herself with a five-bagger in her first deuce of the season, a 202, and Katie Northover beats her husband (Jack) getting out of bed in the morning, beats him in pickleball, and you can draw your own conclusion about bowling, but she rolled a 202 last week, while the best Jack could muster was a measly 176. OMG!

Humor aside, Linda Holloway was all business in rolling her first deuce of the season, a 200 on the nose, and Ashley Yokoyama-Kesl (529) also popped a 200 and her deuce could very well be the catalyst that ignites her game and take it to the next level.

Suzie Fehseke has poured a great deal of time and effort as secretary of the Ladies Trio League in making the switch to Tuesday from Friday and because I missed getting getting scores from the first two weeks of the season in this column, with the exception of Finnegan covered in the narrative above, I’ve listed here all the bowlers from League Secretary.com who booked the highest series/games during the first two weeks.

Lynae Page 514-189; Marge Mongolo 510; Cheryl Jackson 503-185; Julie Chilson 500-180; Jan Quinn 190; Laurie Dillrey 189; Sjarpm Sharon Stoneman 188; Sheila Green 182; Kendy Cirbo 181.

Jim Lytle 639-246; Doug Love 629-232; Dave Pershing 620-237; Ryan Baeza 619-223; Ricky Trujillo 616-242; Britt Kesl 616-233; John Hollaway 607-217; Scott Mattingly 604-223; Vic Reading 602-237; Larry Willis 600-234; Bob Marget 600-233; Max Baarz 237; Dean Baum 235; Roman Perez 235; Dean Sheppard 234; Javier Delgadillo 234; Bruce Hooley 230; Dennis Craft 228; Shaun Edwards 222; John Martin 227; Al Gans 226; Martin Carrillo 217; John Gerger 215; Doug Heiden 214; James Hartley 213; Robert Melendez 210; Ken Thompson 209; Jerry Holloway 209; Chris Johnsoin 209; Jerry Bundy 207; Stan Benally 206; Jorge Munoz 205; Orlyn Meyer 205; Tim McNees 205; Darren Simonds 204; Rob Cormani 202; Ernie Kala 202; Bryan Pierce 201; Humberto Urias 201; Marty Roper 201.

Lynae Page 524; Georgia Godfrey 511; Debbie Hansen 508; Gayle Parison 508.