BOWLING: Dave Houghton’s 659 series showcases a banner season. 

Dave Houghton without much fanfare is delivering the type of scoring production, and especially over the last seven weeks which makes it close to a slam dunk that the 2024-2025 season will be his best over the last three years in his Mesquite Merchants Men’s League.

And part of the confidence in that premise is a standout season-high 659 series which featured 22 strikes, games of 204, 190, and punctuated a top-notch effort with a clean 265 game.

Something else that bodes well for this prediction is that as this baby goes to press he’s averaging 186. And ever better is the fact that over his last 21 games including his 659, he’s mowed down a total of 4002 pins for a 190.5 average over that 21 game stretch.

So, with the momentum gained from his last seven weeks, and as the season unfolds, odds strongly favor he’s gonna finish his MMM League with an average somewhere between 187 and 191. And that average will easily eclipse his final 176 MMM League average from the 2022-23 season, and 172 average from his 2021-22 season.

Lastly, don’t be fooled by his easy demeanor because he’s a competitor going back to his days as a jock in high school and he loves beating up on who he’s bowling against in the MMM League so he can win points for his team.

His resume sports a career-high 698 series, 272 game, and his favorite pro bowler is Bill O’Neill.

In high school he ran the 200 and 400 meter sprints for his track team, and was also a top-notch basketball player on a strong team in California. And a basketball memory he will forever treasure is going with the team and his coach to a basketball practice for the UCLA Bruins coached by the legendary John Wooden. And you will get goose bumps listening to an example of how coach Wooden interacted with his players, and on that particular day, one player in particular.

So that explains what he’s still a humongous fan of UCLA Bruins basketball, and he’s also an avid fan of the Miami Dolphins.

He has a son who played football at San Diego State University and was drafted in the 5th round by the Green Bay Packers and played in the NFL for three seasons.

Houghton’s two top bucket list items is to attend a baseball at the iconic Fenway Park where the Boston Red Sox play and to see an Indy 500 Race in person.

In other sizzling pin action, Scott Mattingly tossed 24 strikes in a clean 754 on games of 266, 244 and 244, Jeff Harmes, stoked by 24 strikes including 11 in a 279 gem delivered his second best outing this season, a stellar 726.

Meanwhile, Austin Finster was a pillar of consistency with games of 247, 240 and 238 in a first-rate 725 effort, and Orlyn Meyer, a huge North Dakota State football fan tattooed the 1-2 pocket for 23 strikes in a 718 set on games of 256, 237 and 225.

And Sal Diaz put on a clinic with 22 strikes and 11 spares in games of 259, 237 and 200 in an impressive clean 700, a 700 on the nose, Dylan Kesl’s (679-256) 23 strikes paved the way for another good week, and considering Dan Aslin has missed practically the entire season, he had a heckuva good week with a standout 676 set on games of 242, 237 and 197 with 22 strikes.

Dean Sheppard turned the clock back more reminiscent of his top-notch scoring days in his Colorado bowling days with a season-high 675 set on games of 238, 236 and 203, while Bruce Hooley’s 21 strikes helped power his way to a 669 effort.

Jared Bundy likely raised his Monday Scratch League’s 211 average with a hard-hitting 664 with a 262 game, Bob Marget fired a 253 in a 664, and Dean Baum popped 18 strikes in a 661.

Brian Collins put together his best scoring production of the season with a 650 series that included 18 strikes along with clean games of 233 and 221.

And in other league play, Steve Serrano, a former hoops stud back in the day averaged 211 between a 639 with 21 strikes and a 630 two days ago in MS League action, and Dave Cirbo had a heckuva good week averaging 204 between a 627 series and a 602 with 17 strikes.

Dale Knight chucked 17 strikes in a 638 outing with 17 strikes, and since Mike Gentry’s (634-237) return from heart bypass surgery he’s been consistently putting up quality scores.

Gary Smith (612-231) merits ink for a first-rate effort, and Jeff Branche (605-224) is counting on his Ohio State Buckeyes to defeat Notre Dame next Monday to win the National Championship.

Chris Westwood sports a 169 average in the Early Risers League and grabs some ink for a super effort in putting together a 604 on games of 212, 200, 192, and Wade Heileson, one of the really good guys in Mesquite bowling cranked out his first 600 of the season, a 603 that included 14 strikes in his last two games of 237 and 222, and Denton Dorn also merits ink after throwing a heckuva nice season-high 536 on games of 181, 180 & 175 which raised his Wednesday Men’s League average to 148.

And on the single game front, Dave Castro (656) tossed 10 strikes including an eight-bagger in a 278, Max Burgess (614) is a retired SoCal dentist who fired 10 strikes in a season high 276, and Logan Hendrick (620) delivered a six-bagger in a 255.

Bob Marget (660) pounded out a 253, Bill Smith smacked seven strikes in a 247, Mike Yoder (656) punched out a 246, while Steve Kenyon (606) uncorked a clean 236, and Bob Morgan (582) is filled with gratitude that while in his 90s he still can put up quality games like his 246 with six strikes including a four-bagger.

Josue Mendoza works at the Virgin River Casino and chalked up a 224, Myles Benally booked a 217 and back on September 18th he tossed a 279 gem, while Allen Cope (580) tallied a 215, and Nick Paul had six strikes in a 214 game.

Javier Delgadillo posted a 212, Britt Kesl registered a 211, southpaw Steve Uhrig logged a 208, and Tony Urias cruised to a 204 and he was a multi-sport athlete at Virgin High School.

And lo and behold, Bob Field felt he needed some ink so he cranked out a 203 and on March 24, 2006 he tossed a 300 in Mesquite league play, Ken Meacham smacked a 201, and Louis Dilisio delivered a 200 and he’d also like to see one of his favorite Philadelphia sports teams deliver a world championship in 2025.

And in women’s action, Autumn Telford blistered the lanes with 21 strikes including nine in a 267 en route to a standout season-high 682. Does she have a legit shot at shooting a 700? Yes, but only bowling one league a week makes it a tougher challenge. In the years when she was bowling two nights a week in St. George she threw nine 700s including a career-high 749 on 9-16-2015

MaryAnn Davis put together her best outing this season with 15 strikes in a 603 series on games of 212, 208 & 183 and she has a 300 game on her resume, and Sandy Sheppard who can hang with the best booked a 600 after throwing consistent games of 203, 202 and 195.

LeeAnn Harmes (557-202) is having a darn good season, and with Bev Cormani’s (554-206) explosive strike ball she has the game to send her scores rocketing higher in the coming weeks.

Cheryl Rogers (534-184) continued a string of quality outings, Gayla Ruesch (518-194) can also light up the scoring monitors up on any given outing as she often did in St. George bowling including a career-high 760 series in 2012,

And it is great seeing Ronnie Tsuhako (514-180) deliver a solid outing, and Kerri Roberts (511) after beginning league play with an anemic 138, engineered a quick turnaround with a 173 and a 200 game with only one open frame. However, it must be duly noted that in her sole open in the 4th frame of her 200, she committed the biggest sin in bowling by not picking up the 5 pin for a spare. What? Yes, I know! It doesn’t seem possible, but I have the printout of it and it was the 5 pin. Man, I should probably remove this. On second thought, no, as I’m sure the editor will delete this.

Finally, Pam Jacobson (507-204) continued a nice scoring run of late, and sparked by a 212, Cindy Petersen threw a 505 with a 212 game, and Cheryl Jackson rolled a 501 in Ladies Trio League action.

In single game play, Diane Marget (632) tossed 10 strikes in a 257, Polly Hendricks (515) fired five strikes in a 221, while Mary Posey booked a 221 in LT League action, and Georgia “GG” Godfrey (561) continues posting the type of scores she should be like her 218.

Reiko Schultz (507) pocketed a 216, Cindi Petersen (505) rolled a 212, Bobbie Robbins (516)  registered a 210, and Tillie Armijo merits ink for a 190 game that blew away her 1127 average.