BOWLING: Dave Castro rolls 22 strikes in a hard-hitting 712 series

When Dave Castro is on your bowling team one of the things you can count on is he’ll be a great teammate. So is something else. He’s gonna be mowing down lotsa pins. And over his long career it’s a given he’ll throw a good number of 600s and at least one 700 series a season.

And building on the momentum from his 235, he tattooed the 1-2 pocket for eight strikes in a 234, and finished a standout effort with seven-bagger in a 243 paving the way for the umpteenth 700 in his career, and first this season, a 712, and his only two open frames came when leaving two splits, a 6-7 and 5-7.

Additionally, his 712 continued a really good two-month long run of first-rate scoring production beginning with a 629 series in week 14, followed in successive weeks with series scores of 574, 649, 639, 525, 570, 625 and two days ago his 712, and over those 24 games he averaged an impressive 205.12.

Castro is passionate about bowling which helps explain why he travels twice a week from his home in St. George to bowl in Mesquite. So is something else. Until Covid hit, he’d make monthly trips to California to compete in senior tournaments organized by both the Silver Fox and Central Valley Senior Bowling Clubs.

And let’s switch gears here to his high school days growing up in Hawaii where he was a running back on the varsity football team and ran all the sprints on the school’s track and field team. And being quick on his feet also led him to get a gig as an assistant ballroom dancing instructor, and he’s also an avid Denver Broncos football fan.

In other searing pin action, Scott Mattingly lit up the scoring monitors with 26 total strikes, including 10 in a 279 and 10 more in a 252 and added a 213 for a turbocharged 744 series in Mesquite Merchants Men’s League play. His red-hot outing included an Andy Varipapa 300 as he fired 17 straight strikes beginning with 10 to end a 279 and followed by seven straight to begin a 252. And two nights ago in the MS League he punched out 23 strikes in a 750 set.

And Dalton Smith, AKA “Mr. 845” and his super athletic delivery fired 22 strikes and made all 11 of his spare shots for a clean 718 series on games of 258, 235 and 225. By the way, Smith is also a heckuva pickleball player as he’s won tournaments in five different states. Wow! Bay-Bee!

Meanwhile, Michael “Smurffzzz” Ramirez, fueled by 21 strikes and marks on all 12 of his spare shots fell a couple sticks shy of a mind-boggling 9 pin no-tap 900 series, but still finished with a clean series. Additionally, when Ramirez wasn’t throwing one of his 21 strikes he left a single pin 10 other times, and in the two he didn’t, he left a pair of pins which he would spare for a clean 711 series on games of 279, 224 and 208.

Mike Yoder is one heckuva super bowler who began his MS League outing with his only two open fames of the night before throwing a total of 21 strikes including the front seven in a 259 en route to a 695.

And Jeff Harmes thumped the lanes with19 strikes in a first-rate 660 effort with a 254 game, and Dylan Kesl who’s doing a super job in the pro shop tossed a 655 raising his City High Rollers League average to 206 from 205.

Gary Smith tossed 19 strikes in a 652 on games of 223, 215, 210, David Walker put together a really good outing with 18 strikes in a 650 series, and Chuck Youngdale’s 647 included a 247 with an eight-bagger.

And in MMM League play, Logan Hendrick, ignited by a clean  257 with nine strikes chalked up a 635 and this outing may just be the tonic needed to see his scores rip higher, and Dave Johnson (628-231) posted solid scores and he’s visited the spectacular world famous attraction in Peru, Machu Picchu.

And Ricky Trujillo (626-214, 214,198) latest scoring production keeps his average at 202, Alan Jacobson noticed his wife captured a headline last week so he figured it’s about time to do something about it which he did with a 612 set including six strikes in a clean 235, and finishing a pin behind Jacobson was Dale Knight’s 612 which featured 13 strikes, clean games of 235 & 203, marks on 16-of-18 spare attempts with his only two open frames coming in a 174. Knight’s high game in Mesquite is a 298 bowled in a 777 series in January 2024.

And it’s always great seeing Britt Kesl put up some nice scores like his 601 which included 16 strikes, a clean 220 helping raise his City High Rollers League average to 182, and as a former top-notch competitor on the rodeo circuit, his bowling game has improved tenfold since his first season beginning in 2019.

Brian Collins delivered 14 hard-hitting strikes in a 600 series on the nose with games of 216, 202, 182 and Doug Schaan (595-222) increased his MMM League average a pin to 193 and in January rolled a season-high 657.

In single game play, Austin Finster (678) ran the front eight with 10 total strikes in his umpteenth 279, Dennis Craft (659) popped eight strikes in a 263, while  Darren Simonds (649) continues piling up some big games like his 254, and Milan Carr (600) uncorked a 249.

John Martin (639) began his Monday night league with a 148 before storming back with nine strikes in a clean 249 and another nine strikes in a 242 with one open, Jerod Bundy (646) fired eight strikes in a 248, and Roman Perez went off the sheet with an eight-bagger in a strong finish to a 248 with only one open.

Mike Saldivar (610) who can throw strikes with the best piloted his way to a 234, Juan Morgana tossed a clean 233 with five strikes and five spares, and Dan Erhart chucked a 227 and during the winter when living in Illinois one of his winter hobbies included lotsa snowmobiling.

In other single game action, Bill Rife tossed a clean 221 with six strikes, Red Powell fired six strikes in a 219, and Clarence Bales, bowling for Shereen’s Hair & Nails team smacked a 218 with six strikes.

Nick Paul is always good for at least one deuce, and this week it was a 216, Felix Cruz tossed a four-bagger in a 213, and Ken Kaylor is a super talented artist who merits ink for throwing a six-bagger in a 215. He had a heckuva smooth left-handed delivery until a thumb issue forced him to adopt a two-handed style.

Chris Westwood checked in with a 215, Bob Robbins (591) cranked out six strikes in a 213 and his sole open frame came on a 7-10 split, and Phillip Oyler grabs some rare ink for a 213 which fell three pins shy of eclipsing his season-high 215.

Jan Kusy racked up five strikes including a turkey in a 212, Al Oliveira V tossed seven strikes in a clean 211 and also had a clean 201, and Hookin Pins team bowler, Stan Benally put together a five-bagger in a 211.

Meanwhile, Tony Urias (580) rolled a 210 with six strikes and one open frame, and in a clean 186 game his score didn’t reflect how well he crushed the 1-2 pocket as he had two strikes and the rest were all spares of a single pin, and had it been in a 9 pin no-tap tournament, he’d of had a 300.

And like Urias, Robert Melendez also punched out a 210 and his came with five strikes and one open, Wyoming’s Butch Loger fired a turkey in a clean 207, William Collins’ game is showing nice improvement with six strikes in a 201 and 190 with one open, and Boston Red Sox fan Martin Carrillo tallied a 201.

Finally, Myles Benally’s nice hook ball accounted for five strikes in a 201 and he remains a loyal Chicago Bulls fan, while Dennis Burchett get’s his first-ever ink for a season-high 196 with five strikes, and Chad Klein (585)is getting closer to his first 600 helped by a pair of 199 and 193 games with only one open frame in each.

And here’s betting first year bowler, Joshua Kaschmitter (171) takes out his season-high 216 before the clock runs out on the 2024-25 season. He bowls for the  Bark Canine Club team on Wednesday night, served in the U.S. military, and if you ever wanna do any skydiving in Mesquite he’s the man to see because he can make it happen.

On the women’s side of the ledger, LeeAnn Harmes set the scoring pace with an 584 on games of 213, 182, and 180, Bev Corman dialed up a 557 effort with a 202 game, and Autumn Telford posted a 545 with a 201 game.

Georgia “GG” Godfrey delivered another solid outing with a 540 and 189 game and she’s also had some really nice scoring production in some of her recent tournaments in Sin City, and Tiffany Monfore gets ink for the second time in as many weeks for a 536 set with a 189.

Cheryl Rogers and her athletic delivery led to a 523, Jane Burgoyne worked the lanes for a 520, Mary Posey cruised to a 511, while Charlene Heiden tossed a 509 with a 191 game in her Gamblers 4 Aces League.

In single game action, Vickie Martinsen (566) led the way with a 222, Ronnie Tsuhako (496) tossed a clean 210 game with four strikes, Lexi Mattson logged a 209 and with her athletic two-handed delivery her game has serious upside potential, and Sandy Sheppard (548) checked in with a 204.

Reiko Schultz (537) put together a four-bagger in a 203, Lynae Page (499) pocketed a 203, and Judy Heileson’s 190 was the second highest game in the Ladies Trio League, and Patsy Burtchett picked up the 6-7-10 split in a 149 game.

Al Oliveira IV 212, Michael Ramirez 197, and Kelly Williamson 212.

Jeremy Telford 653-238; Randy Brown 633-235; Bob Marget 626-221; Mike Rogers 626-220; Dan Aslin 623-215; Orlyn Meyer 621-225; Dave Pershing 621-238; John Hollaway 615-210; Dean Baum 609-233; Al Gans 606-206; Dave Houghton 602-238; Rob Cormani 601-214; Dave Harris 238; Bruce Hooley 224; Mike Gentry 224; Dean Sheppard 223; Frank Addamo 222; Ernie Kala 327; Doug Love 216; Sal Diaz 216; Robin Drury 214; Ken Schloman 213; Josue Mendoza 205; Larry Willis 203; Vic Reading 203; Gil Niimi 203; John Gerger 203; Jacoby Ford 201; Mike Carpenter 201; Jimmy Webb 201.

MaryAnn Davis 534-192; Sheila Green 516-201; Nancy Egge 497; Sharon Stoneman 495-191.