BOWLING: Scott Mattingly is one perfecto away from breaking Mesquite’s 300 game record

Scott Mattingly has been delivering bowling highlights with his dynamic game and thunderous strike ball within days of first joining a league in Mesquite after changing his zip code to one in Nevada’s fastest growing city beginning with the 2020-21 season.

And in his latest round of bowling excellence he put himself on the cusp of breaking the all-time Mesquite record of 300 games bowled at the Virgin River Bowling Center.

Amazingly, as things unfolded, after beginning league play with games of 205 and 237 he probably would have been happy with a heckuva nice 600 series.

However, his 237 score didn’t reflect just how consistently he was drilling the 1-3 pocket only to leave too many corner pins. But building on the momentum of throwing strikes in the 8th, 9th and first ball in the 10th and nine pins on his fill ball he was on a roll entering his third game.

And you already guessed it, he peeled off 12 straight strikes to become just the second bowler in Mesquite bowling history to toss three perfecto’s at the VRBC. The other is the late, Darwin Wimer, a titan figure in Mesquite bowling.

Mattingly’s notable achievements as a scoring juggernaut has been well chronicled in this column, including coverage of the one where also became one of only three bowlers who’ve thrown an 800 series at the VRBC since it opened for business in 1998. And Mattingly is the only one with two, an 809 and 804. He also has a career-high 836 series.

And before the clock runs out on the 2024-25 season, it would not be surprising if he bowled a record-setting 4th 300 game, and while not a slam dunk, is doable.

Away from bowling, he’s an avid Seattle Seahawks fan and works for the Geico Insurance Company.

In other sizzling pin action, on the final night of the Monday Scratch League’s schedule before the Christmas break kicks in, Al Gans, considering his passion for bowling is probably thinking Santa delivered the perfect stocking stuffer. And understandably so as he came close to adding another 800 series to his eye-popping resume with a stratospheric 781 series.

But it didn’t look like there’d be an early Christmas gift after beginning league play with a 223. However, that’s when he began barbequing the lanes with a tidal wave of strikes and punctuated his 781 with a pair of standout 279 games, and when you consider he has over a dozen 300s on his resume, with two 279s, he was on the cusp of adding to that total also. And scores like this, it’s not surprising Gans spent roughly a decade competing on the Northwest Senior Tour.

Meanwhile, Sal Diaz chucked the next best series, a standout 738 on games of 280, 268 and 160 which raised his Wednesday Men’s League average to 206, and Milan Carr will be in even more demand as a sub after doing so two days ago in the Gamblers 4 Aces League when he blistered the lanes with a 720 set after throwing games of 248, 245 and 227.

And stoked by 23 strikes, Michael “Smurffzzz” Ramirez booked the next best series, a 713 on games of 242, 236, 235, and in his G4A League two days ago narrowly missed another 700 before settling for a 693 giving him an impressive 234 average for his last six games.

Austin Finster joined the 700 party rolling a 706 with a monster 278 game, while Bob Wells thumped the lanes with a 693 and ran the front eight in a clean 264, and Frank Addamo, powered by 20 strikes delivered his best scoring production this season, a 679 which featured a clean 236 and picking up a 6-7 split in a 232.

And Bob Marget’s 676 had 19 strikes including 11, yes, 11 in a 267, and Dave Pershing tossed 21 strikes in a 671 effort, and Chris Scott raised his Wednesday Men’s League average to 198 in a 664 effort with 21 strikes during games of 233, 226, 202, and a fourth deuce game in the family was a 202 by his son, Jace.

In other action, Skip Hayzlett spanked the lanes with a heckuva nice season-high 631 set on games of 234, 204, and 193 which is also his best outing since a 677 series in January 2022. Hayzlett is also a good friend, and has been decades with PBA Hall of Famer, Dave Hustead.

And Alan Pearson, building on the momentum of a 603 series from the previous week when he had marks on 14-of-16 spare shots, rolled a 602 series last week with 18 strikes including a season-high 228 which raised his WM League average to 183, and it is great seeing Angel Hernandez end a recent scoring funk with a 602 series including a 245 game.

And for the second time this season we’re gonna switch gears here and recognize a standout team effort. For starters, the Jesus Rolls team in the Kings & Queens League took over the league’s top team Handicap Series mark last week with a great team effort for a 3035 score. Breaking it down individually, Dylan Kesl, sparked by 25 strikes set the scoring pace with a 708 on a pair of clean 259 games along with a 190, Jacoby Ford pounded out 19 strikes in a first-rate 674 set on games of 236, 234 and 204 while also picking up the nasty 4-6-7-9-10 split, while Sal Diaz logged a 663 with 22 strikes including 11 in a 270, and Ashley Yokoyama delivered a heckuva nice effort with a 558 including a 204, and when adding their individual handicap scores, it added up to 3035.

Meanwhile, young two-handed bowler Logan Hendrick uncorked a six-bagger in a 266 game en route to a 623 outing, and he was a top-notch athlete in both tennis & track & field at Virgin Valley High School, and Dave Maves racked up a 602 with a 243 game and he’s become a top-notch bowler who’s chucked a pair of 300 games in Mesquite prior to retiring and move to Las Vegas where he continues feeding his passion for bowling in both tournament and league play.

Finally, Bruce Hamilton merits ink as he narrowly missed what would have been his first Mesquite 600 with a season-high 597 and 204 game, while Overton bowler,Mardon Connelly also fell just shy of a 600 with a 596 and 223 game, and he’s a former Division 1 college pole vaulting champion during his years at Utah State University.

In single game play, Darren Simonds (650) popped a terrific 279, Jim Rappe tossed eight strikes in a 253,  Bobby Dixon had eight strikes in a 245 & picked up the 6-7-10, while Al Legan (593) fired eight strikes including a five-bagger with only one open frame in a 239, and Stan Benally’s 234 is his second straight week with a nice deuce game.

Jeff Branch booked a 223 and he can’t wait for his Ohio State Buckeyes game with Tennessee in the College Football Playoffs, and Jack Northover brewed up a 219 and played varsity baseball and football in high school and these days stays active with a variety of activities including golf and hiking like one he did over a dozen miles in Zion National Park.

And John Gerger is a serious computer whiz and Chicago Cubs fan who cranked out a 215, and Wade Heilsen is a heckuva good man who hails from Idaho and registered a 214, while Jedd Fisher piloted his way to a 213, and Britt Kesl fired eight total strikes including a clutch turkey in the 10th frame in a 210 game.

William Collins is in his first year of league bowling and is working on improving his game and a 206 shows it’s beginning to reap some dividends, and Mike Johnson snares his first ink for a 204, and Mitch Fletcher uncorked a 201.

On the women’s side of the ledger, Lee Ann Harmes has been blistering the lanes of late, with her most recent a 626 series including a clean 228 along with 18 total strikes, and boosted by a nice 241, Sandy Sheppard continued a pattern this season of some darn good scores, including her 613 with a 241 in Kings & Queens League play.

Diane Marget (593-223) fell just shy of a 600, but look for her scores to rip higher when 2025 rolls in, and Kathy Gardner fired 13 strikes in a season-high 582 on games of 214, 200, 168 and when you see her deliver a bowling ball is sure seems her game has a pretty high ceiling.

Georgia Godfrey  did a heckuva nice job in throwing a 580 set with 14 strikes along with a pair of really good 210 & 205 games, and  Kim Marshall is a heckuva good bowler who logged a 575 on consistent games of 192, 192, 190.

And Gayle Parison, a former accountant in the Windy City  enjoyed a terrific night on the lanes with a season-high 565 including a 220 game, and the trio of Sharon Stoneman (507-190), along with Gayla Ruesch (507-188), and Molly Gomes (501-190 all posted some solid scores.

In single game action, Lexi Mattson logged a 234, Jayne Burgoyne (524) pocketed a 215, Bev Cormani (557) chalked up a 212, and Autumn Telford (578) bagged a 201.

Dennis Craft 669-243; Alan Jacobson 669-233; Mike Yoder 668-258; Doug Love 660-243; Mike Gentry 659-248; Scott Mattingly 658-239; Mike Rogers 650-228; Dave Harris 646-233; Ricky Trujillo 644-219; Dean Baum 642-234; Steve Uhrig 640-226; Jerod Bundy 638-234; Jim Bice 637-247; Alfred Oliveira V 637-235; Ernie Kala 632-233; Dale Knight 631-229; Steve Serrano 622-248; Dave Castro 620-230; Harold Hendrick 617-259; Bob Robbins 615-231; Larry Moultrie 615-224; James Powell 612-235; Jeff Harmes; 608-226; Dalton Smith 602-206; Tim McNees 600-236; Jerry Holloway 236; Bill Finnegan 235; Rob Cormani 234; Mardon Connelly 223; Mike Dunlop 222; Ryan Baeza 222; Gil Niimi 222; Mike Foote 214; Britt Kesl 214; Ken Schloman 214; Bruce Hooley 213; Duane Sullivan 212; Gary Smith 212; Bob Mr. 800 ” Field 211; Dean Sheppard 211; George Huston 211; Britt Kesl 210; Randy Carter 210; Max Burgess 209; Harry Uncles 205; Jose Martinez 205; John Martin 204; Mike Johnson 204; Ted Mickelson 204; Tim Usher 203; Dave Houghton 202; Jim Lytle 202; Jimmy Webb 202; Brian Collins 201; Curtis Miller 201; Steve Kenyon 2091; Al Oliveira IV 200.

Lenae Page 532-184; Reiko Schultz 524-190; Debbie Hansen 523-199; Bobbie Robbins 513-180.