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Parker Bohn III Doug Kent Norm Duke Mike Edwards
Game 1 Game 2

Championship

 

Game 1   Parker Bohn III vs Doug Kent    
         
Bohn III       Kent
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Going into the match I felt very confident that Parker was in the right frame of mind and the ball he had used most of the week looked almost identical to what it had through out the week. The right also looked good but the left lane looked like it could have been a little more of a challenge as far as carry was concerned.

It was Parker's choice to start the match. If I was asked to predict a score to win the first match I would have picked nothing under 230 and that would have been based strictly on carry. I expected every ball to be in the pocket.

When Parker got up in the 4th he was working on a double and as bowling would have it, the winds were let out of the sails when Parker lost a shot off his hand. I had started to walk back to the lounge area where I could watch the match on TV. I didn't know what happened but I heard Parker holler hook! and the crowd responded with and ahhhhh!

By the time I got to the TV set I saw the 3-7-9. What was a good look and confidence just turned into frustration.

Once again Parker had an opportunity to apply some serious pressure with a set up strike in the 9th. Had he struck in the 9th Dougy would have to get up in the 9th and 10th knowing Parker was on a 4 bagger. That is a lot different than having a 3 pin lead with your opponent on a spare.

In a strike fest it often comes down to who gets the breaks and who gets the key hit that keeps the pressure on their opponent. Parker had made one bad shot and couldn't get the key hit he needed late in the game.

Dougy and Parker are no rookies to these situations. They know that in a one game crap shoot all you can do is give yourself a chance. They have been there before and they will be there again. You can feel the confidence they have under the gun.

This week, this day, this game...Dougy comes out on top.

 

 
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Game 2   Norm Duke vs Mike Edwards    
         
Duke       Edwards
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No surprise here. We watched both of these guys strike like this all week. Through 6 frames nothing but strikes. While others were watching the excitement of all the strikes I was thinking a little further ahead wondering where they were going to go when that part of the lane broke down. Norm and Mike had used one ball all week long. Norm hadn't moved his feet more than two boards. All of his moves were with his hand and speed. I didn't expect that would carry him through the championship match.

Who ever won this match would have to bowl against Doug Kent who had a ball in the wings that he had used all week. The difference about the show was there was three bowlers breaking down the same area and the TV lights. The heat from the TV lights gets the oil down the lane much quicker and three bowlers blow a hole in the lay down area quicker.

Norm drilled another Ace with a different layout but it looked like it was meant for more oil not less. Mike drilled another Puma that looked like he was preparing for drier conditions. So had Mike got through this match I liked his chances against Doug better.

As it turned out Norm's miss in the 7th was not as bad as Mike's and by the time Mike got up in the 10th he had zero chance of winning. You could see at the end of the game Norm was starting fire the ball down the lane so you knew he was in wiggle mode the whole game. Even though he was striking he knew he couldn't stand in the same place and do the same thing the whole game. He didn't wait until he split. Being on top of the moves is very important at this level.

Norm was certainly on top during this game but as quickly as TV transitions happen I wasn't as confident about his next game. But Norm is Norm and he has fooled me many times before.
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Game 3   Doug Kent vs Norm Duke    
         
Kent       Duke
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 I didn't get to watch much of this game as I was trying to get the pictures of the balls up on the web site. But as I look at the score sheet I see Norm suffered from the same thing every other bowler struggled through during the week. If you got caught with the wrong ball at the wrong time connecting doubles would be difficult.

It would have been a difficult choice to change from the only ball he had used all week and just shot 279 with.

I will have to leave the guessing to you as I didn't show back up until it was time to take pictures of the champion.

Doug is one of the guys I feel good for when he wins. He is very respectful and passionate about the sport.

Congrats Doug and it is great to see you back in the T of C, even though you knocked out my good friend Bryon Smith.

 
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