Kevin Schott admitted taking a few weeks off between the fall bowling season and the start of summer league play was difficult.
“I’ve been averaging pretty good … I had a few good weeks here and there. It was rough getting back,” the 23-year-old Alliance right-hander said. “I struggled a little bit with timing issues and then my thumb just wasn’t as swollen as it was in the winter so I had to figure out what to do with tape.”
But Schott’s summer got an unexpected boost last week. After recording his third career 800 series — all since September 2021 — the Clem Lumber employee earned his first adult tournament win during the Al Leasure Skills Challenge at Al Leasure Lanes inside American Legion Post 166 in Alliance.
The tournament — conducted in a four-lane wood center — was to raise funds for parts and maintenance for the lanes, which were named in memory of Alan Leasure, who maintained the small center for nearly 40 years.
“It was definitely something new for me. I don’t bowl on sport shots too often,” Schott said, “and to bowl on four different ones in the same house on just four lanes was definitely tough.”
The 21-player field bowled on four different oil patterns — 30-, 40-and 45-foot blocks and a reverse block.
There were two shifts, with a 6 p.m. shift Saturday and a 1 p.m. on Sunday. Schott was one of eight players to bowl Saturday night.
“With just eight of us there wasn’t a whole lot of changes,” said Schott, who shot 799, including a tourney-high 233 in his first game, to win. “Sunday I went over to watch and there was a big difference. There were a lot more bowlers and they were hooking a lot more than they were on Saturday.
“I couldn’t even tell which lane was a different shot until (tournament director) Alan (Leasure) told me.”
Schott had a 69-pin advantage over second-place Adam Kutz (730) and third-place Rob Weary (712). They were the only three players to break 700.
Schott started Game 1 with two opens during his first four frames before stringing seven in a row en route to his 233. Game 2 was a different story on the reverse block.
“Once I got to that lane, I knew it was going to be really bad,” said Schott, who used a Storm Dark Code during all four games. “Game 3 was almost the same as Game 1. Each of the last two just went a little longer for me.
“Rather than trying to change balls to adjust, I just adjusted my target and speed.”
It was the first time Schott had thrown on wood lanes since his high school days in Alliance at the former Super Bowl of Alliance.
“I was pretty confident going into Sunday that my score would hold up,” Schott said. “I thought I would be hard to beat. It just really feels great to get that first win.”
STARTING WITH 800
Schott’s big week started with his third 800, an 802, during the Tuesday Summer Trio league at Eastbury Bowling Center. All three of his 800s, including his high of 812, have come at the Canton center.
“I started the night out really bad with a pair of opens during the first five frames. It was rough,” Schott said. “After that, it was all a blur.”
Schott had games of 244, 258 and 300, his 10th career 300, including three during the fall season.
Two of his 800 series included 300 games. But this one was different — a crossover strike on his final ball.
“It was probably one of the worst shots I’ve thrown in my life,” said Schott, lamenting that this one was immortalized in a video on Facebook after his first 11 were solid shots. “It was really quiet in the building because everyone else was done except for us.
“With all that pressure and everyone watching … it was definitely nerve wracking.”
The strike string had started in Game 2 with the final seven strikes heading into Game 3.
“I left a stone 7-pin in Game 2 … that was my only miscue. After that, it was history,” said Schott, who again used the Storm Dark Code for this milestone.
“I did the math, but I didn’t think it would be possible. I have a few 500s and five-teens and I knew what I needed. But I couldn’t worry about that. It was just about posting a good score.”
Which he did again the following Sunday en route to a title.