CANTON — AMF Hall of Fame Lanes is a center where Josh Haddad has limited success in his bowling career.
“Especially with the number of 8-pins and 9-pins I leave there,” the 38-year-old Canton right-hander said. “I really can’t seem to score in that house.”
“But I guess I can’t say that anymore.”
Haddad completed a banner month in January with a career-high 856 series at Hall of Fame during the Northeast Ohio Travel League. That comes on the heels of an 803 series he shot earlier in the month to go along with a pair of 300 games he rolled during a College Bowl Tournaments singles event, both at Park Centre Lanes.
“I had two 800s coming into this season and two in the last month,” said Haddad, a technology adviser for TCC-Verizon Wireless. “I just don’t know how it happened.”
That night, Haddad had games of 289, 268 and 299 for his milestone series, leaving three 10-pins, a 7-pin and a 4-pin all night. He owns 12 300 games.
And he did it with a different ball than he had used for his earlier 800 in the Pizza Oven Classic league at Park Centre.
“I decided to flip my (900 Global Wolverine) Dark Moss. I just put it in timeout so to speak,” Haddad said. “It just didn’t feel right … like something had changed over the past week or so.”
So Haddad decided to go with his Storm Axiom Pearl that night because of the success he had at Hall of Fame previously with that ball.
“The last time I bowled travel league there I shot 780 that night and had the league high,” said Haddad, who is averaging 226 in the travel league. “I just decided to try that ball again.”
He started the first game with the first 10 strikes before leaving a ringing 10-pin in the 11th frame. He then started Game 2 with a pair of 10-pins.
“I just got the ball a little inside and had the same shot, with a pair of ringing 10s and a wrap 10,” Haddad said. “Then I got lined up again and went off to the 11th frame when I left a 7-pin on a light shot.”
He then started with the first 11 strikes in Game 3 before leaving a 4-pin on his final ball.
“In the eighth frame, I went back to my teammate Branden (Ball) and said ‘I just shot 800,’ ” Haddad said. “Usually when you are trying to get to 800 you’re really pushing to get there. But it just seemed so natural that night.”
Haddad also is averaging 234 at Park Centre, which also would be a career high.
“Shooting 856 is something I never thought I would do in my life. You see all these great bowlers doing stuff like that and you wonder, “Am I ever going to have a night like that?’” Haddad said. “I just come out here, try my best and what happens, happens.”
He insists nothing really changed that month in his game to produce the big results.
“I just feel like I’m really throwing the ball well, staying slow and not going too fast,” Haddad said. “January was just a good month.”
And one he will not take for granted.
“I never missed the pocket. I was one of those nights where everything was falling and there were no cheapies,” Haddad said. “It was just a dream night.”
BIG GAME AT PARK
Haddad’s Park Centre Lanes team also had a big night in the Pizza Oven Classic league at Park Centre recently.
The team of Keith Zeigler, Austin Reese, Bill Reese, Jack Haddad and Josh Haddad shot a 1,299 actual game (1,321 with handicap).
Josh had the high game of 279, with other games including Austin Reese 261, Zeigler 248, All Reese 246 and Jack Haddad 265.