By BILL SNIER
NORTH CANTON — A year ago, Paul Sanko III recorded the Stark County USBC’s highest league average with a mark of 239 in the SharpShooters mixed league at Park Centre Lanes during the 2022-23 season.
He had recorded four 800 series in a period of 12 months at one point — all using the Hammer Raw Toxic line of balls, which he has thrown for nearly 10 years now.
“I carried in the 230s with that line, so why change?” the 45-year-old Perry Township right-hander said of his nearly 10-year-old equipment. “I’ve added a few new balls here and there just to see. But if the old stuff keeps working, why change?”
He hasn’t this season, and Sanko again found the ball to his satisfaction at Park Centre when he had games of 258, 299 and 267 for 824, his ninth career 800 and first this season in the SharpShooters league.
“Since my father (Paul Sanko Jr.) passed in 2021, I’m doing a lot of this for him,” said Sanko, who is employed by Troyer’s Dutch Market in Massillon. “But the old equipment just seems to work a lot better than the new stuff that I’ve got right now.”
A pair of 10-pin spares and a 10-pin on his final ball was all Sanko left during Game 1. He followed that by leaving an 8-pin on his final ball in Game 2. It was not what you would call “solid.”
“That shot was almost flat … I nearly left an 8-10 (split) on it,” Sanko said about his 300 quest. “It was an iffy shot at best.”
Game 3 was a lot like Game 1, with a pair of 10-pin spares. This time, he left a 7-pin on his final ball.
“Things felt pretty good all night,” said Sanko, whose target was between boards 12 and eight. “If I hit anywhere in that area I was gold. I had already figured what I needed to do the third game.”
But the two back-to-back spares in the middle of Game 3 were cause for concern in his 800 quest.
“After I did that in the middle, I knew I couldn’t do that anymore,” said Sanko, who has an all-time high of 858. “After the first ball in the 10th there was nothing to worry about. I was just smooth and not nervous.
“I knew I already had it … it was just a case of what kind of score I could have.”
Sanko is continuing his scoring surge this season, averaging 220 in the Pizza Oven Classic league at Park Centre and 238 in the SharpShooters league. He finished last season with three 800 series and five 300 games, with that total standing at 19.
“I just felt like it was going to be a good night,” Sanko added. “I just kept going with the flow and finished off strong.”