By BILL SNIER
CANTON — Cecil Forrester bowls four leagues a week at Eastbury Bowling Center.
But while he says everything is pretty similar for him Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Friday is another story.
“It’s like a nightmare when I walk in here for some reason,” said the 43-year-old Canton right-hander. “I’m not one to bring six balls with me so if I can’t get it down to two, it doesn’t matter. I’ll go between balls all night.”
So, of course,, when Forrester rolled his 14th career 800 series, an 812, it came during the Friday Liberty Vending league.
“I know it wasn’t the same line that I’ve used to shoot other 800s in here,” Forrester said. “I was searching for a line and I really didn’t even think about it until the fifth frame of the last. Then I said, if I do this, I have a shot.”
Forrester started with 258, leaving a pair of 10-pins in Game 1, before coming back with 279 in Game 2 when he left a 4-pin on a high hit. He left a spare in the third frame of Game 3 (“I don’t remember what it was,” he added) before stringing strikes into the 10th frame and leaving a 4-6-7-10 split on his second ball in the frame after a strike to clinch the 800.
Forrester, who shot is all-time high series of 856 at the former Nancy O’s Bowl, used a new Storm Journey bowling ball. He had been using a Storm Phaze 5 most of the season.
“I went to Frank (Testa) and told him I wanted the ball to be a little more aggressive and had it drilled that way,” said Forrester, whose averages range from 236 on Tuesday to 219 on Friday. “It gives me stronger back ends to make up for the over-under I battle with here.”
Although he stayed near his normal line of 12 (board) to eight, Forrester admitted “I got a few breaks during the night.”
“I knew I had to have the first one in the 10th to get there,” he added. “But there really wasn’t any pressure. It was just another basic night bowling with guys I enjoy bowling with.”