By BILL SNIER
CANTON — It was No. 2 for one bowler; No. 1 this season for the other.
Both Phil Clifton and J.D. Jone have different stories to tell about their recent journeys to 800 series at Park Centre and Bowlero Hall of Fame lanes, respectively.
Here are their stories:
PHIL CLIFTON
Clifton, a 38-year-old Green right-hander, also was making his run at his fourth career 300 game in Game 3 while his 800 also was on the line.
The completion of the journey for the latter made the one to the former easier.
Clifton had games of 289, 237 and 300 for 826, his second career 800 with his first coming in early 2022.
“I left four 10-pins all night and the rest were strikes,” said Clifton, who used his Hammer Vibe for his latest milestone.
He started Game 1 with the first 10 strikes before leaving his first 10-pin in the 11th frame.
The 10-pin again popped up three times in Game 2, with back-to-back leaves in the fourth and fifth frames. But he failed to convert the one in the fourth for his only open of the evening.
Game 3 produced runs at two milestones.
As his streak went on, Clifton admitted his lone concern was the 800.
“I really didn’t care about the 300,” said Clifton, a Flowers Food employee. “The first ball in the 10th was the one that made me worried. I knew if I carried that one, I was good.”
But striking on that first ball also gave Clifton a sense of calm.
“After that, there really were no nerves for the second and third shots,” said Clifton, who earned his fourth 300. “Getting the 800 out of the way kind of relaxed me.”
Clifton bowls in three leagues this season — all at Park Centre — with averages ranging from 213 to 223.
“It’s been a good season,” Clifton said. “Our team won the first half on Mondays. Shooting 800 again felt great honestly.”
J.D. JONES
Jones a 29-year-old Massillon right-hander, had not been feeling comfortable at Bowlero Hall of Fame Lanes heading into his 800 in the Monday Night Football league, where he was bowling as a substitute.
“But the last couple of weeks, I’ve been very smooth and consistent, making the right ball choices and the right choices on the lanes,” Jones said. “It’s been tricky all year … I’ve had some very inconsistent nights, shooting 720 one night and then 630 or 640 the next.
“I was having trouble getting into it each night, catching the transition and being able to at least score consistently each game.”
It changed that night — although the inconsistency did not — when Jones put together 300, 224 and 277 for 801, his 16th career 800 series to go along with 23 300 games.
And he did it with a ball he got from a friend, who just didn’t like it.
“Brett (McCourry) gave (Roto Grip TNT) to me. He said he hated it, and if I could make it work, make it work,” said Jones, who works for RJ Flooring. “I also hated it for about a game and a half.
“But since then, it’s been lights out for me for about 2 1/2 weeks. I was making moves with that ball that I was confident in.”
But despite throwing 300 in Game 1 — “You’re always going to feel a bit nervous,” Jones said, “but I was confident with the ball” — Jones felt he made a mistake in Game 2.
“I just stayed in that ball too long,” Jones said. “I knew I needed to switch to something else, so I was trying to figure out what I could do and where I could go with it.”
On his fill ball in Game 2, he made the change to a 900 Global Zen Gold Label — and his look improved.
After striking on the fill ball, he ran off the next eight strikes.
“But on the ninth one, I got real fast and threw it down the middle,” Jones said, leaving a 3-6-10 in the frame. He covered the spare.
“I was joking with Trey Monastra that I was going to leave a pocket 7-10 for 799,” Jones added about the 10th frame. “But I flushed them all.”
Jones, who bowls in three leagues including the Northeast Ohio Travel League, holds averages between 222 and 228 on the season, both at both Hall of Fame and Eastbury Bowling Center.
“Everything I’ve been throwing (at Hall of Fame) has been reading super quick or not at all,” Jones said. “It’s been a little bit of a headache this year, but we’re grinding.”