By BILL SNIER
NORTH CANTON — Gene Stephens and Mike Hoffman were cruising along during Friday’s Poling Painting March Madness Doubles Bracket Tournament, shooting 478 in Game 1 and 551 in Game 2 of the handicapped event.
It was in Game 3 that the problems began for Stephens, a 72-year-old Brimfield right-hander. An old lower back injury decided to flare up again.
“It was really bad … it was after the first set (qualifying) that it tightened up on me,” Stephens said. “I’ve had problems in the past with it, but it had been awhile since it flared up.
“It was very tough getting through that first match. If it wasn’t for (Hoffman), I would have gone home.”
But the pair was able to get through two one-game matches after earning the No. 3 seed following qualifying before Hoffman shot 233 in the title match to lead them to a 429-413 victory over Mike Sterling and Mike Sheehan at Park Centre Lanes.
In Game 3 of qualifying, Hoffman shot 259 following his 278 in Game 2 en route to a 750 series — the second-highest of his bowling career — while Stephens had 175 to finish with 665.
“I made an adjustment in the fifth frame of the first game to a different ball,” said Hoffman, a 63-year-old Stow right-hander who went to a Roto Grip Rubicon Pearl for the remainder of the tournament. “Then I just stayed with it.”
“I knew Mike would have a good shot here,” Stephens said, “but be bowled beyond my expectations.”
The pair, friends who had not bowled together for about five years, opened the eight-team match-play round with a 487-407 win over Jackson Township left-hander Dan Block and Akron right-hander Eric Long, the No. 6 seed.
The semifinals went down to the last ball against No. 8 seed Chuck Lewis and Bruce Toburen.
Stephens had a five-count on his first shot in the 10th frame, but covered the spare. Needing a strike to win the match by one pin, he buried the shot to advance.
“After he threw that five-count, he adjusted and gutted it out,” Hoffman said. “He had to have that 10-count, and that was just tremendous.”
Hoffman and Stephens won the match 394-393 to reach the finale.
LOUISVILLE PAIR REACHES FINAL
Sterling, a 62-year-old Louisville right-hander, used to work for Sheehan at the Timken Co. It was Sheehan who convinced his old friend to return to bowling when he needed a substitute due to surgery.
“I ran into him and asked him if he was interested in subbing for me. He told me he wasn’t sure if he wanted to start up again,” said Sheehan, a 72-year-old Louisville right-hander. “We just wanted to come out here and have some fun. To go home with something … that’s a bonus.”
Sheehan shot 703 during qualifying, with a high game of 265 in Game 3, while Sterling had 623 as the pair ended up as the No. 5 seed.
They came out strong in their opening match, stopping No. 4 seed Bill Brake and Doug Gormley 505-412. Both also shot over 220 in the semifinals, stopping No. 2-seeded Maria Licht, a breast cancer survivor and lone woman in the field, and her husband, Erick Licht 482-411 to earn a spot in the finals.
TITLE MATCH
In the title match, it was Hoffman who came out strong, leaving a 10-pin spare in his opening frame before running off three strikes in a row. Stephens failed to convert a 10-pin spare in the first frame and then left a 4-10 split in the second before recording a double.
Sterling and Sheehan were not as fortunate.
Sterling bracketed strikes after failing to convert a 2-4-5-8 spare in the second — the first of three “bucket” spares he left in the match.
Sheehan left a 9-pin spare in the first, followed with a strike and then left a 7-10 split in the third.
“On the bucket, I just got it a little wide out there and it didn’t finish at all,” Sterling said. “On the earlier lanes, I could throw it out there and it would still come back. So I was kind of trying to miss it to the right. But it just didn’t work out.”
Sheehan also saw the difference on Lanes 5 and 6 from previous pairs.
“I would have made adjustments a lot quicker. I thought since they were lanes we had bowled on earlier they would be drier,” Sheehan said. “But the carry wasn’t as good on this end as it was on the other.”
Despite Stephens’ injury, Hoffman was not concerned.
“I know that Gene picks up his spares and he’s going to get counts,” Hoffman said. “He actually helped calm me down. I was throwing the ball too fast the game before, and he told me to slow it down and it started to read the lanes better. I was able to come through for us.”
Although Hoffman missed a 4-pin spare in the sixth frame, he ran off the next four strikes before leaving a 4-6-7 split on his second ball in the 10th en route to 233.
Stephens left a 6-7 split in the sixth, but then stayed clean the rest of the way for 172.
Sterling missed his second “bucket” spare in the sixth frame and was able to double in the ninth and 10th before leaving his third “bucket” en route to 177.
Sheehan, after his early split, stayed clean, throwing a pair of doubles to finish with 204.
“On the previous lanes, you could miss outside,” Sheehan said, “but not on 5 and 6.”
It was the first title opportunity for Hoffman, Sterling and Sheehan. But Stephens does have a win.
“It came in the Senior Olympics,” Stephens said. “I finished second to Mike Turnbull one year, and the next year he was second to me.”
This time, Stephens and Hoffman were second to no one.
NOTEBOOK: The event drew 35 teams. Tournament managers Mark Boron and Jim Mitchell promise more such events during the 2024-25 bowling season. The ages 50 and older event had handicap based on 70 percent of 220 per player. … Chris Moses posted both the high scratch game (280) and high series (790) of the day. Block also had 279 and Wash Haney and Hoffman had 278. There were 17 total scratch 700 series rolled. … Maria Licht also recorded her first career 700, a 701 with a 254 high game. … John Bernard and Haney were the No. 1 seeds with 1,533 total pinfall. The cut to make the top eight was at 1,414, with the low to cash being 1,392. … Poling Painting served as tournament sponsor.
POLING PAINTING MARCH MADNESS DOUBLES BRACKET
(Friday, at Park Centre Lanes, North Canton)
Round of eight
(Single-game match play elimination; losing teams received $130 per team)
Chuck Lewis-Bruce Toburen d. Josh Barnard-Wash Haney 524-421
Gene Stephens-Mike Hoffman d. Dan Block-Eric Long 487-407
Maria Licht-Erich Licht d. Steve Snyder-Bill Flachbart 458-433
Mike Sterling-Mike Sheehan d. Bill Brake-Doug Gormley 505-412
Round of four
(Losing teams each received $150)
Stephens-Hoffman d. Lewis-Tabaren 394-393
Sheehan-Sterling d. Licht-Licht 482-411
Championship
(Winner receives $360; loser receives $230)
Hoffman-Sterling d. Sterling-Sheehan 429-413
Other cashers
(Based on three-game pinfalls, with earnings listed)
9, Larry Schwalbach-Tony Dorazio 1,897, $85; 10, Jim Vespoint-Cloyce Wolfe 1,395, $85; 11, (tie) Dave Stewart-Kevin Harris and Steve Pecorelli-Terry White 1,392, $85 each