By BILL SNIER
CANTON — To say that the 2023-24 bowling season was huge for Alliance’s Kevin Schott would be an understatement.
After starting in August 2023 by capturing the Hall of Fame Summer Series finale at AMF Hall of Fame Lanes, the 25-year-old right-hander moved on to his old stomping grounds in the Carnation City by taking both the Alliance Masters and Alliance Skills Challenge while also finishing second to Matt Bertolette in the Nagle Memorial.
“The whole thing for me was keeping my mind straight,” said Schott, who also became a new father in 2023 to a son. “I just didn’t put as much pressure on myself as I did in the past.
“I think a lot of it was making better ball choices out of the bag … just reading what the lanes were giving me.”
After a lackluster summer in two leagues by Schott’s standards, he kicked in the 2024-25 fall-winter season in the Liberty Vending league at Eastbury Bowling Center with 288, 256 and 256 for an 802 series — his seventh career 800 (with a high of 837) to go along with 20 300 games.
“I threw a lot of strikes and it felt really good. My ball reaction was good … I didn’t move a whole lot like I usually do there,” said Schott, who threw his Track Archetype Hybrid.
Schott had the front 10 strikes before leaving a 10-pin in Game 1. He started Game 2 with the front three before leaving a 4-pin, then ran strikes again to the ninth frame before another 10-pin. To finish, he had the front six in Game 3 before another 4-pin and 10-pin.
Schott said the lanes being more “sparky” benefitted his game.
“They were more sparky that night than they usually are,” the Clem Lumber employee and Bowlifi associate staffer said. “I found that benefits my game with me throwing the ball so hard. I can play it straighter.
“During the summer, I just couldn’t seem to find it. It might be that the lanes were oiled differently or bowling with different people.”
But now Schott is back in his comfort zone and looking forward to the tournament season.
“I’ll be there for Jeff’s (DiMarzio, College Bowl Tournaments) events and for sure in Alliance,” said Schott, who also bowls in the Northeast Ohio Travel League. “Summer leagues were just about keeping everything in rhythm and in sync … a lot of people just bowl to do that.
“I know that winter is coming around.”