By BILL SNIER
CANTON — After a strong second half to the 2023-24 bowling season, including a pair of wins and a runner-up finish during three Alliance tournaments, Kevin Schott still felt it wasn’t the season he had hoped for.
“Really, I think the season was an off year for me,” said the 28-year-old Alliance right-hander, who had his first 800 of this season back in September. “The second half was really great for me, but I think my goals were set a little bit high.”
But the Sebring Tru-Cut employee didn’t make that mistake coming into the 2024-25 season.
“I set my goals a little bit lower this season. I wanted to average in the high 220s or 230s and have a 300 and 800,” Schott said. “I’ve already hit those goals, so from here it’s just a landslide.”
HIs latest 800, No. 6 overall to go with 20 300 games, came again in the Liberty Vending league at Eastbury Bowling Center when he had games of 278, 290 and 262 for an 830 series, just seven pins off his all-time high of 837 set last season.
And this time, he did it with a ball he rarely uses at Eastbury.
“I’m usually a Track guy, but I decided to bring a closet ball out that night. I put new grips in it and everything,” Schott said. “Then the first time out I shoot 830 with it.”
For his previous 800, he used a Track Archetype Hybrid; this time, it was a 2018 Storm IQ Tour Nano Pearl.
“I used to throw Storm a lot, but then I moved over to Track,” Schott said. “But that was a ball I never got rid of. I decided to bring it out for a night and I’m glad I did.”
Schott started the night with the front eight strikes before leaving a 10-pin spare in the ninth frame. After starting out Game 2 with a 4-pin spare, he ran off strikes the remainder of the game.
“The nerves were obviously there. Scoreboards like that (at Eastbury) show your two-game totals, so you just sit and stare at it the whole time,” Schott said. “You look up and see 568 and know you only need 232 to get there …”
He left a 2-4-5-8 bucket in the fourth frame of Game 3 after starting with three strikes, He only picked off two on the spare attempt for his only open.
“I really didn’t make any adjustments,” Schott said. “It was just a bad shot.”
He knew he had the 800 after he struck in the ninth frame during a five-strike run after the open. But he wanted insurance.
“That first shot in the 10th is when I knew I had it,” said Schott, who also shot 750 the next time he brought that same ball out. “It was secure, so the rest of it was just all extras.”
Schott also is enjoying fatherhood with his 2-year-old son, Asher.
“He’s got a little plastic (bowling) set that he plays with all the time,” Schott said. “He’s going to be out there some time.”
But Schott still has the remainder of the season ahead.
“I’m looking forward to still be bowling, depending on our financial situation,” said Schott, who also bowls in the Northeast Ohio Travel League. “But I’ll be out there (at tournaments) if I can.”
And also looking toward adding to his 800 total.