By BILL SNIER
When discussing big starts to the 2025-26 fall-winter season in Stark County, fans need only look to two bowling centers — Park Centre Lanes and Eastbury Bowling Center.
Senior player Brian Ball established himself early at Eastbury, as the 52-year-old Massillon right-hander recorded a pair of 800 series — including just one pin off of the house record of 875 — and three 300 games. This comes after he recorded eight 800 series during the 2024-25 season.
Now comes 33-year-old Perry Township right-hander Brett McCourry, who has recorded three 800 series this season in the Liberty Vending league at Eastbury — all including a 300 game — to go with another he recorded during the first week of the summer league at the center in May.
Meanwhile, the growing legend of 20-year-old Canton two-handed right-hander Zachary McCutchan continues to grow at Park Centre Lanes.
After recording nine 300 games and five 800 series a year ago at the North Canton center, the Park Centre employee now has six 300 games spread over four leagues and two 800 series to start this season — all in the past four weeks.
Here’s a look at how McCourry and McCutchan have taken their respective centers again by storm.
TWO IN ROW FOR McCOURRY
After shooting 817 just a week ago in the Friday league at Eastbury, McCourry followed it up with 834 just two days ago, with games of 279, 300 and 255 for 834. He also had 805 earlier this season in the league with another 300.
“Eastbury has just been a good matchup for me all season,” said McCourry, who used the 900 Global Ember for all three of his 800s this season (the 817 also included a 300). “It’s really strange because all of my high sets before didn’t include a 300.”
We talked with McCourry during the Northeast Ohio Travel League on Thursday, the night prior to his latest 800 effort.
“The funny thing is, I’m really not that hot in any other league,” said McCourry, who bowls in three leagues including the NEOTL. “With the travel league, its a second-shift league and it’s really kind of hard where your bowling across 10 houses during the season.
“But Eastbury has always been kind of scoreable for me. Everyone seems to have their particular house … it’s just how it goes. I bowled youth leagues at Park Centre, but when I got to high school (Canton McKinley), we bowled all over the place and we had a different home center all four years. Whatever you can do, you do.”
During the 817 series, McCourry left four 9-pins for his only misses on the night without an open frame.
He remembers McCutchan as a young player as he attended McKinley with the latter’s older sister, Breanna.
“I know Park Centre’s been a little tougher this year, but the guys are going to figure it out,” said McCourry, who operates his own landscaping firm and also works in the offseason at Cutting Edge Pro Shop at Station 300. “Synthetic pins are a different animal. But they will figure it out.”
McCourry’s 817 came on Lanes 9 and 10 at Eastbury — “that’s usually my worst pair,” he added.
“I’ve kind of bowled everywhere … I just don’t like that reputation as a house hack,” said McCourry, who admittedly struggled during the summer after opening with 800. “I just want something different every night.
“I know guys who have gone through the roller-coasters during the season … we’ve all been there. I watch a lot of older guys and you can tell they they were good and they know what to do, but time just gets to them. I just want to be able to do it for as long as I can.”
McCUTCHAN CHASES ON GOALS
As for McCutchan, he just continues to try to reach goals that may have been unthinkable — until what happened last season.
“I know I had a helluva season, but I have set the bar really high for myself,” McCutchan said. “I always come in with the mindset to just do my thing and shoot for the best. The goal really is to shoot 900 — but that’s not really going to happen.”
Last week’s surge started with McCutchan shooting 300 to close league play Tuesday in the Hannon Electric league at Park Centre. He then started Wednesday in a sub role in the Pizza Oven Classic with another 300, before adding 258 and 287 for a career-high 845 — his second 800 of the season. Both nights he used the DV8 Dark Side.
“That’s the first time I went back-to-back days with honor scores,” said McCutchan, who bowls three regular leagues at Park Centre and subs in another. “Tuesday night, the pair was a little trickier. But I went to where I felt comfortable in Game 3 … a little more right. With me, I can always throw it harder, and that is where I feel comfortable.”
He shot the 300 on Tuesday on Lanes 21 and 22; Wednesday’s milestone came on Lanes 11 and 12 — again starting with 300.
“The second game, I got around one shot a little and it came in high Brooklyn and I left a 6-pin. Then I left a 4-pin on the first ball in the 10th,” said McCutchan of his 258.
He then started Game 3 with another 4-pin.
“I was confident going into the third game. I liked that first shot off my hand, but it came in a little high,” McCutchan said. “I made a little adjustment and then started running them.”
He ran strikes until his final ball, when he left a 7-count. But the consistency is what pleased the 20-year-old the most.
“I’ve never been able to finish off the sets big for a huge three-game set,” McCutchan said. “I always finished with 230s or 240s. Doing that was really good for me, but there is still more to do and I feel I can go higher.”
His goals this season? Very simple.
“Do better than I did last year,” McCutchan said. “I’m happy with where I’m at, but like anyone else in the world of bowling, there are some little things you need to fix … timing, bowling ball motion, lane play — I know I can get better.
“I want to continue to chase my goals, but I want to also do the best that I can and not try too much and overthink it.”
MORE OUT OF FRIDAY
In addition to Brett McCourry’s 834, there were two other 800s thrown in the Liberty Vending league Friday at Eastbury.
- Brett’s younger brother, left-hander Alex McCourry, had games of 244, 279 ad 277 for 800 on the nose providing a rarity of two brothers shooting 800 series on the same night in the same league on the same pair.
- Louisville two-handed righty Chase Barstow, 22, had games of 275, 278 and 259 for an 812 series in a substitute role in the league — his first honor score of the season.
More to come later on those two accomplishments.