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Jeff Davis
The sport we enjoy today has some religious aspects early in its history. No, this does not include praying to convert that split in the tenth frame. Around 400 AD, bowling began in Germany as a religious rite to cleanse oneself from sin by rolling a rock into clubs (kegels) representing the heathen, resulting in bowlers being called keglers.
The earliest known forms of bowling date back to ancient Egypt, with wall drawings depicting bowling found in a royal Egyptian tomb dated to 3200 BC and miniature pins and balls in an Egyptian child's grave about the same time. In 1511, English King Henry VIII, an avid bowler, banned bowling for the lower classes and imposed a levy for private lanes to limit them to the wealthy. Another English law, passed in 1541 (repealed in 1845), prohibited workers from bowling, except at Christmas, and only in their master's home and in his presence. Protestant Reformation founder Martin Luther set the number of pins, which varied from three to 17, at nine. He had a bowling lane built next to his home for his children, sometimes rolling a ball himself. Nine pin bowling in the early 1800’s in the United States was often accompanied by gambling and other crime. Several states, notably Connecticut in 1841, passed laws prohibiting nine pin bowling. Legend says this was the start of ten pin bowling in the US to circumvent the law.
The results below begin with the Thursday Commercial league’s Sept. 28 session and go through the Senior league’s Oct. 4 bowling. The standings are beginning to settle out as the leagues complete their fourth or fifth week of competition.
Graham International and Wilson’s Performance are knotted in first place with 15 – 5 records in the Thursday Commercial League. Mason Virgel, bowling for Donnie’s Heat & Air, topped the men with a high game of 279. Tarry Davison on the Graham International squad rolled a 723 high series. Kyra Jenkins on the Tierra Del Sol team scored a 221 high game and 542 series to pace the women.
Sunday’s This Ain’t Yo Momma’s Bowling League is led by Classic Crazies with a 12 – 4 record, followed closely by Team 12 at 11 – 5. Brandon Williams fired a 289 high game for the Split Happens foursome. Dwayne Shumann bowling with Classic Crazies took high series for the men with 747. Marlene Morris of the Cruisers had the high game for the ladies with 184, and Kathy Price also on Classic Crazies led the women with a 512 series.
WWM continues to dominate the Monday Trio League, sporting a 17 – 3 record. Doug Eitler on Sisco’s Crew nailed the men’s high game with a 237, and Sisco Zarco of – you guessed it – Sisco’s Crew, paced the men with a 678 series. Debby Essary on the Spare Me trio continued to fire high scores and led the women with a 219 game and 578 series.
Competition is tight in the Tuesday Mixed League with Irish Pride leading with a 15 – 5 standing, followed by Cletus’s High Rollers at 14 – 6 and Bowling Beavers +1 scoring 13 – 7. Tarry Davison, rolling for the Money B four topped the men with a 248 game and 695 series. Kathy Price on the Strikers team led the women with a 215 high game and Tina Phillips garnered high series honors with a 553.
Standings are close in the Wednesday Senior League. Mighty Mo’s Bunch leads with a 15 – 5 record. Close behind are Jerry Joe’s Ladies and Lurch & Friends at 14 – 6. Strike Force and Pin Pals trail slightly, posting 13 – 7 records. Billy Painter on the S&P team scored a 247 to lead the men’s high game. Robert Smith bowling with Strike Force narrowly missed 600, tossing a 599 series for men’s honors. Cyndie Ewert representing Pin Pals scored 221 to lead the ladies and Mozelle Rutledge from Mighty Mo’s Bunch scored a 504 to lead the women’s high series.
Until next week, good luck and good bowling.