Capital region bowlers find fast lane

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

OXFORD – The central part of the state, particularly the Montgomery area, sure can develop some bowlers.

The Montgomery district sent a large contingent of bowlers to the Masters Games of Alabama and a majority of them came away with medals Wednesday at the Anniston Bowling Center.

Donald Chatman, who broke a 20-year state record for high series in 2011 and held it for two years, rolled the high game of the day – a 273. David Atkinson, who bowls in seven leagues a week, rolled the high series – a 644 (228-229-187). And Terry Brantley started off hot with a 226 and followed it with a 183 and 196.

“Well, we’ve been at it a while,” Brantley said. “The Central Alabama association down there is really good. David and I are on the board and we try to promote the sport for Montgomery and Prattville. I guess we had about 20 people come in from the district here.”

All three have either played on the same team or bowled against each other on a regular basis.

“I bowl with David all the time,” Chatman said. “When I came back last year, he and I were fighting for the highest average in the league. And I bowl with Terry on Fridays; he’s the secretary in our league. They’ve got a lot of good bowlers down there.”

Chatman, 53, whose 879 high series still stands tall in Central Alabama, rolled his big game Wednesday in his final game of the day. It came after stair-step games of 147 and 162 when he was “just messing around” bowling in a division without a challenger.

His big game was highlighted by a pair of five-baggers around a sixth-round spare. He had a 279 game on Monday.

“I’m just getting back into bowling,” Chatman said, alluding to some job uncertainty as a gaming technician at Victoryland that kept him off the lanes for four months. “You’ve got to have money to bowl. I was financially stressed, so it was hard to bowl, although I was heavily recruited by folks to bowl with them.”

Atkinson, 68, bettered his book average with his series Wednesday and the last game could have been better had he carried the right lane of his assigned pair. He left three 10-pins standing on that lane following strikes on the left. He finally solved the troublesome lane with a strike on his final ball.

He also won first place in his age division in shuffleboard and took the silver medal in table tennis during this week’s competition, which wraps up Thursday with a 5K run, dominoes doubles and billiards.

“I expected to win the gold medal when I walked in the door; that was my expectation,” said Atkinson, who helped recruit most of the Montgomery bowlers for the Games. “Last year I finished fourth, but the previous two years I won the gold medal in my age group. Even last year when I finished fourth I expected to win the gold medal; I was disappointed.”

Here is the Homecoming Court

King – Edward Brown, 90, Montgomery
Queen – Maurine Harmon, 98, Oxford

District 1 – Charlene Cooper, Florence; Gunther Sigle, Florence
District 2 – M. Faye Williams, Somerville; Floyd Bradford, Falkville
District 4 – Maurice Harmon, Oxford; George Palmer Martin, Hobson City
District 5 – Vallie Tutt, Fairfield; Milford Jackson, Trussville
District 6 – Ida Robertson, Lanett; Oliver Williams, Wedowee
District 7 – Virgie Peterson, Loxley; Dan Flowers, Mobile
District 8 – Jewell Mitchell, Andalusia; John Choquette, Dothan
District 9 – Louise Bean, Montgomery; Edward Brown, Montgomery

RESULTS

TABLE TENNIS
Men’s Division
50-54 – Steve McFarland
50-59 – Reid Pope
65-69 – Fred Mitchell, Colen Ellis, David Atkinson
70-74 – Robert Turner, Bill Laskoski, Robert Ellsworth
75-79 – Bob Ward, Bill Sparrowhawk, John Dial
80-84 – Harry Chandler, Charles Prescott
85-89 – Horace Plemons

Ladies Division
60-64 – Pat Ford; Beth Moore, Jennifer Garrett
65-69 – Jane Sparrowhawk, Phoebe Crump, Myrna Moline
70-74 – Linda Turner, Joyce Stacey, Pat Castleberry
75-79 – Mattie Stephenson, Iris Ethridge, Carolyn Stetter
80-84 – Thelma Hinton, Gladys Robinson, Tommie Brown
90-above – Ida Robertson

BASKETBALL FREE THROW
Men’s Division
50-54 – Steve McFarland, Eric Todd, Hamilton Edwards
55-59 – Danny Howell
60-64 – George Stone, David Nolen, Russell Paulson
65-69 – Gary Brown, Bobby Ellis, Wayman Grant
70-74 – Bill Laskoski, William Lane, Charles Nedrow
75-79 – Fred Ponder, Earnest Lee, Sam Hawkins
80-84 – Gene Hertzog, Gene Ross, Charles Prescott
85-89 – Horace Plemons
90-above – Rex Aldridge

Ladies Division
55-59 – Sylvia Childs, Alphelia Smith, Sandra Weyerman
60-64 – Beth Moore, Jennifer Garrett, Madeleine Laskoski
65-69 – Sue Campeaux, Jane Sparrowhawk, Judy Rabren
70-74 – Joyce Stacey, Alice Pesto, Doris Suttles
75-79 – Frances Nelson, Iris Ethridge, Alice Johnson
80-84 – Doris Lashley, Annie Minnifield, Betty Quillin
85-89 – Cordie Bell Green, Louise Smith
90-above – Ida Robertson

ROOK
50-54 –Jan Kennedy-Billy Joe Davis, Steve McFairland-Regina Emerson, Vickie Parker-Frances Hatmaker
50-59 – Sammy Booker-H.D. Jones, Joyce McDaniel-Stanley Sharper
60-64 – Kathleen O’Neal-Jane Buck, Rhonda Frederick-Francis Moatts, Barry Patton-Eusebia Sanderson
65-69 – Jan Goodwin-Brenda Pettus, Janet Wilkes-Martha Hill, Dennis Lindsay-Gary McGill
70-74 – Joan Wilcutt-Carolyn Stetter, Betty Graham-Everett Wayryen, Ronald Bowling-Ollie Michaels.
75-79 – Mary Edwards-Julia Wakefield, Hellon Johnson-Willodean May, Chuck Cahalan-Donald Pritchard
80-84 – Carol Rice-Doris Lashley, Duran Hill-Reuben Carroll, Jewell Hayes-Dale Johnson

Thursday’s Games
(All events at Oxford Civic Center unless noted)
8 a.m. – 5K run
8:00 – Domino doubles
9:00 – Men’s billiards (Moore’s Fun Center)
10:30 – Women’s billiards (Moore’s Fun Center)

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