This weekend’s event was our 3-Day Labor Day Major at AMF McRay. This is the first time that we have been to this center for a Major and we would see 222 total entries with 183 qualifying and 39 parlay entries this weekend. We can’t thank the bowling community enough for all the help in making this such a successful event. The event had 60 cashers, a 1 in 3.7 cash ratio and paid out over $17,500.00 in main and side event prize funds. The players bowled on a 42ft Stars & Stripes oil pattern (2022 USBC Nationals Team pattern) that proved to be very playable but tough if they were broken down wrong. It seemed that some bowlers matched up well and others not as well. It would put a premium on avoiding splits and picking up spares. The scores were pretty much on par with bowlers only needing to average about 10 pins above average per game to make the cut. The scores were a bit higher on Saturday, but it seemed that with each strip and re-oil, the pattern would even out, with cut scores remaining about the same for all three days.
We had 11 new bowlers come out and try the event for the first time! We would like to welcome Michael Pospeshil, Rob Turk, Nick Hanna, Samuel De La Fuente, Daniel Polley, Henry Hatcher, Carlton Johnson, George Pasalano, Micheal O’Neill, Brice Takatani, and Matthew Woodall to the SFT Family. It’s always great to see new bowlers and we had some that came from New Mexico and Utah this weekend! We hope you all have a good time and thank you all for coming out and trying out our event. Congrats to Michael Pospeshil, George Pasalano, Matthew Woodall, and Samuel De La Fuente for making it to the quarterfinals in their very first event! We also would like to congratulate this weekend’s Parlay Power Players in Alex Olson, Shaun Newman, and Gary Jenkins. All three bowlers made it to the quarterfinals off their $30 Economy Parlay entry and all had a chance to turn that into the $1,600.00 first place prize.
We’d also like to congratulate Brandon Bailey, Autry Dogans, Samuel De La Fuente, Antonio De La Fuente, Bruce Franks, Jr., Jeremy Opp, Brian Gustafson, Michael Pospeshil, Peter Trofimuk, Shaun Newman, Alex Olson, George Pasalano, and Matthew Woodall! All these bowlers were making their first quarterfinals or their first quarterfinals in quite a while.
We would see three people win Momma’s Mystery Pot this weekend! We had a couple of people that were not in the Momma’s pot that had their number drawn this weekend, so it pays to put in the extra $5. Congrats to Nick Tejada (212) who would win a whopping $20 on Saturday to start off the weekend. Also, congrats to Juan Brooks (156 who would win $50.00 on the very next squad! On Sunday we would see Brian Gustafson (232) win the big pot of $500.00 and Nick Tejada (201) would win his second time this weekend for $110.00 on the last squad of the day! We also had our Labor Day Mega Raffle, which featured more prizes than usual tournaments, and here are you mega raffle winners:
Free Track Ball of Choice
- Stephanie Smith
Free Plastic Ball w/option to upgrade to Track Ball of Choice for $95.00
- Russell Neiger
- George Pasalano
Free Main Entry ($55 value)
- Lan Macy
- James Strang
- Kevin Doung
Free Progressive Pot ($25 value)
- Ryan John
- Caitlin Johnson
- Kyle Ponzo
Free Economy Parlay ($30 value)
- Mitchell Hays
- George Pasalano
- Eddie Wilcox
Free Strikeforce T-Shirt ($10 value)
- Kenny Koen
- Brandon Bailey
- Armando Viramontes
- Kevin Dollar
Free Strikeforce Towel ($5 value)
- James Strang
- Shaun Goulding
- Tracy Lee
The Quarterfinals was a big one with 50 bowlers on the floor. The pattern was re-oiled before the start of the quarterfinals and it showed, as the scores to advance past the quarterfinals would be about 10 pins per game over average to advance.
The cut ratio to advance from the quarterfinals into the first Semi-Final round was 1 in 3. So, with at least 16 bowlers in all three Divisions, they would be cutting to the Top 5 in each Division. The first Division Semi-Final matches would see each Division Semi-Finalists bowling on one pair, with the Top 2 scores on each pair advancing to the second Semi-Final match. The winner of the second Semi-Final match would go onto meet the other Divisional winners for your Labor Day Step Ladder Finals.
In the A Division, your #1 seed was Brett Wolfe (+126), #2 Tim Eichhorn (+83), #3 Autry Dogans (+51), #4 Nick Tejada (+31) and #5 seed was Kyle John (+30). Your #1 seeds had to the option to pick which lanes the semi-final match was on and the choice of the order in which the bowlers would bowl the match. The 1st semi-final match would see Kyle John catch fire as he would run away with the match by shooting a huge 245 to secure his spot in the next round. Who he would take on would come down to the tenth frame as Tim Eichhorn would finish up with a score of 206. Nick Tejada would need to double in order to bump Tim out. Nick would get the first strike but would come up a bit short on the second shot and finish with a score of 200 for third place in the Division. This would set up your A Division Finals match between #5 Kyle John and #2 Tim Eichhorn.
In the B Division, we would have Allan Kudlock (+91) as your #1 seed, #2 Ron Gonzales (+663), #3 Terry Bandel (+50), #4 Zach Van Dusen (+42), and #5 seed Brandon Bailey. We would see another #5 seed go from worst to first as Brandon Bailey would lock up his spot shooting a Big 235 game. The rest of the bowlers would struggle with Ron Gonzales edging out Zach Van Dusen, 189 to 186. This would set up our B Division Finals #5 Brandon Bailey vs. #2 seed Ron Gonzales.
In the C Division, the #1 seed would be James Strang (+62), #2 Erika Hawes (+50), #3 Scott Cook (+49), #4 Alex Olson (+49) and #5 seed Samuel De La Fuente (+45). It seems that there was a theme to the Semi-Finals as we would again see the #5 seed get hot and shoot a huge game of 237 to secure a spot in the next round. The second spot would come down to the final frame as James Strang would get edged out by Erika Hawes by 1 pin, 213 to 212. This would set up the C Division Finals #5 seed Samuel De La Fuente taking on #2 seed Erika Hawes.
The Division Final matches are always fun to watch. When over 200+ entries come down to the top 5 bowlers, there is always some pressure in the atmosphere. The A Division Finals would see a close match between current SFT Player of the Year, Tim Eichhorn and SFT rookie Kyle John. Kyle would convert a few key spares while Tim would come up a bit short, 218 to 200, which would see Kyle move on the Step Ladder Finals. The B Division Finals would be a nail biter between Brandon Bailey and current SFT Senior Player of the Year Ron Gonzales. Brandon would finish out the match first with a score of 221. This would mean that Ron would need to get a double and one pin to advance. Ron would get a strike on the first ball in the tenth, but would come up a bit short as he would get 8 on this second shot, which he would convert, to finish up with a score of 218 and give Brandon the win. The C Division Finals would go back and forth throughout the match between newcomer Samuel De La Fuente and Erika Hawes. Erika would struggle on the pair and finish up with a score of 197. Samuel would catch fire on the lanes shooting another huge game of 243 to secure the #1 seed in the Step Ladder Finals.
For our Finals in our Majors, Memorial and Labor Day, we use a different Finals format. For this event we would be using the Step Ladder format where all three bowlers would be seeded based on their semi-final’s totals. This would make the #1 seed Samuel De La Fuente (+80), #2 seed would be Kyle John (+63) and the #3 seed would be Brandon Bailey (+56). Brandon and Kyle would have to face off in the first step ladder match with the winner going on to face Samuel. This would mean that Samuel De La Fuente would be guaranteed at least $850.00 second place prize with first place being $1,600.00!
Going into the Labor Day Step Ladder Finals we would see all three bowlers looking to win their first AHT SFT Major title which would be their first overall title. Kyle John was making back-to-back Finals as he had just come in second place at our last tournament at Let It Roll Bowl and was looking to improve on that finish. Brandon Bailey was making his second Finals appearance as he had previously come in third place at Bowlero Mesa, in 2021, and was throwing the ball pretty good all weekend. As the only lefty on the pair if he could get a look maybe he could make a run at the title. Samuel De La Fuente was making his very first Finals and had been bowling well throughout the Semi-Finals and Divisional Finals. So, it looked like he would be tough to knock off and overall, it looked like it would be a great step ladder finals.
The first step ladder match would feature #2 seed Kyle John taking on #3 Brandon Bailey. This match would go back and forth with both bowlers striking but unable to string strikes together. It looked like it would come down to whomever would make a mistake and who would capitalize on it. Brandon would finish up the match first shooting a 6-spare and getting eight on the fill to finish up with score of 200. This would mean that Kyle would have a chance to win the match with a double and good count. Kyle’s first shot in the tenth frame would crush the pocket for a strike. Kyle’s second shot in the tenth would go a bit long taking out the three pin and leaving the 1-5. Kyle would chop the spare attempt for a score of 197. This would give Brandon the win and Kyle would come in third place, taking home $450.00 for his efforts.
We would move into the Championship match between #1 seed Samuel De La Fuente and #3 Brandon Bailey. Brandon would start off hot as he would strike in the first frame. Samuel would be up next and would open as he would leave the 3-6-9-10 and would not convert the spare for an open frame. Samuel would strike in the second frame to try and make up the open. Brandon would strike in the second and third frame to try and make up the handicap difference that he was giving Samuel. Samuel would get up for this third frame and would pull the ball a bit left leaving the 1-3-6-9. Samuel’s spare attempt would look good but leave the 9-pin standing for another open frame. Samuel would get up for the fourth frame and his ball would hit the pocket light leaving the 2-4-5. Samuel would chop the spare as he would hit the left side of the 2-pin and sending the 2-pin just in front of the 5-pin for an open frame. Brandon would strike again for a four bagger in the fourth frame and looked to be taking control of the match. Brandon would hit a bit high in the fifth frame but it would be just enough for another strike.
Midway through the Championship match and it looked like it was Brandon’s match to lose as Samuel was struggling to get lined up and maybe feeling the nerves of bowling in front of the small crowd that was watching the match. Samuel would lead off his fifth frame as his ball would get a bit too long and leave the 1-2, which he would pick up. Samuel’s sixth frame would see him leave the 5-pin on a pocket hit and he would pick it up to try to keep himself in the match. Brandon would hit the pocket light in the sixth frame leaving a ring 7-pin, which he would miss the spare for an open frame. Next frame would see Brandon leave a mixer 10-pin and he would pick up the spare to keep his lead over Samuel. Samuel would strike in the seventh frame as he was trying to get back in the match. Samuel would get a bit left as he would leave the 3-9 in the eighth frame, which he wouldn’t convert. Brandon would double in the eighth and ninth frames to set himself up to win the match in the tenth. Samuel would finish up his ninth and tenth frames for score of 198. Brandon would continue to stay hot and put away the match finishing up with his highest game of the tournament of 266. This would give Brandon his first AHT SFT Major title for his first overall SFT title and $1,600.00! Congrats to Samuel De La Fuente for coming in second place and taking home $850.00 for his efforts this weekend.
Thank you to everyone that came out this weekend to support our Major tournament! Also, a BIG thank you to Rebecca Deane and the staff at AMF McRay Lanes for hosting our tournament and providing us with great service all weekend! Also, a special thank you to Michael Dragon, for keeping in for Tawna this weekend as she wasn’t feeling well. Thanks to Tyler Andersen and Hokey Begay for helping this weekend and keeping us on track with scores and brackets. I honestly couldn’t do it without all their help.
We are going to be off for a couple of weeks as the NFL season starts. Hope you all have a great week and enjoy some football next weekend! We will be back on Sunday, September 24th at AMF Chandler for our standard 3-squad event! Hope to see you there!
AMF McRay - Step Ladder Finals - Match #1 - #2 Kyle John vs. #3 Brandon Bailey
AMF McRay - Step Ladder Finals - Match #2 - #1 Samuel De La Fuente vs. #3 Brandon Bailey
