So this past Friday was Week 4 of the Philly Pinoy Winter League (FWL), and the Bowlinators were up against the Bowleros. It promised to be an epic #1 vs #2 battle (parang finals!) on lanes 27 and 28 of the Bowling Palace. On the pit beside us on lanes 25 and 26 were the #7 and #8 (bottom ranked) teams, the BowlDawgs and the beleaguered super team of X-Men, both hungry for a win. Hence the blog title of Top and Bottom: magnificent match-ups in the works, with a fight for the top spot, and a battle to pull away from the bottom. Rounding up the lane assignments, on lanes 23 and 24 were the Lords of the Lanes up against team bAll-In, and on lanes 21 and 22 were the Bowlerines matched against the PinKillers. Good match-ups all: exciting night once again for the FWL!
Our opponents this week, the Bowleros, have been our practice buddies on the lanes, regular "members" of the "Sunday Night Bowling Club" at the Palace, from which the idea of the Mixed Fall League (MFL) was born. Dennis has been a bowling guru: thank you for all the lessons and tips! Desi and I have joked about "clocking in" and "putting in our 40 hours" at the Palace, rivaling each other on the number of practice hours we put in towards improving our games (and see how much practice has paid off for us!). Carlo is a perennial high scorer and 200-clubber. Art, my Bell Tavern neighbor, clocking into the Palace almost as much as Desi and me, showed in the MFL how much his game has improved as well. Together these four matadors of the lanes are capable of mercilessly skewering their opponents. Just last week, all four of them scored 500 series, proving how dangerous the Bowleros can truly be. I was reminding them of the song I wrote for them in my "Magic Pancit" blog from last year: My Ayayay Bowleros!
Just like last week, practice began promptly at 9:15 pm: ready or not, here it starts! We were shaking off our nerves at practice, throwing our balls as quickly as we could to maximize those 10 minutes. Carlo was up first for the Bowleros and like the song, I was saying "Maawa ka", and he said "Maaawa ako... sa ka-team ko!" And with a strike from Carlo (Ola! Ola!) the games were on!
Boy oh boy, was our Secret Weapon Paul on fire tonight! He was matching Carlo and the rest of the Bowleros with strikes and spares, making mark after mark (Mr. Clean!) with his brand new Eagle Ball. The rest of us seemed to be plagued with splits, but Paul, unfazed, ably converted a baby split (3,10-split) and an amazing 4,5-split: HANEP! Not the same luck for the Bowleros and me, with way too many ayayay 6,7,10-splits: masakit na ang mga singit namin, tama na ang splits! Too much red on the score board, ayayay, puro butas kulang sa marka!
We eventually all started getting our groove and playing well. Desi was dancing quite a bit, showing off his uncanny Sparemaster abilities. In the end it was Super Secret Weapon Paul starring in the Paul Ficarra Show, with his stellar 189 score against his 123 average, that enabled the Bowlinators to win Game 1 by 90 pins ("ang luphet!" according to Carlo). Strong showings from everybody, the next two games were still up for grabs!
The bowlers enjoyed some free pizza c/o Philly Pinoy: THANK YOU! There were some ube macapuno bars c/o my talented god sister Chef Brenda: yummy dalisyousness, THANK YOU! Fed bowlers are happy bowlers *burp*.
The Bowleros and Bowlinators all started strong and were playing well in the second game, which was looking to be a nail-bitingly close match. The DJ was playing some good dance tunes, and Blue and I started dancing to stay loose (Do the Cupid Shuffle!), which seemed to make a big difference coz the BowlStar Jing came out to play. I started Game 2 with a turkey, played like a Spare Lady, threw a few more strikes and ended with a 201 (hay salamat, hindi napornada ang 200 game!). With Paul still playing way above his average (Mr. Clean!), and with strong, consistent play from tandem strikemasters Blue and Romy, the Bowlinators took Game 2 by around 80 pins. Great team effort! Maluphet talaga!
The Bowleros came rampaging back in the third game, determined to get one or two wins (ang luphet!). In the fourth frame, we all threw strikes except for Romy (naubusan na daw, hindi na siya natirhan....). That started a string of five strikes for me: ang luphet... With the Bowleros struggling with their spares, and the Bowlinators all playing strongly at and above their averages, the night belonged to the Bowlinators, who regained the top spot by earning four points tonight. It was truly a strong team effort. The Bowlinators all played at and above average all night long, fighting to keep the lead and play strong from frame to frame.
Maybe we just play exceedingly well against the Bowleros. Dennis said that Paul also exploded with a 200 game against them last year. My Magic Pancit story from last year also did not end well for the Bowleros. Maybe they inspire us to greater play, with how well they play themselves. Y'all are a class act, always a pleasure playing with you, whether it be at league or at practice.
So the unofficial rankings of the teams in the Filipino Winter League after Week 4 are as follows:
BOWLINATORS Romy, Jing, Blue and Paul,
and
BOWLEROS Art, Dennis, Desi and Carlo: FACING OFF!
and
BOWLEROS Art, Dennis, Desi and Carlo: FACING OFF!
Photo by May Liboon
Our opponents this week, the Bowleros, have been our practice buddies on the lanes, regular "members" of the "Sunday Night Bowling Club" at the Palace, from which the idea of the Mixed Fall League (MFL) was born. Dennis has been a bowling guru: thank you for all the lessons and tips! Desi and I have joked about "clocking in" and "putting in our 40 hours" at the Palace, rivaling each other on the number of practice hours we put in towards improving our games (and see how much practice has paid off for us!). Carlo is a perennial high scorer and 200-clubber. Art, my Bell Tavern neighbor, clocking into the Palace almost as much as Desi and me, showed in the MFL how much his game has improved as well. Together these four matadors of the lanes are capable of mercilessly skewering their opponents. Just last week, all four of them scored 500 series, proving how dangerous the Bowleros can truly be. I was reminding them of the song I wrote for them in my "Magic Pancit" blog from last year: My Ayayay Bowleros!
Team BOWLEROS (L-R): Dennis Navarrete, Desi Mercado, Art Coronado and Carlo Ola
Photo by May Libo-on
Just like last week, practice began promptly at 9:15 pm: ready or not, here it starts! We were shaking off our nerves at practice, throwing our balls as quickly as we could to maximize those 10 minutes. Carlo was up first for the Bowleros and like the song, I was saying "Maawa ka", and he said "Maaawa ako... sa ka-team ko!" And with a strike from Carlo (Ola! Ola!) the games were on!
Boy oh boy, was our Secret Weapon Paul on fire tonight! He was matching Carlo and the rest of the Bowleros with strikes and spares, making mark after mark (Mr. Clean!) with his brand new Eagle Ball. The rest of us seemed to be plagued with splits, but Paul, unfazed, ably converted a baby split (3,10-split) and an amazing 4,5-split: HANEP! Not the same luck for the Bowleros and me, with way too many ayayay 6,7,10-splits: masakit na ang mga singit namin, tama na ang splits! Too much red on the score board, ayayay, puro butas kulang sa marka!
We eventually all started getting our groove and playing well. Desi was dancing quite a bit, showing off his uncanny Sparemaster abilities. In the end it was Super Secret Weapon Paul starring in the Paul Ficarra Show, with his stellar 189 score against his 123 average, that enabled the Bowlinators to win Game 1 by 90 pins ("ang luphet!" according to Carlo). Strong showings from everybody, the next two games were still up for grabs!
The bowlers enjoyed some free pizza c/o Philly Pinoy: THANK YOU! There were some ube macapuno bars c/o my talented god sister Chef Brenda: yummy dalisyousness, THANK YOU! Fed bowlers are happy bowlers *burp*.
The Bowleros and Bowlinators all started strong and were playing well in the second game, which was looking to be a nail-bitingly close match. The DJ was playing some good dance tunes, and Blue and I started dancing to stay loose (Do the Cupid Shuffle!), which seemed to make a big difference coz the BowlStar Jing came out to play. I started Game 2 with a turkey, played like a Spare Lady, threw a few more strikes and ended with a 201 (hay salamat, hindi napornada ang 200 game!). With Paul still playing way above his average (Mr. Clean!), and with strong, consistent play from tandem strikemasters Blue and Romy, the Bowlinators took Game 2 by around 80 pins. Great team effort! Maluphet talaga!
The Bowleros came rampaging back in the third game, determined to get one or two wins (ang luphet!). In the fourth frame, we all threw strikes except for Romy (naubusan na daw, hindi na siya natirhan....). That started a string of five strikes for me: ang luphet... With the Bowleros struggling with their spares, and the Bowlinators all playing strongly at and above their averages, the night belonged to the Bowlinators, who regained the top spot by earning four points tonight. It was truly a strong team effort. The Bowlinators all played at and above average all night long, fighting to keep the lead and play strong from frame to frame.
Maybe we just play exceedingly well against the Bowleros. Dennis said that Paul also exploded with a 200 game against them last year. My Magic Pancit story from last year also did not end well for the Bowleros. Maybe they inspire us to greater play, with how well they play themselves. Y'all are a class act, always a pleasure playing with you, whether it be at league or at practice.
My BowlStar performance was immediately chronicled on my JingGal Bowls blog. Two 200 games in one night, 592 series: yebah!
On the lanes next to us, the BowlDawgs struggled, played well and fought hard, but the X-Men dominated with Angelo ascending and both Minic and Paolo playing strong, and eventually the super X-Men took all three games and total pins.
On the lanes next to us, the BowlDawgs struggled, played well and fought hard, but the X-Men dominated with Angelo ascending and both Minic and Paolo playing strong, and eventually the super X-Men took all three games and total pins.
What was looking to be a sweep of team bAll-In by the Lords of the Lanes, with landslide wins in Games 1 and 2, ended in an epic comeback and fight to the finish by team bAll-In, resulting in the Lords losing the third game and unexpectedly suffering a heart-wrenching steal of total pins, by a mere 7 pins... Oh the humanity! What a galant effort by team bAll In! This weekend I heard that one of the Lords "slept like a baby": waking every few hours crying... 'wawa naman, tahan na...
In the last pit, the Bowlerines won game 1, lost game 2 (due to stellar games from Brenda and Ed), but eventually won Game 3 and total pins, taking three points from the PinKillers, who appeared in need of the OTC drugs emblazoned on their shirts.
Raul: I can't feel my arms!
Paolo: I told you not to play too many games on Thursday night!
Raul: I can't feel my arms!
Paolo: I told you not to play too many games on Thursday night!
So the unofficial rankings of the teams in the Filipino Winter League after Week 4 are as follows:
- Bowlinators = 14 wins
- Lords of the Lanes = 9 wins (tied with Bowlerines but ahead on total pins)
- Bowlerines = 9 wins
- Bowleros = 8.5 wins
- bAll In = 7 wins
- PinKillers = 6.5 wins
- X-Men = 6 wins
- BowlDawgs = 4 wins
Here is a run down of the noteworthy individual performances from Week 4.
200-clubbers:
- Jops-Lords of the Lanes (210)
- Nonoy- bAll In (219)
- James-BowlDawgs (209)
- Paolo-X Men (201)
- Angelo-X Men (223, 208)
- Romy-Bowlinators (201)
- Jing-Bowlinators (225, 201)
500 and 600 series
- Angelo-X Men (625)
- Jing-Bowlinators (592)
- Nonoy-bAll In (579)
- Jops-Lords of the Lanes (569)
- Romy-Bowlinators (551)
- JoelD-bAll In (516)
- JoelC-Lords of the Lanes (512)
- Blue-Bowlinators (511)
- Paolo-X Men (500)
Bowlers Ascendant. Rising stars that played above their averages all night (some folks would call you sand-baggers...inggit lang kami...YEBAH! Bowl On!):
- Angelo-XMen: We're dead, he's back... Angelo had scores of 194, 223 and 208 against previous 186 average, translating to a whopping 625 series and 208 average for the night. Whoa! That's the Angelo we know: super galing!
- Jops-Lords of the Lanes: Watch out, my bowling Miyagi ("one board right") is getting his mojo back! Jops came in with a 163 average and had scores of 210, 181 and 178 for a 569 series and 189 average for the night. Idol! Go, brain ball!
- Lino-BowlDawgs: With games of 158, 151 and 156 against an average of 146, Lino had a 465 series and 155 average for the night. Yebah!
- Paul-Bowlinators: Paul came in with a 123 average and bowled games of 189, 148 and 129 to end with a 466 series and 155 average for the night. Our Super Secret Weapon was ah-mazing. Bravo! We are winner!
- Kasama daw ako dito...I am humbled, and wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to all my bowling angels, supporters, friends and everybody I have ever met. Shout out to my GoPapa JoelC, my amigas who came last Friday (Mitchie, Chelo, Angie, String and Joy), my ball Spinderella and my coach Donna Roberts. Bow...
Shooting Stars. Players with stellar breakthrough games 20 pins or more above their average:
- Jay-BowlDawgs (161): Go Commish!
- Minic-X Men (154): Galing!
- Marlon-Bowlerines (153): Whoo hoo!
- Brenda-PinKillers (137): Yeah!
- Ed-PinKillers (170): WOW!
- JoelC-Lords of the Lanes (194): Go Papa!
- Atit-bAll In (192): hanep si Atit, yebah!
- Desi-Bowleros (175): Sayaw, Desi, hanep!
- Alice-Bowlerines (168 AND 172): my idol with the enviable swing is getting her mojo back, galing galing!
Remember that the FWL is not playing this coming Friday, Valentine's Day, February 14. Although you will probably suffer from some FWL bowling withdrawal symptoms, you MUST wisely spend this special time with your loved ones. Thank you for your cooperation. We will be back to play on February 21.
Please note that six lanes (lanes 15-20) are always reserved for us to practice or prebowl at the Palace on Wednesday nights at 9 pm. See you there!
Here's to phorever pheeling phierce and phlaying maluphet out on the lanes. Don't you cry, my baby: you have to bowl, baby, bowl!
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