You never forget your first time.
I’m talking about keglers bowling that first perfect game, of course, and not a certain memorable experience shared by a pair of consenting adults (get your minds out of the gutter).
Midd-West High School senior Derrick Martin, 17, the son of Kraig and Christi Martin, won’t soon forget his first time. Derrick bowled his first career 300 on Feb. 5 in a Heartland Athletic Conference match at Milton.
The pressures of bowling inside the cozy confines of Imperial Lanes can make any kegler a bit nervous, and Martin was no different.
“That was the second or third time I have ever bowled at Milton,” he said. “When I first got there I thought it wouldn’t be a good night. With the synthetic lanes and synthetic approaches, I had to figure out how to throw my shots and bowl through (the conditions).”
Martin opened his series with a 192 prior to rolling the 300. He had a 163 in his third game and finished with a 655 series.
The perfect game by Martin helped the Mustangs take the second team game from the Black Panthers, 1119-1098. It turned out to be one of only six losses the conference champ suffered on the year.
Not only that, but it gave Midd-West a chance to qualify for the postseason. However, the Mustangs’ hopes were dashed when results from the HAC’s other matches came out later that week and Midd-West wasn’t among the top four teams to qualify for the Eastern PA Regional Tournament next weekend.
“(The 300) was nice, but I wish I had one or two other big games,” said Martin. “The first game was learning how to throw the ball on the lanes, and the third came after I threw a 300.
“Three good games could’ve gotten us to regionals,” Martin added.
“(Head coach) Roger (Folk) and I were both excited and very happy for Derrick because he has worked very hard to improve his game from last year. He made the jump from jayvee to varsity this season with the hard work and determination to be a varsity starter for us,” said Midd-West assistant coach Corey Wert.
“Whenever one of the high school bowlers gets a chance at a 300 it is very exciting knowing that in some small way, as a coach, you helped him or her get to that point.”
Unfortunately, the Martins couldn’t be at the match to witness their son’s achievement as they were tending to the family’s hardware business in Mount Pleasant Mills. Coach Folk made sure they knew what Derrick did as soon as the match was over.
“I would’ve liked for them to have been there, but I called them after I finished and their reaction over the phone was pretty priceless,” said Derrick. “My dad didn’t believe me at first and he was joking around. My mom cried and she was joking around because I bowled (a 300) before she did.”
The realization of bowling a perfect game didn’t fully sink in for Derrick until the bus ride back to Middleburg. It especially hit home when the bus pulled into the high school parking lot and he saw that his car was already decorated in honor of his feat.
Most importantly, Derrick will receive a 10-karat gold ring for rolling his 300 game.
“I retired the ball I threw the 300 with and had it engraved with the house I threw it at, including the date and my teammates’ names on it,” said Derrick. “I’m going to put it on a shelf with my team picture and the ring.
“Our team also hands out plaques with high scores from the year, and I’m going to put it all together and make a display.”
DERR STRIKES AGAIN: For the second time this season Saint Francis (Pa.) freshman and Shikellamy High graduate Shelby Derr was named the Northeast Conference Rookie of the Week.
Derr led the 10th-ranked Red Flash at the James Brown Invitational held Feb. 15-17 in Baltimore, Md. The team finished eighth out of 25 programs that competed, including 17 of the top 20 teams in the latest National Tenpin Coaches Association poll.
Among the Red Flash wins was one over No. 1-ranked Central Missouri the first day.
Derr made the all-tournament first team with a 19.20 frame average. She accumulated a team-high .511 strike percentage after she threw 45 strikes in 88 attempts.
She finished the invite’s traditional round as the top NEC freshman by pulling in a 212.6 five-game average with four games over 200, including a high game of 225 versus No. 3-ranked Nebraska .
The Red Flash competed in the ECAC Invitational this past weekend.
Until next time, stay out of the gutters.
Brian Holtzapple is a correspondent who covers bowling for The Daily Item. Email him at keglerskorner@dailyitem.com.
Sports
Keglers' Korner: You never forget your first time
- Sports
-
-
High school sports: Valley teams gear up for postseason
Nine softball teams, six baseball squads eye district titles
-
Bob Garrett's No Child Left Indoors series: Just let wild animals be
A quick guide on what to do if and when you or a family member encounters a baby animal in the wild.
-
Boys track and field: Wary performance at districts
Shikellamy junior collects three individual Class AAA gold medals
-
H.S. girls track: Shikellamy relay turns disappointment into triumph in district meet
Sometimes disappointment can be a great motivating factor as half of the Shikellamy girls 1600 relay found out on Saturday afternoon at the District 4 Track and Field meet at Susquehanna University.
-
H.S. softball: Fifth-inning rally propels Midd-West past Shikellamy
By Anthony Mitchell For The Daily Item MIDDLEBURG -- The fifth inning has been Shikellamy's Achilles heel all season long according to Braves coach Heidi Kerchoff.
-
H.S. track and field: Selinsgrove senior jumper Lockcuff fighting through an injury
SELINSGROVE " As an athlete, working through an injury while trying to reach the top level of your sport can have the coaches and the athlete walking a tightrope.
-
Harold Raker's high school track & field column: Numbers game at District 4 meet
As you enjoy your morning coffee, or tea, this morning, athletes from as close as Shamokin and East Juniata to as far away as Athens and Sayre are warming up at Susquehanna University for what many of them hope will be the next to last weekend of track and field for the 2013 season.
-
High School Roundup: Defenders earn top seed for playoffs
The Warrior Run Defenders are all geared up and ready for the District 4 Class AA playoffs after they routed nonleague foe Muncy 13-0 in their regular season finale on Thursday.
-
High School Boys Lacrosse: Seals dominate Wildcats
Sometimes in sports, there are teams that you know are dominant after taking one look at them.
-
High School Girls Lacrosse: Danville, Lewisburg advance to final
A top seed is supposed to hold its ground and take care of business against a higher team.
-
High School Baseball: Braves' postseason hopes end
It was a tall order for sure, having to beat three district qualifiers in four days to make the playoffs.
-
Motorsports: Andy Haus keeps family tradition alive
The year that Andy Haus was born, 1986, his legendary father, Scott Haus, had finished sixth in the Selinsgrove Speedway 410 sprint car point standings. In his sixth year of racing and third in the late model, Andy Haus is still keeping the family name in the Selinsgrove record books.
-
Shawn Wood's Inside Track column: One more wild ride
Tuesday night, as I was wrapping up my day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Kate Guerra from the IZOD IndyCar Series public relations department stopped by where I sit in the media center. Kate and I get along great, except for one day out of the year as she is from Texas and is a University of Texas graduate and I like to remind her that real football is played north of the Red River in Norman, Okla.
-
Motorsports area notebook: ESS returns to Selinsgrove Speedway on Saturday
Selinsgrove Speedway returns to action on Saturday as the Empire Super Sprints (ESS) join the weekly 358 sprint cars for an open-wheel doubleheader. ESS is celebrating its 30th anniversary season with 28 races at 18 different tracks. Chuck Hebing, of Ontario, N.Y., is the defending series champion
-
High school roundup: Jersey Shore softball rallies to beat Danville
Midd-West, Mifflinburg each post 11th baseball win
-
Jon Gerardi's column on high school softball: Lourdes no longer a pushover
Perhaps it comes as a surprise to some that the Red Raiders are vastly improved. Scott Long, however, knew the potential the team had when he took over as coach three years ago.
- More Sports Headlines
-
