Surdich on Bowling: Merced’s Coe wins inaugural Senior Club tourney

Merced’s Mike Coe, our Hall of Fame member, had a great Saturday at McHenry Bowl in Modesto by winning the inaugural tournament for the Central Valley Senior Bowling Club.

A total of 78 bowlers from the Valley participated in the first of nine tournaments the club will host.

Coe had scratch games of 224, 267, 236 and 218 to qualify No. 1 for the stepladder finals. Dan Erreca of Los Banos placed 17th out of 20 spots that were paid out.

McHenry was packed with bowlers and fans watching the action in which the bowlers moved a pair of lanes to the right after every game. There was a sprinkling of Silver Foxes B.C. members I had not seen in a few years. They were from the Fresno area supporting the club in their first tourney.

Club membership is closing in on 90 and accepting new members. The next CVSBC tournament will be hosted by Yosemite Lanes in Modesto on March 19.

More on Custer’s 899 – Modesto’s Rich Custer stands now in second in high series for the state of California with his 899. There have been two 900s shot in our state. Vince Wood, a right-hander from Moreno Valley, rolled one Sept. 29, 1999. The other came from Jimmy Schmitzer, another right-hander from Riverside, on April 20, 2012. There have been 29 900 series recorded in league and tournament play. The last was bowled this year by Dale Gerhard, a right-hander, on Jan. 12.

League highlights – Members of the Atwater Medical Group were hot in the third game last Wednesday night with Andre Brice bowling a 244, Kevin Decker a 215 and Mike Robins a 236. How about a stepladder of Gene Broussard with a 278, Mark Thompson a 279 and Larry Valenti Jr. a 280.

Locals place in LVT – Annette Macklin and Jim Rowton, who roll in the Atwater Merchant Mixed league at Bellevue Bowl, placed 11th in the recent Livermore Valley Tournament at Granada Bowl in Livermore. They competed in mixed doubles and totaled a 1,444 to cash.

DoD tournament – Word has been received from Walt Morris, one of the leaders of the Department of Defense tournament held during Columbus Day weekend at the Rancho Bowl in Santa Maria, that the price of their two-day dinners will take a rise this October.

So, that means the entry fee also will take a hike. This annual event features men and women from Southern California, the Bay Area and the Merced/Atwater area and fills the center. They also host a tournament in Las Vegas every year.

Scratch 6-gamer at Yosemite – Yosemite Lanes in Modesto will hold its monthly scratch 6-gamer this Sunday, using the PBA Regional Viper Pattern (39 feet). Sign-ups start at 11 a.m., and bowling starts at noon.

They have added money this year, thanks to Freddy’s Tree Service. Entry fee is still $60, and better than one in four will cash. They have optional high game, last game pots and brackets, and senior (50 and older) insurance will be available.

This story was originally published February 24, 2016 at 4:51 PM with the headline "Surdich on Bowling: Merced’s Coe wins inaugural Senior Club tourney."