BOYS BOWLING: Jones flirts with 300 game, gives Riverhead 726 series

BY BOB LIEPA | SPORTS EDITOR

Elliot Jones knows what that feeling is like, when the release of the bowling ball is smooth and he's pretty sure it's going to result in another strike.

That was the feeling the Riverhead High School junior had when he bowled his first career 300 game earlier this month in a junior league game, and it was the feeling he had when he flirted with another perfect game in the same alley on Tuesday.

"I felt the same way," Jones said. "It just didn't happen today."

While Jones didn't score another 300, he came awfully close. Jones threw eight straight strikes before settling for a 268 in the second game of the Blue Waves' 18-15 win over the William Floyd Colonials in a Suffolk County League III match at Wildwood Lanes in Riverhead . With a 243 in the first game and a 215 in the third, Jones finished with a 726 series on the last day of the regular season. It is his second-highest series of the season. His career-best series is 772.

"He was hot," Riverhead Coach Scott Hackal said. "He threw eight in a row, and every one of those balls were good balls."

Second-place Riverhead , which qualified to compete in the county tournament Feb. 6 in Sayville, won 24 games and lost 12 this season. William Floyd won 12 and lost 24.

Hackal substituted liberally on Tuesday, playing 11 bowlers. Jones was the only one of the Blue Waves to bowl in all three games. Chris Mazzuca rolled a 191 and a 222 in the last two games for Riverhead . Teammate Anthony Trent scored a 199 and a 193 in the first two games. Matt Mulvaney provided the Blue Waves with a 195 in the third game.

Jack Basich led William Floyd with a 660 series (244, 210, 206). He collected 19 strikes and 11 spares.

Jones, who puts a wicked spin on his ball, totaled 23 strikes and eight spares. He opened the first game with five strikes in a row before leaving the No. 7 pin standing on his first ball in the sixth frame. Then Jones started the second game off even better, nailing down strikes on his first eight throws. "When I'm like that," Jones said, "I just feel so focused."

The alley was virtually silent when Jones stepped up in the ninth frame, but his first attempt in that frame left the stubborn No. 10 pin standing.

"It felt good, but it doesn't always work out," said Jones.

Riverhead won the first game by only three pins, 959-956. William Floyd took the second one, 990-966, before the Blue Waves rebounded with a 951-909 win in the third.

Despite battling pneumonia during the season, Jones entered the match with a 225 average and had the eighth-best average in the county, according to statistics posted Friday by a2zbowling.com. One of his aims is to be selected to the Suffolk team that will compete in the state tournament in Poughkeepsie in March. His performance on Tuesday may have done the trick.

"I'm pretty sure he's locked in now," said Hackal.

Meanwhile, Riverhead has enjoyed one of its most successful seasons in recent memory. The Blue Waves are among the highest scoring teams in the county with a 991 average. Prior to Tuesday's match, six Blue Waves -- Jones, Travis Walker (199), Mazzuca (198), Adam Vail (196), Mulvaney (196) and Trent (191) -- had averages of 191 or higher, and another two were over 180.

"It's been a great season," Trent said. "I kind of thought that we would do alright, but we're doing better than I thought we would."

The Blue Waves can point to two keys to their success. First, the team has bowled well on the road, away from the familiar confines of Wildwood Lanes. Also, the team is making its spares.

"They're grasping that concept and not leaving wood around," Hackal said. "We won a couple of close games by a few sticks, and that's what it comes down to."

He added, "It's exciting because now we can get into the playoffs, and we don't know what can happen."

bliepa@timesreview.com