Crooks rolls City Tournament’s first 300 game

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — By way of rolling the first 300 game in City Tournament history, Darin Crooks proved that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in regards to bowling talent.

Nonetheless, Crooks still has a far way to go when it comes to matching award scores with his father.

“That was my first one,” Crooks said of the middle game of a 748 series rolled in the opening round of Singles competition, Feb. 21 at Comet Bowl.

“My dad (Ron Crooks) has five. I have a long way to catch up with him.”

Rolling a perfect game — though more common than 25 years ago — is still a mean feat in bowling. But for Crooks, he knew it would likely get him no more than “thanks for playing” when the “A” division Singles scores are finally tabulated.

“I already know I’m not going to win,” Crooks said while referring to Dr. Tony Slinger’s 782 series rolled that same night. Slinger is a teammate of Crooks within Comet Bowl’s Thursday Night Hawkeye League.

“I may finish somewhere in the top three, but they have another round of bowling (on Feb. 27-28) and I already rolled mine.”

As of Sunday, Slinger — whose 782 series was the highest scratch score of the season at Comet Bowl — was determined the “A” division Singles champion.

Crooks was unofficially in third behind Justin McIntire (764).

Crooks has had better success at other City Tournaments, even without a 300 game. In 2012, he was the All-Events champion by way of his total pinfall in Singles, Doubles and Team.

A left-hander with an efficient backswing and great pocket accuracy, Crooks carries an average around 220, the high-mark of his career. Like Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, or even Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, Crooks seems to be a threat to throw a perfect game whenever he steps onto the approach.

The reason Crooks has only one 300 thus far maybe because he throws his Storm Crux too well. Once during the Team event on Thursday, Crooks buried a shot in the left-sided 1-2 pocket only to have the 1-pin ricochetso violently off the 3-pin that it forgot to trip out the 6-pin.

On another occasion, Crooks’s ball cut through the rack which such little deflection that it chopped the 5-pin off the untouched 8-pin.

Nonetheless, Crooks’s fellow bowlers call him lucky … which has become synonymous with “lefty”.

“They tell me I never have to worry about my side of the lane changing,” he said.

Crooks is looking forward to bowling doubles with his father at the State Bowling Tournament.

“This will be his 49th state tournament,” Crooks said of his father. “We’re just going to have some fun.”

The junior Crooks may have some more catching up to do, or the senior Crooks may regain his former lead.