York County bowler sets Suburban Bowlerama house record, nearly rolls 900 series
- Jerred Poff recently set the Suburban Bowlerama series record at 879.
- Poff had games of 300, 300 and 279. He tallied 35 of 36 strikes.
- His only blemish came when he left the 9-pin in the fifth frame of the third game.
Anytime Jerred Poff steps onto the lane, there's a chance something extraordinary will happen.
The 40-year-old right-hander recently enhanced his already impressive bowling resume when he rolled games of 300, 300 and 279 for an 879 series at Suburban Bowlerama, setting a house record. He erased Zach Ilgenfritz's previous mark of 878.
Poff also owns the county record of 889, which he rolled at Colony Park North Lanes in 2017.
The Windsor resident tallied 35 of 36 strikes en route to his 879 series. The only blemish came in the fifth frame of the third game when he left the 9-pin, which he converted.
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"It was a crazy night," said Poff, who reeled off 28 consecutive strikes and rolled back-to-back 300s for the second time.
"I kept moving a board to the left as the oil pattern started to break down," he said. "But I moved a little too far in the fifth frame. After that, I made an adjustment and stayed in the pocket the rest of the game."
Although he was only one strike from a rare perfect 900 series (there have only been two in Pennsylvania), Poff has never entertained the thought of achieving the feat.
"You have to have some luck to roll a 900 series," he said.
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During his county-record 889 series, the smooth right-hander tallied 34 consecutive strikes. A stubborn 7-pin on his second ball in the 10th frame halted his streak and his bid for series perfection.
"Just like I forget the bad nights on the lanes, I have a tendency to forget the good nights, too," Poff said.
When Poff is in top form, he's a marvel to behold. He consistently hits his mark, repeats his shots with amazing precision, exhibits a laser-like focus and generates maximum pin carry.
Poff admits that as he has gotten older, he's less intense and more apt to enjoy the moment.
"I really focus on having fun and being with my friends," he said.
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Although Poff has racked up a number of impressive achievements in the past 10 years, he's most proud of an earlier achievement that received less recognition.
As a junior on Shippensburg University's bowling team, he received honorable mention as part of the National Collegiate Bowling Coaches Association (NCBCA) Men's All-America team for the 2002-2003 season.
First-team members included PBA stars Sean Rash of Wichita State and Bill O'Neil of Saginaw Valley.
Looking ahead, Poff is most excited about getting his three daughters, the oldest of whom is 4 years old, involved in bowling.
"Chelsea (his wife) and I can't wait," he said.
Reach Barry Sparks at sports@yorkdispatch.com or on Twitter at @ydsports.