By Joe D’Amodio | damodio@siadvance.com
Staten Island Advance | Click Here for the full story on silive.com
Jeff Scire has done countless of great things on the lanes on Staten Island.
Heading into Rab’s Country Lanes Saturday, the righty, who owns 116 perfect games, numerous tournament titles and was once voted the best Island kegler of all time in a reader poll, was seeking his initial win in the Staten Island United States Bowling Congress Masters Tournament.
Well now, Scire can cross that off his list.
The 47-year-old Woodrow resident didn’t lose a match during the finals of the prestigious 12th annual event, and he wound up meeting and beating defending champion Anthony Everts, 223-178, in the title match.
“It feels really good to finally do it,” said Scire. “The shot was really tough. There was no room for mistake. I was playing straight up the whole day and no one else was there. The shot didn’t change much.”
Scire had survived a tight match against Everts earlier in the double-elimination finals, which followed five games of qualifying in which Scire knocked over 1,021 pins to qualify fourth.
“He needed a triple in the 10th to beat me, but he didn’t do it,” said Scire of his 221-207 victory.
Scire also survived a tough match in the winners’ bracket final against Melissa Kammerer, winning 223-170.
Melissa was throwing the ball great,” said Scire. “She left two 10 pins in a row and I tripled after that. And when your 20-30 pins down on a tough shot like that, it’s tough to climb the ladder.”
Everts admitted to running out of gas versus Scire.
“I didn’t feel too much pressure actually today,” said Everts, who beat Kammerer in the losers’ bracket finals which meant he would have had to beat Scire twice to win a second straight crown. “I felt really good out there once the finals started. I got a few breaks against some of my opponents.
“In the championship game, I think I ran out of gas and lost to a great bowler in Jeff.”
Scire showed his greatness in the title game as he took advantage of two Evert opens in the first four frames by staying clean himself through the first five frames. Scire then turned it up a notch by throwing a three-bagger from the sixth to the eighth frames.
By the time Everts stepped up on the approach for his eighth frame, he found himself down 50-plus pins, and when he failed to strike, Scire had his elusive crown.
The one Island major that Scire has yet to win is Jim Elliott’s New Year Singles Classic. He has placed second twice.
Scire will have to wait until 2022 to win the New Year Singles Classic since next month’s event has been canceled because of the pandemic.
“I’ll get that one, too, sooner or later,” said Scire with a laugh, and no one should doubt him.
Scire and all Staten Island USBC Association tournament champions will be honored at the Championship Awards & Hall-of-Fame Dinner Dance to be held May 28, 2021 at LiGreci’s Staaten.
For additional information about the Staten Island USBC Association and for tournament applications, please visit http://www.siusbc.org on the web.
Standings going into the Finals
1 Robert D’Onofrio 1,072
2 Melissa Kammerer 1,047
3 Robert Butler, Jr. 1,030
4 Jeff Scire 1,021
5 Anthony Everts 808
6 John Drabczyk 974
7 Frank Wilkinson 943
8 Joe LaBargo, Sr. 938
Final Results with prize money
1 Jeff Scire $1,170
2 Anthony Everts $574
3 Melissa Kammerer $280
4 Joe LaBargo, Sr. $210
5 Frank Wilkinson $160
6 Rob Butler, Jr. $160
7 John Drabczyk $130
8 Rob D’Onofrio $130
Previous Champions: Frank Wilkinson (2009); Jeff Kubasak (2010); Lou Gaudio, Jr. (2011); Tim McAuliffe, Jr. (2012 & 2013); Sean McAuliffe(2014); Michael Endress, Jr. (2015); Anthony Terzakos (2016); Gary Ricci, Jr. (2017); Kevin Rourke (2018); Anthony Everts (2019).
Summary of Finals
Round 1
Joe LaBargo, Sr. def. Rob D’Onofrio 240 to 169
Jeff Sciré def. Anthony Everts 221 to 207
Melissa Kammerer def. Frank Wilkinson 176 to 169
Rob Butler, Jr. def. John Drabczyk 185 to 183
Round 2
Jeff Sciré def. Joe LaBargo, Sr. 206 to 141
Melissa Kammerer def. Rob Butler, Jr. 196 to 150
Anthony Everts def. Rob D’Onofrio 184 to 157
Frank Wilkinson def. John Drabczyk 206 to 181
Round 3
Anthony Everts def. Rob Butler, Jr. 194 to 168
Joe LaBargo, Sr. def. Frank Wilkinson 210 to 189
Round 4
Jeff Scire def. Melissa Kammerer 223 to 170
Anthony Everts def. Joe LaBargo, Sr. 200 to 161
Round 5
Anthony Everts def. Melissa Kammerer 246 to 198
FINALS
Jeff Scire def. Anthony Everts 223 to 178
The Finals by the numbers
High Game: Jeff Sciré – 277
Low Game: Joe LaBargo, Sr. – 141
Competitors: 8
Total Pins rolled: 5,331
Average Score: 190
200+ Games: 10