a future for the sport – Staten Island USBC

By Staten Island Advance Sports Desk
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Visit the Tournament Page for the Full Final Results and Recap.

Robert Butler Jr. rolled through the winners’ bracket and then defeated Kevin Rourke, 190-167, in the title game of the 14th Annual Staten Island USBC Masters Championship Tournament Saturday at Rab’s Country Lanes.

In all, the final field consisted of eight bowlers, including three past champions.

“The field is always great,” said the 42-year-old, who is originally from Great Kills and now resides in Eltingville. “Half the bowlers in the finals have won this tournament so it’s always tough. It’s a high-powered field. It’s very humbling that I won.”

Butler Jr. said the key to winning is keeping the ball in play, making spares and giving yourself a chance.

“This is my fourth time in the finals,” said Butler. “Every time was in I won a game and then lost the next two.”

But not this year!

“The key is to fill frames and make spares and keep yourself in the game,” said Butler, who rolled the tourney’s high game of 243 but also shot the event’s low game of 123 on extremely tough conditions.

As the winner of the losers’ bracket, Rourke had to beat Butler twice to capture the title. Rourke won the first game, 190-123, before Butler won the deciding game.

Butler advanced to the finale as the third seed in the qualifying round with a five-game series of 967, including games of 224, 179, 198 and 177.

Anthony Arias, the 2021 Staten Island Singles Classic Champion, led all qualifiers with a 974 total, only one pin ahead of Tim McAuliffe, Jr.

McAuliffe, Jr., for the second consecutive year, earned himself the $200 first-squad leader bonus. He remains the only competitor to have won the Masters title multiple times.

Butler Jr. comes from a family of keglers. His father, Rob Sr., once tore up the lanes about two decades ago.

Butler Jr. now bowls in the Donna Zajac Memorial League on Sunday nights at Country with a handful of members from his family.

“My father used to bowl in the league with me, my mother and my aunt,” said Butler. “But when my dad left my wife joined the team. So it’s still a family affair.”

This year’s championships were contested on the 2022 USBC Masters Lane Pattern.

In the finals, finalists competed in a single-game double elimination bracket. Bowlers had the opportunity to lose twice before facing elimination.

All Staten Island USBC Association tournament champs will be honored at the Championship Awards and Hall-of-Fame Dinner Dance to be held May 26, 2023 at the Staaten.

Standings going into the finals

1 Anthony Arias – 974
2 Tim McAuliffe, Jr. – 973
3 Robert Butler, Jr. – 967
4 Kevin Rourke – 925
5 Jeffrey Martin – (did not bowl in the qualifying round)
6 Nicholas Hollywood – 924
7 Sean McAuliffe – 912
8 Victor Maturi – 912

Final Results

1 Robert Butler, Jr. – $650
2 Kevin Rourke – $270
3 Anthony Arias – $200
4 Tim McAuliffe, Jr. – $150
5 Jeffrey Martin – $110
6 Sean McAuliffe – $110
7 Victor Maturi – $100
8 Nicholas Hollywood – $100

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); Jeff Sciré(2020); Jeffrey Martin (2021).

Summary of Finals

Round 1

Anthony Arias def. Victor Maturi 197 to 193
Sean McAuliffe def. Tim McAuliffle, Jr. 183 to 177
Robert Butler, Jr. def. Nicholas Hollywood 170 to 168
Jeffrey Martin def. Kevin Rourke 215 to 179

Round 2

Anthony Arias .def. Sean McAuliffe 205 to 144
Robert Butler, Jr. def. Jeffrey Martin 188 to 187
Tim McAuliffe, Jr. def. Victor Maturi 230 to 179
Kevin Rourke def. Nicholas Hollywood 166 to 149

Round 3

Tim McAuliffe, Jr. def. Jeffrey Martin 213 to 188
Kevin Rourke def. Sean McAuliffe 156 to 153

Round 4

Robert Butler, Jr. def. Anthony Arias 243 to 165
Kevin Rourke def. Tim McAuliffe, Jr. 214 to 167

Round 5

Kevin Rourke .def. Anthony Arias 211 to 209

FINALS

Kevin Rourke def. Robert Butler, Jr. 190 to 123
Robert Butler, Jr. def. Kevin Rourke 190 to 167

The Finals by the numbers

High Game Robert Butler, Jr. – 243
Low Game Robert Butler, Jr. – 123
Competitors – 8
Total Pins rolled – 5,519
Average Score – 183
200+ Games – 8

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

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

Tag: a future for the sport

The Butler did it! Bowler Robert Butler Jr. captures SIUSBC Masters event

Finally! Jeff Scire claims first Staten Island USBC Masters crown