AMF DEER VALLEY

champs Derek Acuff & Jerod Walker

        Derek Acuff bookended a great February with another win, while Jerod Walker won his second title in a two month span, in terrific JBT Arizona Conference action at AMF Deer Valley.

        After a cut to the top sixteen in each division, bowlers played in the 'PBA format', with best 2-of-3 matchplay in the first two rounds.  Powerful righty Deven Johnston claimed the #1 seed with 1137 for five, and rolled past #16 Shane Valleau 2-0 in the opening round.  #2 Cameron Smith also advanced, but #3 Kyle Karpovich fell to all-conference Bowler of the Year Riley Dempsey in three close games. 

        Bowlers were re-seeded after each round, in a new tweak to the format, so Johnston then faced #14 Dempsey, and he came up with the 2-0 sweep again.   Also in that round, #12 Joe Lewandowski upset Smith, #5 Cortez Schenck beat #9 Aaron Foshie, and in the match of the day, #8 Michael Majeske shot 508 for two- only to be swept by #8 Derek Acuff (257-246; 279-262).

        In single game semifinals, Johnston beat Lewandowski 230-218, and Acuff escaped by one pin over Schenck 183-182, to set up the title game.  As well as Johnston bowled all day, he's had some rough title matches, including one against Acuff, and unfortunately for Deven that was the case again, as Acuff cruised to a 224-183 win.  It is the 8th title of Derek's career, and he passes his brother Steven 8-7 in a terrific title race.

        #1 seed Carter O'Neal crusied to the top seed, and had no problem with #16 Joey Sorce in his first round matchup.  #2 Zachary Lewandowski, #3 Jerod Walker, and #4 Jake Bryan all advanced as well, but #5 Dakota Thompson was the highest seeded upset victim, as #12 Savannah Carr dispatched him in two games.

        After the re-seed, O'Neal beat Lewandowski in three games, Walker swept Carr, #11 Zachary Rapp ousted yesterday's champ Bryan, and #9 Keith Fung made his first top-5 with a win over points leader #7 Kristen Lee.  In ensuing semifinal matches, O Neal poured it on with a 295-221 squashing of Rapp, while #3 Walker beat Fung in a good match 225-21- to set up the finale.

        In the title game, Walker, a winner at Bedroxx last month, showed the same form that led him to the title there, while O'Neal cooled considerably off his torrid pace, and the result was a 234-202 win for Jerod, good for the second title of his JBT career.

        Jory Koizumi defeated Courtney Dutton 208-187 to capture the day's Impact Bowling Women's Series event.  It's her third win, so she is now qualified for the 2012 Girls TPC this July!

        Thanks as always to the great crew at Deer Valley for hosting our Tour again.  Over $1,800 in scholarships were earned by bowlers of all averages and ages 21 and under.  Want in on all this fun?  Just check out our schedule, and come on out to the next JBT event, that's all there is to it!