AMF TEMPE VILLAGE

champions Steven Black & Matthew Erb

A pair of ASU teammates captured titles in exciting JBT SW action at AMF Tempe Village.

Our heartstopping Survivor format was used for this event, where the low person on each pair is eliminated from the tournament, creating do-or-die action for seven exciting rounds.  

In the scratch division semifinals, Black edged Justin Penwell 204-189 in one match, when Penwell came up with a split in the tenth frame.  In the other semi, Bryan Caldwell staged a big comeback to defeat Berman Sae-Aee 226-221.  Both Berman and Justin had their best performances of the season with those finishes, however.

Black had gotten through all previous rounds of Survivor fairly easily, and looked to be on the same path in the title match, stringing seven strikes after a first frame open.  However, a blown spare in the ninth left the door open for Caldwell, and the lefty burst through with a six bagger through the tenth.  But then, an 8-count in the 11th let Black back in.  Needing strike-spare to tie and a double to win, the veteran showed again why he's our tour's all-time titles winner by smashing a confident double, good for a 245-235 win and the 37th win of his JBT SW career.

In the handicap division, Erb got by a high-scoring semifinal match with Joshua Shoup 250-231. In the other semi, Courtney Dutton, who had put on a clinic all day long in grabbing the top Survivor seed, got by Cody Gray 200-170.   

Erb finished off a career day by short-circuiting the career day of Dutton, striking out from the eighth frame for a 258-195 title match win, and his first JBT SW title.

Everyone who finished in the top 5 qualifies for the 2006 JBT SW Arizona Invitational Tournament, the regular season's year end event, featuring a guaranteed minimum $1,000 first place scholarship in each division.  Top season-long point scorers also qualify for the 2006 JBT SW Touring Players' Championship, featuring a guaranteed minimum $2,000 first place scholarship per division! 

 Thanks to DJ Smith and his crew at Tempe Village for another fine job hosting our Tour. 121 entrants shared in over $2,900 in scholarships awarded.  Please continue to help spread the word about the terrific benefits of bowling JBT SW events!