In one of the most exciting dual finishes in JBT history, Theo Douthit and Daniel Cotten captured $1,000 scholarship prizes each as champions of the 2008 JBT Arizona Invitational Tournament, held at Tucson's Santa Cruz Lanes.

    Matt Jones led the scratch division six game qualifying round, averaging just under 240, but struggled in the triple-elimination, sixteen-bowler matchplay finals, eventually bowing out in 12th place.  Meanwhile, #5 Mike Armstrong remained undefeated through round four, until #9 Kaylyn Washburn stopped him, meaning every bowler had at least one loss through five games.   

    In round six, #2 Theo Douthit gave Armstrong his second straight loss, Washburn gave #9 Chris Weyrauch his second loss, #15 Greg Garbera eliminated #12 Cameron Smith, and #11 BJ Baker eliminated #14 Mike Cross.

    In round seven, Baker eliminated Garbera, and Weyrauch beat Armstrong, while Douthit beat Kalyn for her second loss, leaving four bowlers left alive.  In the next round, Baker ousted Washburn, and Douthit eliminated Weyrauch, setting up a title match situation where BJ would have to beat Theo twice to win the title match. 

       Both veteran bowlers put on a terrific show in the first match, which came right down to the wire.  After Douthit flushed three in the tenth frame to finish at 237, BJ would have to do the same to tie the game.  As he has so many times in his remarkable JBT career, BJ went flush-flush-flush to do just that, forcing a one shot rolloff for the $1,000 prize.  Theo, the higher seed, elected to go first, and struck.  Needing another strike to tie again, Baker threw a perfect shot that left a solid-8, stunning himself, the crowd, and even Douthit, who earned the 15th title of his also outstanding JBT career with the title match theatrics.

        Riley Dempsey picked a good time to have his best JBT qualifying round ever, dominating the 6-game handicap opening round to nab the top seed.  Unfortunately, he suffered the same fate as Jones, losing early in matchplay to dig to deep of a hole, and he eventually bowed out in 12th place.  Meanwhile, points leader Daniel Cotten didn't show any of the lethargy that the exemptions into the finals sometimes give our top bowlers, earning the #3 seed through qualifying and blasting through early matchplay rounds undefeated.

      Eventually, only 8 bowlers remained, in in that round, #10 Amanda Ailport eliminated #9 Rane Lacona, #7 Blake Kalaf eliminated #13 Rebeca Reguero, #2 Steven Cheatham eliminated #6 Jacob Smith, and #16 Kyle Chambers, the last chance squad survivor, handed Cotten his first loss.

    In round seven, five bowlers remained, giving Cotten a bye, while Kalaf eliminated Ailport, and Chambers beat Cheatham.  Now with four bowlers left, Cheatham and Kalaf, both needing to win to stay alive, did exactly that, meaning all four played another round against opposite opponents, and this time Daniel and Blake eliminated Kyle and Steven, setting up a one-game title match for all the marbles.

    Kalaf looked to be in control most of the match as Cotten, who has plenty of top 5 finishes this year but no titles to show for it, continued to search for strikes.  Blake's double in the 8th and 9th frame put him in a great position to win, but a disastrous 6-3 in the tenth completely changed the situation, giving Daniel a chance to just mark for the win, which he did to snatch away the win and the $1,000 top scholarship.  This wraps up not only a sure-thing Bowler of the Year season for Cotten, but also an amazing story of recovery, as only five days before the Invitational, he underwent his second brain surgery of the season, the previous one being a week before Cliff Castle, where he also made the title match.   Let me write that again-- BRAIN SURGERY.   What a tribute to this young man to even be at our events, let alone perform so well at them- congrats Daniel!

    Thanks as always to Dale Schnell and the whole crew at Santa Cruz for hosting this prestigious event.  Over $7,800 in scholarships was awarded to a talented 87 bowler field of all ages and averages.  Want in on the fun?  Come on out to one of the JBT's big-money summer events, or make plans to build your own Bowler of the Year season when we start all over again in late August!