Bowling enthusiasts, buckle up for the mostly-as-expected recap of the latest league session! As the Fall 2023 season reached its fifteenth week, the lanes witnessed a fierce battle of pins, with some teams ascending while others found themselves slipping down the standings.

Let's kick off the highlights with standout performances: In a development that surely took all by surprise, JoAnne Barber claimed high game and series for the women with her 149 and 361 respectively. Meanwhile, as has been the trend lately, Nick Kinney stole the spotlight for the men with his 235 game and 602 series.

But wait, the real head-turner of the week comes from the league leaders, Vigs Eras Tour 2023, who not only maintained their top spot but clinched the championship a dazzling week early! Talk about a strike of dominance that only sent minor shockwaves through the bowling alley since it was the more mathematically-likely outcome.

Now, on to lanes 1 & 2, where Glory Bowl clashed with Sun Dolphins in a battle of close averages. Despite Kent Harms' valiant efforts with his 489 series, the G-Holers couldn't outshine the Dolphins (led by 384 series JC Cox and the formidable Most Valuable Bowler Clayton Burrow. The result? Glory Bowl slipping to 6th place with its lone win, while Dolphins splashed out 3 wins and soared to 3rd.

Over on lanes 3 & 4, noise-canceling headphones proved to be a vital bowling accessory as a rivalry heated up as √-1 faced off against DB Lenz a Hand. Scott Murdock gave his all for Imaginary Number with his 444 series after AJ needed to leave after game 2 due to some sort of nearby environmental factor exacerbating his pounding headache, but Doug Lenz (459 series) and his Handlers emerged victorious with a convincing 3-win match. √-1 found themselves down a spot in the standings, landing in 4th place, as DB Handlers climbed to 5th and Jeremy likely woke up this morning with an inflamed larynx.

Now, for the grand finale on lanes 5 & 6: Vigs Eras Tour 2023 collided with the ever-competitive Balderdash. His Royal Champion Nick Kinney, crowned #1 Power Ranked and #1 Head-to-Head, showcased his prowess with a stellar 602 series, leading The Vigs Tour crew. However, it was a deadlock as Matthew Taylor (572 series) and the Bald Boys matched them in wins, creating a nail-biting series split. The result? Vigs Eras Tour 2023 standing tall in 1st place and clinching the championship, while Bald Boys (JUST BARELY!) maintained their 2nd-place stronghold. (5 more pins by the Dolphins in game 1 would have really shaken things up!) Sir Champs-a-Lot Seth Gunderson now holds the league record for the most championships (16) won by any individual!

Bowlers ordering cheese sticks at The 200 Club since St. John's was out of them include: Kent Harms (202), Matthew Taylor (212), and Nick Kinney (235)

In this week's Tournament of Champions brackets: Dennis Walling made quick work of Division 1, while nobody claimed victory in Division 2 (though Kent Harms came closest). Scott Murdock swept Division 3, and nobody claimed victory in Division 4, and in fact we aren't even going to talk about Division 4 as it was a complete embarassment. Congratulations to our division champions! The following eight people will compete next week for the big prize! Division 1: Nick Kinney and Aaron Barber. Division 2: Ben Spencer and Scott Thompson. Division 3: Nicholas Knight and Doug Lenz. Division 4: Chris Lenz and Brian Schaben.

NEXT WEEK:

• First, on lanes 1&2, 1st-place Vigs Eras Tour 2023 (hcp will socialize with 2nd-place Balderdash. The Vigs Tour crew is expected to perform well and sweep the series; while Bald Boys are forecast to drop their average a bit while they endure a rough night.
• Moving to lanes 3&4, 3rd-place Sun Dolphins (hcp 35) will throw some gutter balls with 4th-place √-1. Dolphins might roll a little low, yet still manage to win the series; while Imaginary Number ought to drop their average a bit while they avoid getting swept.
• Finally, on lanes 5&6, 5th-place DB Lenz a Hand (hcp 15) will spend some quality time with 6th-place Glory Bowl. DB Handlers are predicted to roll decently and sweep the series; while the G-Holers are anticipated to hold steady as they endure a rough night.

^*(Remember, the predicted results above are based on mathematical extrapolations and can be changed by all sorts of factors. If you don't like how your team's results are predicted, you and your teammates have the power to prove the math wrong!)

THIS WEEK'S MVB Clayton Burrow Runner Up: (See Posting)	#1 POWER BOWLER Nick Kinney Runner Up: Dennis Walling	#1 H2H BOWLER Nick Kinney Runner Up: Dennis Walling
FROM THE GUTTER (GUTTER QUOTE) "It's ok, I don't mind waiting for you to take your balls out." Scott Murdock, to Brian Shaben, when Brian started unpacking his bowling bag right where Scoot needed to stand to hook up the scoreboard.