Old pro shakes off rust as Heat take second

BREWER – There was a time in Charles Milan III’s candlepin bowling career when the thought of substituting another bowler for him in a team tournament might have been considered heresy.

After all, Milan’s legendary career includes 23 state championships and innumerable other individual awards.

But midway through the first string of Maine Heat’s Thursday afternoon match with the New Hampshire All-Stars in the World Candlepin Team Championship at Bangor-Brewer Lanes, Heat captain James Milan almost pulled that trigger.

“I told him if he doesn’t mark [strike or spare], he was coming out,” James Milan said.

So after another open in the fifth box, Milan the elder looked up at Milan the younger and received a nod that told him he was staying in the string anyway.

“He threw the ball good in that box. I thought he should stay,” the Heat captain said.

It turned out to be a good move as the senior Milan came to life over the next two strings and Maine Heat moved closer to their goal of playing in the championship rounds on Saturday by taking six of eight points from the All-Stars.

This followed a morning session in which the team had taken all eight points in their match with the Canadian team Town Delivery Service. Maine Heat finished out the day by dropping six of eight points to Cape Breton Merchants of New Brunswick.

Maine Heat’s 16-8 mark for the day placed them in a tie for second place with the All-Stars in the Varney GMC Division. Maria’s Sub of Scituate, Mass. Leads the division with Bowlarama of Novia Scotia fourth, Cape Breton Merchants fifth and Pittsfield Bowling Center in sixth place. Two matches remain today for each team in round robin play. The top five teams in each 12 team division will advance to Saturday’s championship rounds.

Salibsury Big Stop of New Brunswick leads the Holiday Inn Division. They are followed by the Massachusetts-based Lucky 7, defending champion McLaughlin’s T&T of Nova Scotia, Vacationland Bowling of Biddeford, Team USA of Massachusetts and Birchell Siding of Nova Scotia.

“I didn’t bowl this morning and it takes awhile to get these old bones going,” the 64-year old Milan said, explaining his early rustiness. “I’d be better off if they’d bowl me until I’m worn out.”

After looking like he was drowning, sitting on a not-so-gaudy 61 through seven boxes, Milan went strike, spare, spare and six in the final frames for a more respectable 115 as Maine Heat dropped the opening string by 11 pins.

The Heat bounced back in the second string behind Milan’s 140. That included marks in the last four boxes and some clutch performances by Maine pro tour bowler of the year Tim Matero of Rockport and Orrington’s Shawn Morrison in the final two frames.

Morrison put together a spare and a strike while Matero sealed the deal with a strike, spare and nine count.

After splitting the first two strings, four points were on the line when the teams began the third string – two points for the final string and two more for overall pin count. Milan then started the third string with a double strike as Maine Heat jumped out to a good start with seven marks in the first two boxes before going on to the win.

Although the match was tense, Milan provided some levity after making a difficult spare. He accused his teammates of being non-believers.

“Look at you. Three of you were afraid to watch and the other three were praying.”

Maine Heat is seeking to become the first Maine team to win the world championship in the 16-year history of the tournament. The 1965 Millinocket Bowling Center team won the world championship in June of that year in a forerunner of the current tourney. Team members included Ran Brown who shot 580, Charlie Noddin (570), Peck Monaco (599), team captain Bob Bouchard (581) and Larry Reece who shot 588.