Drums of War

By Paul Lauricella, an op-ed writer for TheMarchingIdes.com

The drums of war could be heard throughout Wood Dale Bowl. Last evening, the Brew Crew continued their dominance over opponent's seemingly feeble attempts to snatch victory away from them. Facing the Brew Crew was the ever dangerous Glue Factory, a team with considerable talent and experience. Casting a long shadow over the match was the reality that both teams would have to master lanes 17 and 18, a pair widely regarded as the most difficult to attain high scores. The results however, would stand in contrast these preconceptions.

Game one witnessed a close match between these two heavy weight prize fighters. Thundering strikes and mental collapses by both teams led to the game being deadlocked throughout. Andy Rathje, undoubtedly the hottest bowler on the Brew Crew as of late, posted a rare pedestrian score of 182. Making up for him was Crew bowler Steve Block, who tallied an impressive 215, a score significantly above his standard average. Yet the Brew Crew still faced pressure not seen since the opening of the second half of the season. Much needed momentum was provided by Brew Crew Bowler Jeff Doruff, who concluded his game with three consecutive strikes. Tensions remained high as veteran Glue Factory anchor Don Holms ended with a 257, giving his team a 10 pin advantage. Facing the possibility of the Brew Crew's extraordinary winning streak coming to an end, swashbuckling Crew anchor Paul Lauricella delivered three emphatic strikes to claim victory for his team, and extend the now 37 consecutive point run. Game two was a return to familiar territory, with Brew Crew claiming victory by over 75 pins. Rathje rebounded by chalking up an impressive 279. Also integral in this victory was a 216 by Doruff, once again finishing with three consecutive strikes, and a tactful 246 by Lauricella. Fueled by this performance, the Brew Crew obliterated the Glue Factory in the third game of the set. Led by a 257 and 256 by Doruff and Rathje respectively, the Crew amassed a victory by a colossal 253 pins. This game also saw the Brew Crew team member Tony Rogus breaking from his enigmatic consistency of scoring in the 180's and 190's, to shoot a game well above the 200 mark. The Crew finished the evening with for of five bowlers averaging over 200 for three games. The scores, coupled with the extension of the streak to 42 consecutive points marked the evening as one of the most memorable achievements of the Brew Crew.

The performance of the Brew Crew thus far has been nothing short of remarkable. It is said that winning is a habit. This is a habit that the Brew Crew does not wish to break. They have shown the capability to win high scoring shootouts and the determination needed to muster through tight matches. With the league championship filling the minds of all bowlers, the Crew must retain focused on taking each week game by game, and shot by shot. This third rendition of the team is firing on all cylinders; will there be enough fuel for them to finish the race in first? The race continues...