Area talents team up for doubles tourney crown
Teaming up with Brian Kretzer was a win-win for JT Cherpeski.
The duo won the Ohio Matchplay Jr.-Sr. Doubles Tournament May 15 at Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl, but Cherpeski gained more than another tournament title.
“It’s cool to be under his wing, I learn so much,” the Fairborn bowler said. “It’s kind of bonkers — he says things and I put it to use, and it works out. And then it’s another thing in my tool bag. It’s crazy.”
Kretzer, 56, asked Cherpeski, 21, to bowl with him in the doubles tournament designed for teams with at least one senior bowler. It was one of the many events sponsored by Ohio Matchplay Tournaments, a com- petitive scratch tournament group that holds events in the Central Ohio area from August through May. Their primary focus is 50-and-over competitors with a few open events on the schedule.
“When I was younger, I was mentored by Bud Tufts Jr. and I want to pay it back by working with JT,” Kretzer said.
The Dayton doubles team was in second place after five games of qualifying, earning a first-round matchplay bye. Once they got rolling, there was no looking back as they rattled off three straight Baker wins for the title. Kretzer had so much confidence in his young teammate that Cherpeski bowled anchor in the Baker format matches.
“He obviously has faith in me and that feels great,” Cherpeski said.
It has come full circle for the young Fairborn bowler who has known Kretzer for many years but only recently started bowling with him.
“When I was still a youth bowler, my dad bowled in a league with Brian for a couple of years and now I bowl with him too,” Cherpeski said.
It’s proving to be a winning combination.
“And we had a lot of fun,” Kretzer said.
■ Singles success: Cherpeski and Kretzer weren’t the only Dayton bowlers to leave Columbus with some tournament hardware last weekend as Jerry Hicks won the Ohio Matchplay Senior Tournament.
Hicks emerged from qualifying in third place and methodically moved through the matchplay bracket. The Vandalia bowler faced off against Eddie Graham, of Kettering, for the title with Hicks coming out on top, 247-189.
“We have a lot of good local talent and it showed,” Hicks said. “It was a good weekend for Dayton bowlers.”
The 53-year-old champion enjoys the added tournament opportunities the Ohio Matchplay organization provides.
“I love to compete, but it’s nice that I don’t have to bowl against the ‘kids’ all the time,” Hicks said.