S-F junior Doan wins state title
Spring-Ford junior Mason Doan hadn’t experienced the Pennsylvania High School Bowling Championships prior to Friday. But he knew all the tournament’s top competition and knew he could be right in the mix.
“I was out there to have a good time because this was my first time even making it to states. Everything after that bonus,” said Doan. “But I did think I had a really good chance of placing high because the (other top competitors) are guys I bowl against every week. I’ll beat them, they’ll beat me – it changes every week.”
It was Doan’s turn Friday.
With it came a state championship for Doan after he defeated Cedar Crest’s Darren Zombro III in the boys’ singles finals, 204-199, Friday at Dutch Lanes in Ephrata.
“I’m feeling really good, really excited about it,” Doan said. “It was really about staying positive for me. If I fell into a negative slump I wasn’t going to get out. Staying high and with positivity gets you further. It’s come with experience and it helped out a lot today.”
Second after qualifying (1,364 pins), Doan entered the stepladder finals in the semifinals and edged Berks champion Ayden Davis of Antietam, 188-163, to earn himself a rematch with Zombro, who led qualifying with 1,446 pins.
Frequent foes on the Pa. Junior Bowling Tour, Doan knew his finals opponent was tough – Zombro is currently ranked No. 1 in the PJBT scratch division standings – but beatable.
“I bowl against Darren every weekend and we trade about 50-50,” Doan said. “He’ll win one week, I’ll win the next. It’s whoever has the better day.”
Early in the finals it appeared to be Zombro’s day.
He had the first four strikes and I was on an open, strike, spare, strike and at that point I was like, ‘Just have fun. He’s way up, it’s his day to win.’ He was bowling amazingly all day,” said Doan.
“I needed to figure out the left lane, because the right lane I was fine on. I threw one strike on the left and felt like if I could get another one I might have a shot.”
Zombro lost his strike touch in the later stages of the final while Doan kept plugging away, crucially striking in the ninth frame to get himself over the top.
“He started to struggle a little bit but made his spares. In the ninth he left an open and I thought this could be my chance. I took my chance and I got it,” said Doan.
It also avenged the result of their semifinal meeting at the Pa. Eastern Regional Championships a week earlier, which Zombro won 234-192.
Doan credits his training and practice, primarily at Limerick Bowl, for helping ascend in the past year from 23rd at regionals last year to state champ this year.
“I worked a lot during the summer, made sure I was at the bowling alley five days a week working on every possible aspect of my game,” Doan said. “I bowl a lot of tournaments every week and I realize where I stand with the state and country and I work on what I have to do to get better among the whole country, not just the state.”