PERRYSBURG, Ohio — Every bowler's dream is to score a perfect game of 300.
Although Perrysburg's Jamey Phillipps came up one pin short, his mark still earned him WTOL 11 Athlete of the Week sponsored by Dave's Running.
"It's very impressive," head coach Aaron Wozniak said. "I rarely see someone make the leap that he did."
Two years ago, you would not find the senior Jacket in a bowling alley. Yet, after gaining some interest in organized sports, the lanes are now his second home.
"I definitely had high hopes going into the season, but two school records was definitely beyond anything I was hoping to achieve," Phillipps said.
Inside Toledo Sports Center last week in a match against Clay High School, he put on a show. Throwing a strike on every throw, up until the last frame.
"Going all the way through the first eleven strikes and then that last ball is pressure like I've never felt before," Phillipps said.
Unfortunately for him and everyone in attendance, one pin stubbornly remained standing. That ended up capping his score at 299 which still set a new program high.
"I've been hearing a lot about that last pin," Phillipps said. "They're all happy for me and I'm happy for them. We're all rooting for each other."
Phillipps racked up two school records that day, the other being a two-game series combined score of 537.
"He's right now leading the Northern Lakes League (NLL) in boys average. He's at 230 right now, which I haven't seen that high since I've been coaching in the NLL," Wozniak said. "Sky is the limit for him and I wouldn't be surprised if he threw a 300 before end of season."
The numbers are incredible, but what makes his production hard to fathom is the fact he just started competing last year.
"That was my first time ever doing organized school sports here," Phillipps said. "So to be in the history books now in just my second year is a great feeling."
Working part-time, he spends much of his earnings on bowling equipment, according to his head coach. While helpful, Wozniak adds that this sudden rise in success is mainly attributed to Phillipps himself.
"It contributes to his hard work," Wozniak said. "When we're not at practice or a match, he's either here or at another bowling center in town putting in the work."
On the same night and at the same place that Phillipps struck his career best, the Perrysburg Girls team also set a school record with a score of 2103 in a Baker Set victory over Findlay.