Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

If McDonalds is looking to make a commercial where the competitors match each other feat for feat, Chris Lafon and Randy Wise Jr. should get a screen test.

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, the two bowlers were pitted against each other on the same lanes at Spare Time Recreation in Ironton.

Each bowled a perfect 300 game. Lafon went on to bowl an 808 series, his first 800 series. The feat was just as amazing for Wise who bowled his first 300 game in only his second year of bowling.

“I’ve never really heard of it. We were in the same game and we were both the fourth bowler right across from each other, which was kind of weird,” said Lafon.

Wise said there were other factors that made the feat even more exciting.

“They had beaten us three out of four games, so the only thing we had any stress on was the 300 games,” said Wise. “It put pressure on me and him. After I hit mine, I figured it would be more pressure on him to get it, but he went up there and just strutted and looked good and doing it.”

For Lafon, bowling an 800 series became more of a focus for him than the 300 game since he had bowled a 300 game on two previous occasions.

“It was one of those nights when I couldn’t miss. No matter where I threw it, it didn’t matter. I couldn’t miss. That last game I knew I had a good shot. I was more worried about the 800 than the 300 because I’d never had an 800. So I was excited,” said Lafon.

“I thought if I could throw the first strike I could still get the 800 (series), and then I threw the next two and it was a pretty good feeling.”

Wise started bowling two years ago when his father, Randy Sr., suggested he join him at Spare Time.

“He wanted me to get into it to be competitive and here we are,” said Wise.

Having bowled for only two years, Wise was more aware of the feat at hand for both bowlers.

“I was aware that we were (bowling perfect games), but I didn’t really think about it until the ninth or tenth frame and then it started to get to be a little bit of pressure,” said Wise.

“I was feeling a bunch (of pressure). Everybody stopped bowling and they were looking at us, so it’s kind of hard not to think about it. I was very excited. It’s rough to do.”

Even though the entire bowling alley was aware of what was happening, Lafon said there was no conversation exchanged between the two.

“We didn’t talk much. You usually don’t want to talk to someone when they’re bowling that good. You just try to let him think about it himself and try not to get in his way,” said Lafon.

Wise completed his perfect game feat first, but Lafon said he actually felt less pressure when he toed the lanes.

“When he went up for the tenth (frame) I knew he had a chance and I knew I had a chance. When he threw a 300, I knew it was hard to throw one in a whole season, let alone two in the same game,” said Lafon.

“I thought, ‘I’m not going to get one now.’ It actually made me less nervous seeing him do it first because you usually get pretty jittery because it’s pretty rare.”