Medina’s Curtis Foss has huge series with two 300’s and two 279’s in Albion league

Contributed Photo – Curtis Foss

Contributed story by Mike Pettinella

Curtis Foss of Medina came within one strike of bowling series perfection on June 6 when he rolled 300-300-279–879 in the Friday Match Play League at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

The short season “summer” league is certified through the United States Bowling Congress.

The high-revving right-hander tacked on another 279 in the fourth game on lanes 5-6 for an 1,158 four-game series which, according to USBC records, may be the second-best ever in New York State — behind Jay Diamond of Schenectady’s 1,177 in April 2005.

Bowlers in the nine-week league roll four games each night.

Foss, 37, a seven-time Genesee Region USBC Masters Tournament champion, fired 29 strikes in a row before leaving a 2-pin in the sixth frame of the third game. He converted the spare and then struck out for the 279.

In game four, he converted two 10-pins — switched bowling balls from the Roto-Grip Loco that belonged to his late father, Robert Foss Jr., to the Storm HyRoad 40 — and then strung 10 consecutive strikes for another 279.

The huge effort raised his average in the league to 247. He averaged 235 in a full season league on Monday nights this season at the Albion facility.

Foss said that bowling on the same pair with his friends Melissa Metcalf, Shelby Hollenbeck and Ashlee Salisbury “kept it fun” and helped him to relax throughout the four games.

“Bowling with them helped keep me from getting as nervous as I thought I would be,” he said. “It was more of an excited nerves than the hot sweaty nerves. I just kept telling myself to take my time, take deep breaths and only bowl when I felt ready. I think most of the time they were all more nervous than me.”

Foss, who has a remarkable 77 perfect games and 57 800 series, said he knew he got the ball to the right a bit too much on lane 6 as he went for 30 strikes in a row.

“I got out to the right with too much speed and was just hoping to catch a miracle break, which it sort of was by only leaving the 2-pin,” he said, noting that he was laying the ball down between the third and fourth arrows and sending it out to around the sixth board.

He said the pressure of recording a 900 series was off at that point. He just kept putting the ball in the 1-3 pocket and finished with six more strikes for the 879 series.

“I really felt great the whole night. The ball was reading (the lanes) so well and the pins were just falling all night. It was an incredible feeling,” he added. “Drilling my own equipment now gives me an extra confidence and motivation to do the best I can.”

Foss runs the pro shop at Oak Orchard Lanes when not bowling in leagues at Oak Orchard Bowl and Transit Lanes in Williamsville.

The 879 series is the best ever at Oak Orchard Bowl – topping Robbie Hanks’ 848 in January 2023 — and the second highest ever in the GRUSBC, behind Rich Wagner’s 899 series at Mancuso Bowling Center on Feb. 11, 2021.

Foss previously rolled a 300 game in the Friday league on May 23 and a 299 on May 30.