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Many children attend birthday parties hoping they will find diverse diversions to help them to experience a few hours of fun. When Matt Mayfield ventured to such a celebration six years ago, he, too, sought satisfaction, but, unlike that of other youths, his enjoyment has proven lasting instead of fleeting. Falling for bowling on that fateful day, the sophomore at Roman Catholic High School has become a committed competitor and heads all parochial pin strikers with a 205.07 average.
“After that party and a few other times, I just thought it would be something I’d want to keep doing,” the 16-year-old said Monday from his Passyunk Square residence. “Now that I’ve been at it for so long, I aspire to be a better bowler every time I go out there.”
The teenager initially found the sport appealing because he could use bumpers, but the varsity team member has developed into a disciple of its mental aspects and has become a bumper himself, so to speak, of other challengers. On Monday evening, he learned of his ascension to the top of the average chart and his accumulation of 6,152 pins, another pacesetting figure.
“We have a very special team at Roman,” Mayfield said of the undefeated Cahillites, who also feature Marconi resident and fellow sophomore Anthony Mascuitti and who spare no mercy when hosting foes at PEP Bowl, 1200 S. Broad St. “I really give them credit for building me up. If we stay focused, I can really see us winning the Catholic League championship.”
Mayfield has definitely served as a striking presence for his club, which owns the highest scoring game, 1,073, and the top series, 3,115, in the league. He has consistently punished pins in achieving the leading average, with his Jan. 15 effort against La Salle, in which he threw a 258 game on his way to a 733 series, readily revealing his growing confidence.
“I came into this season with great memories of last year,” he said of his freshman year campaign, during which he finished fifth in average and claimed third place in the All-Catholic match. “The expectations were definitely higher at the start of this year, and I really think we’re handling ourselves well.”
One need only look at Roman’s ledger to be a believer, as Mayfield and his mates have won 33 of their 40 games, a run that the local individual credits to their amazing mental sharpness and devotion to striving as solo and unified contributors. With the playoffs looming, Mayfield hopes they can continue to frame an unforgettable slate that, if he has his way, will halt their school’s championship drought.
“Focus is going to be the big word,” he said. “I’m going to keep mine up because I know what we’re capable of when everyone is working hard.”
Though undoubtedly diligent now, Mayfield struggled as a youth to find an endeavor that could consistently captivate him, with baseball, drum lessons, karate and soccer failing to endear him. Though his great-grandfather Anthony Azzarano Sr. bowled, the adolescent had little knowledge of the sport before he occupied himself at the aforementioned birthday gathering.
“I took to it right away,” he said of the pastime, adding he loved hurling strikes most of all. “As I started to understand everything more, I really became interested in understanding how to be a strong bowler, and I haven’t looked back since.”
That commitment has caused Mayfield to seek league opportunities, with the Brunswick Zone Deptford Youth All-Star Varsity Program and the South Jersey Junior Travel League, for whom he is the two-time defending champion, helping Garden State observers to become as well aware of his talent as Pennsylvania onlookers.
“I’ve had the honor of being Matt’s coach for the last four years, and he has grown to become an exceptional bowler and an individual on and off the lanes,” Walter L. Hall, co-director of Brunswick Zone, said of Mayfield, who acts as vice president of the location’s Saturday league. “As a member of the Professional Bowlers Association, I have learned that practice and dedication are important factors in this sport, and Matt gives nothing less than 100 percent.”
“That means so much for me to hear,” Mayfield said of the comments by Hall, adding that the instructor, coaches Carl Hansen and Steve Pavlinko Sr. and best friend Joe Burgese have fostered his success. “I do what I can to stay positive about everything, so hearing that really helps me to know I’m making good decisions.”
The revered youngster has also shown his maturity as a certified coach, mentoring younger and older performers to maximize the magnificence of their beloved sport, leading Hall to note it as inspirational that Mayfield derives such pride from his pursuit.
“From a coach’s view, I truly believe Matt can take his skills to the highest level and compete with the best bowlers in the world and, as a person in the community, he will carry himself with the highest regard for all,” Hall said.
“I have realized the importance of giving and receiving knowledge,” Mayfield, who would certainly benefit from that stance if he were to follow through with his interest in communications as his major in college, said. “I know that I’m learning every day.”
The committed athlete, who would love to laud his teammates in celebrating a championship next month, would also find it riveting to collect titles as a PBA member, following the example of his bowling hero, Bill O’Neill, another Catholic League product.
“I’d love to travel the world and win titles,” Mayfield said. “How cool would that be?” SPR
Contact Managing Editor Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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