16-year-old Max Boch bowls a perfect game

By Roy Logan

[November 02, 2013]  It was a Saturday that Max Boch won't forget for the rest of his life, because that was the day he bowled his first 300 game. For all of you non-bowlers, that's a perfect game. That's 12 frames of 10 pins with not a single one left standing. It's a real accomplishment that a lot of avid bowlers don't get to claim.

In an interview with Max, you could see the pride and the ownership of having achieved his goal. He had come amazingly close on other occasions. At the age of 14 he bowled a 298, and at 15 he took a 299, but it still wasn't the 300 game he wanted.

But on Oct. 12, all of that changed.

He was golden in the fourth frame and was pretty nonchalant because that wasn't new territory for him. He'd done that before.

But when Max was going into the 12th and final frame, that carrot was dangling right before him. Max said everyone in the bowling alley had stopped to come and see the final frame of "Is it a perfect game?"

With a huge crowd behind him and his knees shaking, he cleared every pin again, giving him that perfect game. His first 300.

After that, handshakes and pats on the back were abundant.

Max started bowling as a small child. He went to watch his friend bowl at the age of 6 and was hooked. Max at 16 and his bowling buddy, Brandon Brawdy, 18, have bowled together on the same team since they were kids. While still best friends, Max is on his way to passing Brandon's two 300 games.

According to Shawn Taylor, "a 300 is much easier to obtain, possibly 20-to-1, than getting into the 800 club."

The 800 club Taylor spoke of is three very good games back-to-back that total 800 or more. That is an average of 267 per game. Being in the 800 club allows you entry into some pretty desirable tournaments. Those are the tourneys where the best play for the title.

Max's love of the game spans three generations. John Boch, Max's father, remembers going to the bowling alley in Decatur with his dad when he and his brother were little kids. John and Max still love to bowl together, with a shared dream to bowl in the nationals.

Dad hasn't earned his 300 game yet but was nearly there at 299. However, he has nailed his 801 series. And he did that on lanes 1 and 2, the same lanes where Max got his 300 game. Perhaps that is just one more way to keep it all in the family.

When asked how he felt about bowling, Max just responded, "I love it," and flashed a smile that lit up the bowling alley.

Congratulations, Max. There are a lot of people proud of you.

[By ROY LOGAN]