Massengale has three-digit 300s

If it takes a little luck to bowl a 300 game -- and everyone who has done it says it does -- Frank Massengale has had a lot of luck in the past quarter of a century.

But no one bowls 100 perfect games without remarkable skill, concentration and finishing ability. In fact, almost no one has reached that number, but Massengale is among the handful of exceptions.

The 44-year-old Hixson resident registered his 99th and 100th sanctioned 300s on back-to-back nights, Dec. 14-15. That gave him eight this season, beginning in August. He's in leagues every night except Thursday.

"Somebody told me he's got the second highest total in the United States," said Ben Hogan, who has bowled with Massengale at times since 1986 and has sponsored some of Massengale's teams through his Hixson Upholstery business.

"I never bowled one 300. I can't imagine anyone bowling 100 of them," Hogan said, "but I've seen Frank do a bunch."

The Web site of the United States Bowling Congress does not have a current listing of the top 300 totals, but Massengale is sure he's at least in the top five based on midsummer totals. He's also among the nation's leaders in 800 series, with 84.

He's bowled 52 300s at Holiday Bowl Brainerd, 27 at newer Holiday Bowl Hixson, 11 at AMF Tri State Lanes in East Ridge and one each at the old Brunswick Lanes in Hixson and Fort Lanes in Fort Oglethorpe. He's had eight out-of-town 300s, including three in one day in the 2001 PeeWee Classic tournament that June 23 in Nashville.

Frank and his 22-year-old son, Chris, are the world's No. 1 father-son tandem with 118 perfect games. Chris got No. 18 the night after his dad reached 100.

The Massengales, Chris Cross, Gary Workman and Anthony Reviere set a USBC national record last March 30 with a 3,937 scratch series. Cross also has 18 300 games, and he admitted last week that he and the elder Massengale had a "fun little wager" that he would get from 15 to 20 this season before Frank got from 92 to 100.

"But the last two to two and a half weeks, he came on like wild fire," Cross said. "I knew he wanted it, but when anyone can hit the century mark on 300s, it just goes to show the time and persistence he's put into being that great a bowler."

Massengale's first 300 was on Oct. 3, 1984, at the old Brunswick Lanes in Hixson. No. 99 came in the Eastgate league sponsored by Columbia 300 at Holiday Brainerd, and No. 100 one night later was in the Pinblasters League at Holiday Hixson.

"I was there Monday night for his 99th," said son Chris, who had a 299 in an 824 series then. "Tuesday night, he called me as soon as he got done and told me. He was definitely excited about it."

Frank said getting No. 99 had him "really looking forward to going to the lanes Tuesday night."

He rolled a 225 in his first game and then got the 300. He said the buzz really started building about the sixth frame.

"There were actually some people there who saw me get my first 300," he said, "people like Bill Dennis and Chris Dennis and Derold Millsaps and Ben Hogan. Derold and big Ben were two of my longtime heroes. And Jerry Cox was there. He was my first bowling coach. As a matter of fact, he was there Monday night, too, so he saw me get my 99th and my 100th. That meant a lot to me.

"They all knew I had 99. When I got to the 10th frame, I just didn't want it to slip away. I wanted it done and over with."

And after he did it?

"There was a lot of happiness -- and a lot of relief."

Millsaps said one of Massengale's best assets is "when he gets to the 10th frame and sees a chance to strike out and get 300, he'll do it 99 percent of the time. He's like a go-to man in other sports."

Actually, Massengale's success rate isn't quite that high. He's had 26 299s and four 298s with the 100 12-strike games.

"When Frank came to the adult leagues, he started bowling with me, and I saw right away the kid was going to be something else. And he's proved that," Millsaps said. "I tried to teach him the courtesy of bowling and things like that, and I told him, too, 'Don't be a bragger. Let your bowling scores to your talking.'

"And that's what he's done. Millions of bowlers never have an honest 300 game, and he's got 100."