JOHN BASSETTI | Bowling John Luc not lucky, just good in rolling first perfect game

Seniors are counting down the days -- about 34 -- remaining in their high school lives.
Count John Luc among them.
But Luc is home-schooled, so his classroom isn't traditional.
Like the building-bound students, though, Luc is doing his share of daydreaming as spring lures the mind outdoors.
One event that Luc might reflect upon is the 300 game he bowled a few months ago.
It was Valentine's Day in JMS II at Holiday. That's when the teen had his first perfect game. It followed games of 234 and 176.
Not expecting 12 straight strikes, Luc entered the third game hoping to break 600.
"I was trying to go for my average," he said of shooting for something better than his 187 average at the time. "I wanted to at least break 600."
The string of his first seven strikes was nothing new to Luc, but he started feeling the pressure starting with the eighth ball.
"When I got to the eighth, ninth and 10th balls, I got a little shaky. The last was the toughest, but I thought it was a pretty good shot. It wasn't a lucky strike."
His only poor ball was in the third frame when he threw to the Brooklyn side.
"It wasn't too good a shot, but it didn't bother me because I wasn't thinking about bagging out," said Luc.
As the momentum grew, he attracted a small crowd of leaguemates and parents.
"A couple buddies came around, but I wouldn't say I stopped the whole alleys," he said.
Luc, the son of John and Charlotte Luc, was 17 the day he bowled the 300 and 18 a week later. The Columbia Rock Star ball he used was drilled by a family friend, A.J. Pennington of Warren.
John has been bowling since age 5. His first league participation was in 1998 at Bowladrome. He added Holiday two years ago, although he didn't bowl there last year. Luc's other league this season is the A & amp; D Auto Sales-sponsored juniors at Bowladrome.
He has a few weeks left at Bowladrome. His final JMS session was Saturday.
Luc, who works parttime as a mechanic for his uncle at A & amp; D, bowled in the recent city junior tournament and the Ohio state Pepsi Cola Youth tournament, in which he placed third in the youth division. During the event on March 14, Luc registered his highest-ever set of 733. That performance at Wedgewood qualified him for state later this month.
The Campbell resident is eligible to join home-schoolers for graduation in Columbus.
Strong series
Brian Umstead had 300, 290, 232 for 822 in Camelot Outdoorsmen on March 24.
Brian Groover ripped an 818 series in Lucianno's Men at Wedgewood on March 15, when John Lorenzi and Howard Mancini had 300s during their second game and sets three pins apart (760-757).
Holiday's Max Belchyk Classic had a pair of 800s, compliments of Deno Frazzini (806) and Dave Wilkos (801) on March 25.
Also at Wedgewood, Shawn Murphy had 300 and Joe Kowalczyk 299 in Bob's Service, while Shawn Skelton and Tod Draper had 299 and 298, respectively, in Austintown Township-UAW 1112 Men on March 17.
J.D. Train rattled the Boardman Nissan League at Arrowhead with 300-720.
The improvement between Mark Lawson's second and third games was 96 pins as he finished with 298 in Youngstown Steel-Mopar at Boardman.
Mel Jones whipped up a 297 during F.D. Mason Classic action at A-Plus Family Bowl on March 24.
Dave Shevetz had 11 in a row for 290 in Mixed Bankers at Holiday where Lehana Fusco's 246-718 topped Lucky Ladies at Holiday on March 25.
Teri Haefke's 732 three-game set and Marla Chicase's 279 led the Wedgewood Ladies Trio on March 23. Haefke's 987 was also the four-game high. Fran Miller's 703 was the only other three-game 700 series.
Josh Solomon's 726 led Wedgewood Jr./Majors on March 27.
Team victories
Camuso Concrete of Bob Hernan, Mike Greene, Rick Vagas, Alex Bagnoli, Lennie Gessler and Ed Hernan won the third 3rd in Tuesday Nite Men at Wedgewood. In the final session, Camuso lost only twice. Paul McCauley is league sponsor and George Camuso is both league and team sponsor.
West Side Lanes III won the Downtowners' fourth quarter at West Side while Dream Team of Cliff Duke Sr., Cliff Duke Jr., Don Eckrote and Doug Hall won the Gary's Shell Tuesday Morning Men's Trio championship at Wedgewood.
Amos Communications beat Magic to win the Kernan Insurance Classic championship at West Side. Amos members are Todd Smith, Brian Amos, Greg Hartman, Don Price, Carl Hurd, Chuck Hurd and Jim Bryant.
Long-Legged Big-Eyed Freaks, The Spartans and Destroyers were first-, second- and third-3rd champs, respectively, and Hurricanes were the wild-card winner of Boardman Juniors.
bassetti@vindy.com