Hill's medical challenges can't prevent magic of 300

"I never thought I'd get one because I had a stroke and was left blind in one eye."
Napoleon Hill wasn't talking about a pilot's license, but, rather, a 300 game.
The Boardman resident was anything but grounded after rolling his first perfect game on Oct. 17 at Wedgewood.
It came in the G.E. Mixed League.
The retired district supervisor of toll collections for the turnpike commission had to overcome the effects of a "silent" stroke he suffered in 1992.
Although he kept on working -- and bowling -- the nerves in his left eye were damaged.
"It didn't dawn on me that something wasn't right," he said. "I had headaches, but I didn't realize until I went to get my drivers' license renewed about two months later that I couldn't see anything out of my left eye.
"After that, doctors told me that all the nerves were gone and there was nothing they could do."
Unaware of condition
Prior to the diagnosis, Hill, 64, said he was oblivious to the condition.
"I wasn't aware of it," he said. "I didn't bowl that well at that time anyway, so it didn't matter."
Still, overcoming the handicap required adjustment, especially for bowling.
"The pins to the left of the head pin seemed like they gave me trouble," Hill said of his affected eyesight. "I was missing pins, so I learned to hook the ball on the left side. I learned to hook so would pick up pins to the left of the head pin on spare balls."
Before his stroke, Hill threw mostly straight.
A native Youngstowner who graduated from South High, Hill started bowling in 1988 in L & amp; M Mixed at Holiday, when a group of fellow turnpike workers invited him.
"I didn't know anything about bowling, but I'm now crazy about it now," he said.
K-Mart special
His first bowling ball was purchased at K-Mart. His 300 ball was a "Visionary" with a Frankie May signature.
Hill reached his highest average of 202 last year in G.E. Mixed. When he arrived at the alleys on Oct. 17, Hill wasn't 100 percent.
"I wasn't feeling well, but I threw 17 strikes in a row," he said. "I guess I just got lucky."
Following the 300, Hill had 235 and 246 for a best-ever 781. His previous highest single was 299 about 10 years ago.
After he retired in 1995, Hill cared for mother, who died in 1999.
Since, he's been busy watching a granddaughter and bowling four times a week. He's also active in his church as a member of the Board of Protestant Family Services.
Dodge has 823
Jim Dodge was the big boy on the block on Oct. 29 when Holiday's Variety Mixed came to a conclusion.
Dodge rolled 823 with games of 299 and 268. Jim Dodge and wife, Cathy, and Jim and Cheryl Jablonski make up the league's first quarter-winning Magic team.
Another 823 was rolled by Doug Zolla Sr. in Wednesday Men at Holiday on Nov. 9 when Zolla's games were 279, 268, 276.
John Doughton III had 300 in Kelley-Robb Funeral Home Classic at Bell-Wick on Nov. 3 and Rick Watkins was perfect in Sunday School at Boardman.
Bill Burns' 299 capped a 655 set in Gary's Shell Tuesday Morning Men's Trio at Wedgewood on Oct. 25.
Brian Neal will receive an 11-in-a-row award for his 298 in Kernan Insurance Classic at West Side on Oct. 31; likewise for Jim Manthe's 290 in UAW 1112-Lucianno's Restaurant Men at Wedgewood on Oct. 19.
Teri Haefke's 759 led men and women's in Lucianno's Restaurant Mixed at Wedgewood on Oct. 22. Erin Fairchild's 284-(754)-983 led Wedgewood Ladies Trio.
At first, it seemed to be misprint, but isn't: Andrew Lumpp is a 10-year-old bowling in the Poland United Methodist Mixed League on Friday nights at Boardman. Recently, Lumpp, a fifth-grader at McKinley Elementary in Poland, rolled 143-389. Andrew is on a team with his grandmother, Ethel Raub.
Doo Bees of JoAnn Clemens and Barb Facemyer won Hi-Lo Ladies' first quarter at Wedgewood and ditto for North Lima Tire of Bill and Larry Sauerwein, Ed Gutwald, Duane Beatty, Dennis Lowry and Bruce Curall in Camelot Outdoorsmen.
Three Aarons had 700s at Arrowhead where Aaron Nenadic had 756 in Tues. Nite Men and 728 in Col. Mixed Trio and Aaron Detwiler had 708 in Guys-n-Dolls.