Century, Raphael rule Thursday Night League

Century Insurance and youth bowler Raphael Zapanta walked away with the most team and individual awards in the 26th PBA-CBC Thursday Night League.

Century Insurance ruled the 12-team league after posting a 47-25 record this season. It totaled 53,306 pinfalls in 18 weeks for an average of 914 pinfalls per week. The eventual champion had a 65.3 winning percentage.

Besides the championship trophy, Century Insurance also pocketed three special awards—high game scratch, high series scratch, and high series with handicap. Century tallied 1, 109 in the high game scratch category, beating Team #8 (1,075). Century recorded 3,161 in high series scratch and 3,398 in high series with handicap to top Team # 8 (2,845 and 3,218), again.

Team #8 foiled a Century Insurance sweep of the special awards in the team division after prevailing in the high game with handicap. Team # 8 nailed 1,205 pinfalls against Century’s 1,188.

Zapanta went 4-for-6 in the individual awards, winning the high game scratch and high game with handicap and high series scratch and high series with handicap.

In the high game scratch, Zapanta registered 299 for a 20-pinfall win over Kitz Barja (279). Zapanta had a bigger winning margin (22 pinfalls) over Barja in the high game with handicap with the former nailing 319 against the latter’s 297.

In the high series scratch, Zapanta defeated Simon Manacop by 51 pinfalls, 758-707. Zapanta also enjoyed a wide margin in the high series with handicap, tallying 818 pinfalls against Ronald Epan’s 755.

In the women’s division, Gloria Omechelang and Raphael’s mother, Gigi, split the four awards. Omechelang took the high game scratch (258) and high game with handicap (291), while Gigi topped the high series scratch (584) and high series with handicap (704).

Manacop did not go home empty handed, as he was given the high average award after recording 207.49 in 18 weeks. The women’s high average plum went to Yho Villavicencio (168.48). Manacop gained his second individual award after receiving the Most Improved Player trophy. Ron Cal took the women’s MIP citation.

The 11 other teams that joined this season’s Thursday Night League were Team # 8 (43-29), Fiesta Resort & Spa (42-30), CIC-AON (41-31), Toshiba (39-33), Philippine Consulate General (38-34), The Shark (36-36), Docomo Pacific (35-37), BOS-Marianas Pride (31-41), Natibu (30-42), Localz-I-Connect (30-42), and DFS (20-52).

The league concluded on April 23 and held its awards ceremony last week.