When a triplicate eluded Jeremy Garside, the 16-year-old bowler took aim at a bigger accomplishment.

Garside bowled 203 in his first tenpin game during YBC league play at Duncan Lanes on Wednesday, Oct. 20, then came within a pin of matching it in his second game, hitting 202 when he left one pin standing in his final frame. Bob Linde, one of his coaches, was teasing him for missing a chance at a triplicate 鈥� three identical scores 鈥� when Garside pulled out his phone and scrolled to an episode of Married鈥� with Children in which Al Bundy is trying to bowl a perfect game, but his wife Peggy bowls one instead.

After having a laugh over the Bundys鈥� exploits, Garside bowled a perfect game of his own.

An accomplished bowler with more than his share of regional and provincial accolades, Garside was into the sixth or seventh frame of his 300-point game before he realized what he was on the verge of. It really clicked after a close call in the eighth.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I started getting nervous,鈥� Garside said. 鈥淚 looked back at the scoreboard and saw how many strikes I got in a row.鈥�

Until then, Garside had been going through the motions of a usual Wednesday afternoon game: getting up and bowling, sitting down, watching a little TV between balls. Things suddenly got a little bit more tense as his grandparents and coaches, Duncan Lanes staff, and other onlookers gathered around.

鈥淚t was nerve-wracking,鈥� Garside admitted.

His last frame seemed to pass in slow-motion as one pin remained standing until another fell across the lane and knocked it down.

鈥淚 was more in shock than anything,鈥� Garside recalled. 鈥淚 was smiling away though.鈥�

With a previous high score of 239, Garside had envisioned bowling a perfect game, but never expected it to happen at such a young age.

鈥淚 had always hoped,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think it would come this soon though.鈥�

Garside is definitely the youngest to bowl a perfect game in the Cowichan Valley. That can be confirmed by Michael Frehlick, whose family has owned Duncan Lanes since 1972 and brought in tenpin bowling. There have been 鈥�40 or 50鈥� perfect games over the years, but none by a teenager. It鈥檚 possible, but can鈥檛 be confirmed, that Garside is the youngest to accomplish the feat on Vancouver Island.

鈥淰ictoria does have a long history of bowling,鈥� Frehlick noted. 鈥淏ut I guarantee he鈥檚 the youngest in the Valley.鈥�

A student at Cowichan Secondary School, Garside has been bowling since he was four or five, and keeps putting in work to improve his game.

鈥淚 come to almost every practice,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 try and do better.鈥�

His coaches, including Linde and Karen Smith, are proud to see Garside鈥檚 progress over the years.

鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty exciting to watch a youngster do something like that,鈥� Linde said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 gotten serious about it in the last four years.鈥�

And what does Garside plan to do, now that he鈥檚 reached perfection?

鈥淛ust enjoy it and hopefully one day make another 300,鈥� he said.