DATE: Tuesday, November 4, 1997             TAG: 9711040473

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: By BILL LEFFLER, CORRESPONDENT 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   65 lines

KENT MOVES UP INTO HALL OF FAME COMPANY AT PBA'S EBONITE CHALLENGE NINE-YEAR PRO AVERAGES 254.5 TO MOVE INTO THIRD PLACE BEHIND VOSS AND MONACELLI.

Who's going to be the next superstar in the Professional Bowlers Association?

``Doug Kent,'' said Jason Couch, a PBA regular who has become the first of three bowlers to qualify for the $10,000 winner-take-all Ebonite Challenge match at the Virginia Beach Pavilion Wednesday.

Couch made the observation shortly before the final six-game qualifying block of the Ebonite Challenge tour at AMF Western Branch Monday.

Kent, a 30-year-old, nine-year pro from Canandaigua, N. Y., made the prediction seem strangely prophetic as he racked up a 1,527 series, a fantastic 254.5 average.

He moved from 30th place into third behind PBA Hall of Famers Brian Voss of Atlanta and Venequelan Amleto Monacelli, and just ahead of another Hall of Famer, Walter Ray Williams, the tour's top money winner this year.

Voss led the 158-bowler field in the 18 qualifying games with 4,186, switching positions with Monacelli, who had led the first two blocks. Monacelli had 4,162, 27 pins in front of Kent.

The 24 scoring leaders moved into the first eight-game block of match play Monday night and it appeared Kent was going to be the frontrunner heading into today's final 16 matches.

Kent zipped in front with five straight head-to-head wins and was the pacesetter until the last game of the block when he fell to Steve Hoskins. Hoskins, battling his way from a No. 11 qualifying position, won six of his eight matches and slammed a 1,962 pinfall for the eight games to wrestle the lead from Kent.

Kent, who also finished 6-2, lost the block finale to Hoskins, 212-200.

En route to the lead Hoskins, a 10-year pro from Tarpon Springs, Fla. who won three weeks ago at Rochester, N. Y., rallied after losing to Steve Jaros and Tim Criss to defeat Len Blakey, Jeff Zaffino, Wayne Webb, Williams, Monacelli and Kent. He fired a 285 at Zaffino (who posted 265), a 278 at Webb and another 278 at Monacelli.

``Tomorrow is what matters,'' said Hoskins, a five-time winner. ``I didn't even know I was leading when that last game ended tonight. It's going to be a dog fight from here on out because several of us have shots at the $10,000 game in addition to winning this tournament.''

Kent expressed disappointment with his closing effort but pleased with the assessment by Couch that he is a rising super star.

``I don't know about that,'' he said. ``I just go out there week in and week out and work hard. If it happens, it happens. But it's nice to hear those words spoken about me.''

Said Couch: ``I would say the tour has players at three levels. There are five or six superstars and a large number of stars. Then there are those who still have a lot to learn.

``Kent is close to making that move to being a superstar. He is unstoppable when he gets going. All he needs is the confidence of the game's greats.''

The closing blocks in match play begin at 11 a.m. and 6:15 p.m. today. The top four will advance to Wednesday's televised finals (ESPN) with the Ebonite Challenge Match following.

NOTES - David Ozio, Player of the Year on the tour in 1991, rolled a 300 game in the closing qualifying round. ... The 24 match play finalists include six former Players of the Year on the tour and two ex-Rookies of the Year. ILLUSTRATION: BETH BERGMAN NAKAMURA/The Virginian-Pilot

Jason Couch, above, was prophetic in his assessment of Doug Kent.

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