James Young powered his way to the Davao Tenpin Bowlers Association (Datba) November 2025 Monthly Finals title on Nov. 30 at the SM Lanang Bowling Center, capping a comeback run that saw him rise from fourth place in qualifying to the top of the podium.
Young, 51, climbed the stepladder with steady, pressure-ready bowling, sweeping twice-to-beat top seed Crystal Chavez with scores of 184–177 and 284–157 to secure the championship.
Speaking to SunStar Davao via Messenger on Thursday, Dec. 4, Young credited Chavez for pushing him to stay composed. “Crystal is a very strong and multi-awarded bowler, so you really can’t help but feel nervous,” he said. “I didn’t expect anything because it was Crystal, and I even had two open frames at the start of each game. I just stayed calm and focused. I stopped looking at the scores. I didn’t expect to win, but by God’s grace, I did.”
Chavez dominated the six-game qualifying series with 1,232 pinfalls to claim the top seed. Roger Geonzon followed with 1,167, JV Flores placed third with 1,151, Young trailed closely with 1,150, and Art Galendez rounded out the top five with 1,121.
Young began his finals run by taking down Flores, 202–168, then dispatching Geonzon, 202–148, in the next stepladder match — a stretch where he refused to ease up as he worked his way into the title showdown.
Asked about the victory, Young downplayed his performance. “I think it was pure luck,” he said. “To think that my opponents were all good bowlers.”
Young earned the P8,000 champion’s purse, while Chavez settled for P5,500. Flores received P3,500, and Geonzon took home P2,500.
With the win, Young also secured a spot in the grand finals, extending a remarkable campaign built on poise, grit, and timely execution. MLSA