Billy Morgan isn't a high school senior yet, but his goal in life is clear.

"My dream is to become a professional bowler and compete on tour," he said. "It's been a goal of mine for years."

Morgan, 17, of Prospect is a junior at Butler High School and has already compiled a rather lofty resume toward achieving that goal.

He won the Tournament of Stars championship last year at Zelie Lanes, the premier YABA individual tournament in the area, by defeating Chris Creeks of Mars 168-165 in the finals.

He teamed with Eddie Davis, Neil Gladstone and Justin Cunningham - all from the Zelienople-Cranberry Township area - to win the YABA team state championship in Greensburg in 2002. They rolled a 2,312-series.

He won the Ron Ridley Memorial Tournament at Bruin Lanes in December, rolling a 690-series and winning a $200 scholarship.

He won the Butler County YABA singles tournament last year with a 612-series.

He bowled his first career 300-game and a career-high 784 series Jan. 30 at Freeway Lanes.

He carries a 191-average.

Morgan began bowling when he was 11. His family moved to the area from California when he was a small child.

"My parents took up bowling when they came here and I went along," Morgan said. "It seemed like a lot of fun.

"I liked the camaraderie and sportsmanship surrounding the sport. It was a sport where you didn't have to be extremely physical or in great shape to succeed at."

At 13, Morgan said he began to take bowling a little more seriously. When he saw all of the tournaments and prize money available, he was hooked.

"It was like, 'where do I sign up?'" he said.

Morgan estimates he bowls 15 to 20 games per week. Before his big series Jan. 30, his highest game was a 284 and his high series was the 690 at the Ridley tournament.

His three games Jan. 30 at Freeway were 220, 300 and 264.

"I found my mark midway through that first game, hit six strikes in a row, then left a solid 10 (pin)," Morgan said.

"The second game, I was on. I kept hitting it, hitting it, hitting it … eight in a row, every shot right there. The ninth frame was they key. I always choke the ninth."

Not this time. Morgan buried that shot and the first two in the 10th frame.

"I stuck a little bit on the last shot and the ball rolled off my thumb," he said. "I dropped to my knees. I thought I blew it."

The pins carried, however, and Morgan had his perfect game.

"I'll never forget that night," he said. "The support I got from the manager there (Steve Durr) and encouragement and congratulations from so many people.

"After my last game, the only thing I was upset about was that I didn't get my 800 (series)."

Morgan believes his best years of bowling have yet to come. He plans to petition Butler to begin a varsity bowling team next year and hopes to attend Texas Tech University after that.

Texas Tech is one of few schools nationwide offering intercollegiate bowling.

"I'm hoping for some type of scholarship," Morgan said. "You can always improve your game and I want to exhaust every avenue that way.

"I have my eye on professional bowling. That's the final goal, but I know I have a lot of steps to take before I get there."