Like father, like son?

David Clark would prefer like son, like father.

Clark's son, Knoch High School junior Derrick, 16, bowled a perfect game Nov. 20 in the Butler County Junior Singles Tournament at Bruin Lanes.

He became the youngest person ever to bowl a perfect game in Butler County tournament play. His father, a USBC-Youth coach at Family Bowlaway and a 15-year league bowler, has never rolled a 300.

The elder Clark was on hand to witness his son's feat.

"Some people wondered if I was jealous," Mr. Clark said. "It's much to the contrary. I was just happy for him.

"I felt as good for Derrick — probably better — than I would have felt had I done it."

Derrick Clark credited his father for helping him do it in the first place.

"After I hit a few strikes in a row, I'd walk back and Dad would talk to me about other stuff, nothing to do with bowling," young Clark said. "He took my mind off it."

"He's a big (New England) Patriots fan and we talked about football," Mr. Clark said. "I know guys who have rolled perfect games and I remember them saying how much it helped to talk to somebody while it was going on, instead of everyone shying away from them."

The feeling is that nobody wants to be the one to "jinx" the bowler or break his concentration.

There was no jinxing of Derrick Clark on this day.

"I never got nervous until that last frame," young Clark said. "Everything was quiet. I knew everybody was looking at me. My arms and legs were shaking."

Regardless, Clark's first shot of the 10th frame was a perfect pocket hit.

"Making that first one in the 10th made me feel a lot better," he said. "I don't know why, but after that, I felt like the next two were gonna go."

Clark's previous high game was a 277, bowled last year. He took a perfect game into the 10th frame in that game, but got a seven-count.

After he connected for his 11th strike, Clark recalled his thoughts as he stood at the approach for his final shot.

"I was thinking about how I was going to react if I did it," he said. "What was I going to do? What was it going to feel like?

"Then I threw the ball and thought, oh, God, it's too wide … But it cut back in and the pins just exploded."

And Derrick Clark was in the Butler County record books.

"We did some checking and Derrick's the first person to bowl a perfect game in any Butler County youth tournament, period," USBC Youth president Rick Reeder said.

Clark entered the record book with his 23-year-old brother David Jr.'s bowling ball, a 15-pound Total Shock@Awe.

"I just wanted to try it out, to see if I wanted it," he said. "Now I've got one on order."

Clark's other two games that day were 191 and 206. His 697-series marked a personal best.

Clark began his youth bowling career at age 5 at Meridian Lanes. He's been in Family Bowlaway's youth program — where his father coaches — the past few years. His average this season is 154. He said it's usually around 160.

"I'm only getting back into the swing of bowling now," he said. "I play baseball during the summer and fall and that takes me away from it."

When baseball season begins, bowling season ends for Clark. A pitcher-first baseman, he played for Knoch's junior varsity last spring, Saxonburg Colt and the Lyndora Palomino team last summer and the Lyndora fall team until a few weeks ago.

During the first few Saturdays of the youth bowling season, Derrick Clark had to pre-bowl because he had a baseball game to play.

"If Lyndora had a home game, he'd come to the bowling alley, roll the first game, then head to the baseball field," his father said.

"He probably plays 100 baseball games a year. It's hard to keep a bowling average up when you're doing that.

"But Derrick works on his game. I've been coaching him and he's always asking for pointers. He always wants to learn," his father added.

Mr. Clark generally averages between 198 and 203 each year. He and David Jr. bowl in a league together Monday nights.

Derrick gets some practice frames in with them most Mondays before league play begins.

The closest Clark's father has gotten to a perfect game is nine strikes in a row.

"That's when it gets the toughest," his father admitted. "You start shaking because it's so near. Everybody else stops bowling and you're center stage.

"Derrick was there and he did it. He lived out every bowler's dream and I was there to see it. I can't ask for anything more."

Derrick Clark will continue to bowl in USBC-Youth leagues and tournaments. He's won a couple of tournaments in the past.

As for the future?

"I wouldn't mind turning pro someday, but I'll probably end up just bowling in leagues with everybody else," he said.

"And I definitely want to make (Knoch baseball) varsity in the spring."