Taking their game to the Hall of Fame
Kurt Huff and the late Dan Persic's bowling journeys have been intertwined before.
Huff has bowled in tournaments at Bruin Lanes, a facility Persic owned for 20 years. Persic began the Karns City High School bowling program. Huff has been an assistant coach with Butler's high school team for nine years.
Soon they will be adding another common thread. Both are being inducted into the Butler Area USBC Hall of Fame. The site and date of the induction has yet to be determined.
Huff and Persic will swell the Hall of Fame membership to 68.
“I'm thrilled to be going into the Hall with Dan,” Huff, 53, said. “I bowled in a Grizzly tournament at Bruin Lanes and became the first scratch bowler to ever win that handicap-based event.
“Dan didn't understand why I kept entering that tournament. I kept telling him I was gonna win it someday.”
Huff added that Persic “made it a point to come by and welcome each bowler who came to that house, always said hello.”
Persic died in December of 2020 at age 69. When he started the Karns City bowling program, the Gremlins became the first Butler County High School to join the WPIBL.Butler, Seneca Valley, Knoch, Freeport, Mars and Seneca Valley all followed suit eventually. Karns City and Knoch do not have teams currently.“Dan recognized how important it was to get youths involved in the sport,” said Barry Baerger, Persic's stepson. “He figured starting a high school team would give young bowlers something to aspire for.”Persic was a good bowler in his own right. He had a 200 average and did well in the former Butler radio tournaments. Barger averaged around 225.“Dan got kids involved and gave them guidance. He provided structure and taught them how to bowl,” Barger said. “He belongs in this Hall of Fame.“He would be thrilled by this, so proud. I only wish he was here to enjoy it.”
While Huff is a longtime Butler High School assistant coach, he has been out of competitive bowling himself since 1997.“I wanted to be there for my kids and my family,” he said. “I used to bowl in leagues four nights a week, then do tournaments on weekends.”Huff has bowled six perfect games in his career. He once rolled 22 consecutive strikes on a league night. His 816 series that night — back in the 1980's — is a career-high.He was a member of the Imperial, City and Butler County Traveling Leagues for years.Huff teamed with Brian Marcellus, Kevin English, Jeff Blank and Warren Watson to win the City League roll-off with a 3,646 team score more than 30 years ago. That remains a county record today.“That's an average of 243.6 per man for three games. That's hard to do,” Huff said.He won the county singles, doubles and team tournaments. He teamed with fellow county association Hall of Famers Tom Fry, Wayne Geisler, Dwight Crowe and Ray Henry to win the Pennsylvania team tournament title in 1996.Huff credited the late Al Pella “for teaching me a lot about bowling when I was young. I have to thank my mom and dad, too.“It's a great honor going into this Hall of Fame. I think of the names that are in there ... Fry, Marcellus, Cupp, Henry ... I can't believe I'm joining them.”He thanked Joe Caparosa Jr. (Family Bowlaway) and Fry as well.“I appreciated the times we bowled togegher. Tom worked with me to become a good bowler,” Huff said. “All of the friends I've made through bowling leagues, watching my kids succeed in bowling — this sport has worked out well for me.”
