CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Three games on this week’s U.S. Forces Japan-American Football League schedule were pushed back because of Typhoon Etau and the transportation problems it created for the Yokota Raiders, Courtney-Hansen coach Tony Bowman said Friday.

Yokota was scheduled to visit Courtney-Hansen on Saturday, but that’s been pushed back to 7 p.m. Monday at the Courtney Bowl, Bowman said. Tuesday’s contest pitting Misawa against Kadena at Courtney was moved to Wednesday, and Wednesday’s Yokota-Futenma game was moved to Thursday.

Yokota had hoped to fly to Okinawa on Saturday to play Courtney-Hansen. But with Etau lurking just to the west of Yokota Air Base, it was far from certain the Raiders could do so.

Bowman said he consulted with Yokota coach Jason Wolff, the Okinawa Athletic Officials Association, which referees USFJ-AFL games on Okinawa, and Marine Corps Community Services, which oversees Courtney Bowl. All agreed to a Monday makeup date.

Four Pacific bowlers struggle in national youth tournaments

ST. LOUIS — Four Pacific-based bowlers had a rough go last month in the Young American Bowling Alliance’s Pepsi-Cola and Junior Gold championships, featuring the best youth competitors from the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and the Pacific and European military zones.

Jio Bruce, 17, and Chris Baker, 12, the Far East’s scratch division champions from South Korea’s Yongsan Garrison, appeared in the Junior Golds, held July 12-18, while Daymond LaMarr and Margaret Murphy, the 12-year-old handicap champions from Okinawa, battled in the Pepsi finals July 21-23.

Bruce, a seven-time Far East champion and four-time YABA Junior Gold participant, fared the best but finished 45th in the 18-game qualifying round. Her 3,200 pinfall left her five places and 16 pins short of reaching the field of 40 in the semifinals.

The senior and three-sport standout at Seoul American High finished seventh out of 16 finalists last year in Winter Haven, Fla.

Baker, bowling in the Junior Golds for the second time, finished 524th out of 745 entries in the scratch division with 2,960 pins. He was 418 places and 382 pins short of reaching the 106-bowler semifinal round.

A year ago, Baker placed 600th out of 706 bowlers with a 2,856 pinfall.

The Junior Golds included 745 boys and 283 girls.

In the Pepsi tournament, LaMarr wound up last in a field of 58 with 1,136 pins in the boys handicap division, while Murphy placed 35th out of 42 with a 1,500 pinfall. Each needed to finish 16th to qualify for the match-play final.

Bruce, Baker, LaMarr and Murphy reached the Pepsi and Junior Gold tournaments through qualifying on Okinawa and at Yongsan’s bowling center.

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