by Lea Andrews

Dennis “The Hatchet Man” outlasted a field of 43—35 of whom were taking advantage of the lower entry free offered to non-pros—in the $1,500 added Northeast 9-Ball Open XXIII, hosted by Golden Cue Billiards in Albany, NY.

Hatch sailed past Paul Rozonewski 9-2 to reach the hot seat match against Matt Tetreault, who’d had his own 9-2 win over recent winner Chris Orme. A smooth 9-3 victory left Hatch the sole undefeated player, while Tetreault moved over to the semifinals.

On the left side of the bracket, tour director Mike Zuglan was making a strong move through the field. Zuglan, who’d found himself on the west side despite getting up 8-5 against Hatch, took out Keith Lauer 9-1 and tour hotshot Bucky Souvanthong 9-4 to meet up with Orme. Zuglan suffered the same fate against Orme as he had against Hatch, though, and he landed in fifth 9-8. Meanwhile, Dave Fernandez, an early 9-6 victim of Zuglan’s, went on to oust Hal Hughes 9-4 and Brent Boemmels 9-3 before meeting up with Rozonewski. Fernandez earned his spot against Orme in the quarterfinals 9-6, and blasting through Orme 9-1, Fernandez reached the semifinals. He couldn’t get past Tetreault, though, who was looking for the rematch with Hatch, and while Tetreault eked out the chance at vengeance 9-8, he couldn’t capitalize on it.

In the true double-elimination final match, Hatch took control, and a second set was never an option. “The Hatchet Man” finished undefeated 9-4 for his seventh win this season on the Joss Tour.

In Sunday’s $500-added tournament—a race-to-3, double-elimination event offered to any non-pro knocked out of the main event on Saturday—25 hopefuls vied for their share of the $1,000 purse, but it was Hal Hughes who pocketed the $340 first prize. Hal, who arrived in the finals undefeated, suffered his first loss in the first set of the finals against John Rich, who shut him out 3-0. In the second set, though, Hughes pocketed the final 9 in their hill-hill match to earn the big win 3-2.

Hatch’s absence at the last Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour allowed a newcomer, Rob Krull, to claim the cash, but Hatch returned for the April 17-18 stop to reclaim his place at the top.

Open Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $1,100
2nd Matt Tetreault $800
3rd Dave Fernandez $600
4th Chris Orme $450
5th Mike Zuglan $350
Paul Rozonewski
7th Bucky Souvanthong $200
Brent Boemmels

by Lea Andrews

Dennis “The Hatchet Man” Hatch took a brief hiatus from the winner’s circle at the last stop of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, coming in second to Steve Moore’s first, but he reclaimed his regular spot on top at the March 13-14 stop. The $2,000-added event, held at Trick Shot Billiards in Clifton Park, NY, marked Hatch’s fifth number-one finish on the tour this season.

Hatch cruised past Dwight Dixon 9-5 to reach the hot seat match against Bucky Souvanthong, who’d gotten past Jason Michas 9-6. Souvanthong found himself in another 9-6 match against Hatch, but his was the short end of the stick, and he moved over to the semifinals.

On the left side of the bracket were two men making a strong bid for the finals. Dave Grau, who’d taken a first-round hit from Jeff Smolen, edged out Bruce Carroll 9-8 to meet Chance Chin, who’d just ousted Smolen 9-7. Taking care of Chin 9-5, Grau moved on to Dixon. Meanwhile, tour director Mike Zuglan, a third-round 9-7 victim of Hatch’s, was plowing a steady path, notching a 9-6 win over Angelo Hilton and a 9-4 win over Dave Valano, who’d just squeezed past Jim Yonge 9-8. Next up was Michas, who managed to reach the hill, but the final game went to Zuglan, and he advanced to the quarterfinals against Grau, who’d breezed past Dixon 9-3. Though both fought hard in their hill-hill battle, it was Grau who marked up the last game to move on to the semifinals against Souvanthong, but it was there that Grau’s journey ended, and he landed in third 9-6.

In the true double-elimination final match, a second set seemed to be a possibility, as Souvanthong kept pace with Hatch, tying it up at six games apiece. But then Hatch made his move, taking three straight racks to earn his victory 9-6. The tournament wasn’t his only victory, though—his name was drawn in the raffle, earning him a custom-engraved Joss Cue valued at $1,200.

The tour’s next stop is March 27-28 at Salt City Billiards in Syracuse, NY. For an updated schedule, please visit www.insidepoolmag.com/calendar or joss9balltour.com, and for questions, call Mike Zuglan at 518-356-7163.

Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $1,170
2nd Bucky Souvanthong $900
3rd Dave Grau $700
4th Mike Zuglan $450
5th Dwight Dixon $250
Jason Michas
7th Chance Chin $100
Dave Valano

by Lea Andrews

Making a rare appearance on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, Steve Moore went undefeated through the 25-player field, taking down reigning champ Dennis “The Hatchet Man” Hatch in the finals. The $1,500-added Mary Capotto Memorial event was held March 6-7 at Cap’s Cue Club in Syracuse, NY.

Moore blew by Chance Chin 9-3 to reach the hot seat match against Dave Grau, who’d just edged out Hatch 9-8. Grau managed just five games against Moore, though, and he moved over to the semifinals to try to fight his way back.

On the left side of the bracket, tour bigwig Bucky Souvanthong was plowing through the field, ousting Lyn Wechsler 9-4 to meet up with Dwight Dixon, who’d eased past Brian Holmes 9-8. Taking care of Dixon 9-7, Souvanthong moved on to Chin. Meanwhile, Bruce Carroll got past Geoff Montgomery 9-6 to face tour director Mike Zuglan, who’d just knocked out Mike Renshaw 9-5. Holding Zuglan to four games, Carroll moved on to Hatch, who dropped him into fifth 9-3. In the quarterfinals, Hatch went up against Souvanthong, who’d advanced over Chin 9-7. Against Hatch, though, he managed just four games, landing in fourth. Hatch moved on to a rematch with Grau, which ended in his favor 9-7, putting him into very familiar territory: the finals. The true double-elimination final match didn’t go the usual way for Hatch, though. Taking control from the beginning, Moore earned his decisive victory 9-4.

Making a rare appearance on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, Moore went undefeated through the 25-player field, taking down reigning champ Hatch in the finals.

Results:
1st Steve Moore $1,000
2nd Dennis Hatch $800
3rd Dave Grau $600
4th Bucky Souvanthong $400
5th Chance Chin $250
Bruce Carroll
7th Dwight Dixon
Mike Zuglan

by Lea Andrews

Newest 2009 Mosconi Cup USA Team member Dennis Hatch didn’t let a late loss to Dave Grau slow him down on the way to his third Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour win this season—“The Hatchet Man” had plowed through the field up to then, and he kept on until he was crowned Ocean State 9-Ball Champion. The $5,000-added Ocean State 9-Ball Championships drew a contender-studded 108-player field to Snooker’s Billiards and Café in Providence, RI, on November 21-22.

Hatch’s only loss came in the winners’ side final four, where Grau got past him 9-6 to face Nelson Oliveira in the hot seat match, who had held Shane Winters to four games. Grau eased into his spot in the hot seat 9-1, sending Oliveira to the semifinals.

On the one-loss side, Ray McNamara got by Justin Muller 9-3 to face Dan Heidrich, who’d notched his own 9-3 win over Scott Tollefson. Another 9-3 match ended in McNamara’s favor, and he moved on to Winters. Meanwhile, Kevin Guimond won 9-3 over Chance Chin to meet Tom McGonagle, who’d held Bucky Souvanthong to four games, edging out Guimond 9-8, McGonagle moved on to Hatch. Hatch and Winters, who also went into the event with two Joss wins under his belt so far this season, advanced to the quarterfinals 9-7 and 9-6, respectively, and Hatch moved on to the semifinals 9-2, leaving Winters in fourth, and after a shutout win over Oliveira, Hatch faced Grau once again.

Hatch forced the second set of the true double-elimination final match easily, allowing Grau just one game in the first set. It seemed the second set would go the same way as Hatch got out to a 5-0 lead, and though Grau had other plans, they didn’t quite pan out. He managed to tie the score at 5-5, but he couldn’t get any further. “The Hatchet Man” had his eye on another win and he kept it there, winning four straight games to earn first 9-5.

Newest 2009 Mosconi Cup USA Team member Dennis Hatch didn’t let a late loss to Dave Grau slow him down on the way to his third Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour win this season—“The Hatchet Man” had plowed through the field up to then, and he kept on until he was crowned Ocean State 9-Ball Champion.

Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $3,200
2nd Dave Grau $2,200
3rd Nelson Oliveira $1,600
4th Shane Winters $1,200
5th Ray McNamara $900
Tom McGonagle
7th Dan Heidrich $700
Kevin Guimond
9th Justin Muller $500
Scott Tollefson
Chance Chin
Bucky Souvanthong
13th Joe Tucker $300
Rick Sleeper
Al Lapena
John Ricciardelli
17th Ivaylo Petrov $150
Pete Bowman
Cleiton Rocha
Sean Morgan
Tom Sciminaro
Jeremy Sossei
Chris Leal
Chris Orme

by Lea Andrews

Shaun “Get Some” Wilkie’s first win on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour came in the form of a strong, undefeated run through the hard-hitting field of this season’s fifth stop. The $2,000-added event, held November 14-15, drew 35 players to Raxx Pool Room in West Hempstead, NY.

Wilkie blew by Marc Vidal 9-2 to face in the hot seat match Bucky Souvanthong, who’d held Sean Morgan to three games. Wilkie claimed the hot seat 9-6, while Souvanthong moved west to try for the rematch.

On the one-loss side, Joey Korsiak was making a move, getting by Zion Zvi 9-6 to face Nelson Oliveira, who’d had a 9-3 win over Oscar Bonilla. But Olveira managed only one game against Korsiak, who moved on to Morgan. Meanwhile, Al Lapena notched wins over Mike Wong 9-6 and Lenny Savata 9-2 to face Vidal. Lapena’s bid for the quarterfinals was unsuccessful, planting him in fifth 9-5, and Vidal met up with Korsiak, who’d advanced 9-6 over Morgan. Another 9-6 victory put Korsiak up against Souvanthong in the semifinals, and Korsiak’s 9-7 win earned him his spot in the finals.

For the first several games of the true double-elimination final match, a second set seemed inevitable. Korsiak broke and ran the first rack, then the next four after that. When Wilkie finally got his chance at the table, the two traded games to get the score to 7-2, but then Wilkie made his move, taking six racks in a row to reach the hill first 8-7. Korsiak managed to tie it up, and in the final rack, a safety battle determined the winner. Korsiak had a length-of-the-table makeable kick on the 5 ball, which was near the side pocket. The Cue ball hit its mark—or at least, it seemed to. The 5 ball hit both points of the side pocket before bouncing out, leaving Wilkie a run to the final 9 of his first top finish on the Joss Tour.

Wilkie’s first win on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour came in the form of a strong, undefeated run through the hard-hitting field of this season’s fifth stop.

Next weekend’s $5,000-added Ocean State Championship will be held at Snookers’ new Providence location.

Results:
1st Shaun Wilkie $1,400
2nd Joey Korsiak $950
3rd Bucky Souvanthong $700
4th Marc Vidal $550
5th Sean Morgan $400
Al Lapena
7th Nelson Oliveira $200
Lenny Savata

by Lea Andrews

Shane Winters and Dennis Hatch are politely taking turns topping the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour fields, and since Winters was the previous stop’s winner, the fourth stop went to Hatch, who went undefeated for the win. The $1,500-added event, held November 7-8, drew 42 players to Hippo’s House of Billiards in Yorkville, NY.

After getting past Chance Chin 9-8, Hatch faced Ron Casanzio in the hot seat match, where Casanzio, who’d just advanced 9-7 over Chris Orme, managed to notch just one game. On the left side of the bracket, Dan Heidrich got by Angelo Hilton 9-6 to face Dave Grau, who’d held another Hatch, Dennis’ uncle Mark, to two games. Meanwhile, Bucky Souvanthong held Winters—who’d fallen in the fourth round to Casanzio 9-6—to seven games to face Victor Conte Jr., who’d survived a hill-hill battle with Tim Parisian. Though Heidrich and Souvanthong both fared well, advancing 9-4 and 9-7, respectively, neither fared well against Orme or Chin. Souvanthong managed seven games against Chin, while Heidrich managed just five against Orme. The quarterfinal match went hill-hill, and Orme came out on top of Chin to once again face Casanzio. Unfortunately for Orme, it was a replay of their earlier match—he landed in third with an identical score of 9-7, allowing Casanzio a rematch with Hatch.

It was evident from the beginning that the true double-elimination final match wasn’t going to be a replay of the hot seat match, as Casanzio opened up with a four-game lead. Hatch answered with his own seven-game streak, though, and the two traded games until Hatch was on the hill 8-6. In the rack that followed, Hatch was on his way out, but his missed 8 ball gave Casanzio another chance at the table. Down went the 8, but the 9 missed its mark, and Hatch was at the table once again, though he was looking at a table-length bank shot. But it was no problem for “The Hatchet Man,” and the 9 split the pocket for the win.

Winters and Hatch are politely taking turns topping the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour fields, and since Winters was the previous stop’s winner, the fourth stop went to Hatch, who went undefeated for the win.

by Lea Andrews

Shane Winters, who topped the field at the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour season opener in September, reclaimed his crown by going undefeated at stop number three. The $2,000-added event drew 36 players to Bison Billiards in Williamsville, NY, on October 17-18.

Arriving in the winners’ side final four, Winters met up with last stop’s winner, Dennis Hatch. Prevailing 9-7, Winters moved on to the hot seat match against Hendrik Drost, who’d posted a 9-7 win over Derek Williams. After blowing through Drost 9-2, Winters cooled off in the hot seat to wait for his finals opponent.

On the left side of the bracket, Bucky Souvanthong got past Jim Hoffstetter 9-4 to face Dan Kolacz, who was coming off a 9-5 win over Jeff Smolen. Souvanthong didn’t let Kolacz hit the string at all, putting Kolacz in seventh and earning himself the right to face Hatch. Meanwhile, another Hatch, Dennis’ uncle Mark, was making his way through the field. A 9-4 victory over JB Brotherton put him up against Dan Cee, who’d just ousted tournament director Mike Zuglan after a battle that went hill-hill. After Putting Cee in seventh 9-5, M. Hatch greeted Williams over from the winners’ side by putting him in fifth 9-6. The quarterfinal match was a battle of the Hatches, uncle versus nephew, who’d won hill-hill over Souvanthong. Family ties didn’t keep nephew Hatch from playing his game—he allowed uncle Hatch just one game and moved on to the semifinals. There, he met up with Drost, whom he held to five games to face Winters in the finals.

Shane Winters, who topped the field at the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour season opener in September, reclaimed his crown by going undefeated at stop number three.

The two champions stayed fairly tight for the first several games of the true double-elimination final match, tying up at five games apiece. It was then, though, that Winters stepped it up, becoming this season’s two-time winner 9-6. Winters wasn’t the only winner, though. Vicki Shara’s raffle ticket won her a custom, engraved, collectible Joss cue valued at $1,200.

Results:
1st Shane Winters $1,400
2nd Dennis Hatch $930
3rd Hendrik Drost $750
4th Mark Hatch $600
5th Derek Williams $400
Bucky Souvanthong
7th Dan Cee $200
Dan Kolacz

by Skip Maloney

Most of the time, when Dennis Hatch’s name does not show up in first place at a stop on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, it’s because his name wasn’t on the list of entrants to begin with. He won five of the tour’s stops in 2008 and has chalked up three wins so far this year, including the latest stop on the tour in Albany, NY, where 46 entrants were on hand for the $2,000-added event at Golden Cue Billiards and Sports Pub.

Hatch followed a bye in the opening round with three victories that put him among the winners’ side final four, where he defeated Ron Casanzio 9-2 to get himself into the hot seat match. Matt Tetreault, in the meantime, advanced among the winners’ side final four, where he defeated Geoff Montgomery 9-4 to move into the first of two against Hatch. Hatch sent Tetreault to the semifinals with a commanding 9-2 win and waited for his return.

On the one-loss side, Dan Hewitt was picking up some speed on his way to a quarterfinal match-up versus Casanzio. From among the final 12, he shut out Greg Antonakos and got by Chance Chin 9-7 to square off against Montgomery. It was Bruce Carroll, following victories over Bucky Souvanthong and Jeff Smolen, who was waiting for Casanzio. Carroll got into the quarterfinals with a 9-6 win over Casanzio, as Hewitt narrowly defeated Montgomery 9-8 to join him. Casanzio then dropped Hewitt into fourth place and faced Tetreault in the semifinals.

Tetreault ended Casanzio’s bid to get into the finals 9-3 and got his second chance versus Hatch. The momentum of moving directly from the semifinals into that final match helped Tetreault, because the final match was more of a struggle than their first meeting. The result was the same, though, as Hatch survived to win it 9-8.

Most of the time, when Dennis Hatch’s name does not show up in first place at a stop on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, it’s because his name wasn’t on the list of entrants to begin with.

Results:
1st Dennis Hatch $1,500
2nd Matt Tetreault $1,060
3rd Ron Casanzio $800
4th Dan Hewitt $600
5th Geoff Montgomery $400
Bruce Carroll
7th Chance Chin $250
Jeff Smolen
9th Greg Antonakos $100
Jason Michas
Gary Poulten
Bucky Souvanthong

by Skip Maloney

Chris Orme survived a strong, one-loss side bid by Chance Chin to complete an undefeated weekend at the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour the weekend of March 28-29. The $2000-added purse event drew 39 entrants to Classic Billiards in Rochester, NY.

Orme gained the hot seat after a 9-6 win over Bucky Souvanthong and a 9-7 victory over John Morra. Morra had sent Dave Grau west 9-5.

On the one-loss side, it was Chin and Shane Winters from among the final 12 who emerged to face Grau and Souvanthong. Winters dropped Tim Wendt 9-3 for the right to meet Grau as Chin dispatched tour director Mike Zuglan to the tie for seventh place with his first of three hill-hill wins that put him into the finals. It was Grau and Chin advancing to the quarterfinals; Grau with a 9-4 win over Winters and Chin with his second hill-hill victory, this time over Souvanthong.

Chin got a reprieve from his double-hill struggles with a 9-7 win over Grau in the quarterfinals but stepped right back into the fray with a hill-hill battle against Morra in the semifinals. He survived that third straight double-hill struggle and turned to face Orme in the finals.

Seemingly tired of matches that kept coming down to the wire, Chin opened the finals by taking a commanding 6-1 lead. He watched those as Orme battled back to tie it at 6 and move out in front by a single rack at 7-6. Chin tied it at 7, and then Orme reached the hill. It was Orme’s break on the last rack, and he sunk the 9 ball to win it.

Chris Orme survived a strong, one-loss side bid by Chance Chin to complete an undefeated weekend at the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour the weekend of March 28-29.

Results:
1st Chris Orme $1,300
2nd Chance Chin $920
3rd John Morra $750
4th Dave Grau $550
5th Shane Winters $400
Bucky Souvanthong
7th Tom Wendt $200
Mike Zuglan
9th Eric Hjorleifson $100
Tom Dimatteo
Ron Casanzio
Ron Kingsley

by Paul G.D. Berg

It is down to the strong and the stronger in Valley Forge. In the Super Billiards Expo’s grueling test of amateur bar table 9-ball prowess, the multiple brackets in three giant divisions have become yesterday’s news. The players lucky enough to find themselves still in contention have already conquered a six-match journey through one field of 64, in the case of the 864- and 384-player open and seniors’ events, a match more on a final combined bracket. Eight players return Sunday morning at 10 a.m. to the Diamond tables at the Amateur Players Championship. Four women are left standing out of 168, and in 14- and 19-and-under juniors’ competition where 64 started, the semifinals are ready to go at 11 a.m.

While all eight in the open event have proven themselves formidable, one warrior stood out at the end of Saturday night’s harrowing play. Craig McPartlin from the Detroit area is one of two players from the same pool room in Lincoln Park, MI that have made it this far. For McPartlin, the path was long and winding. In his final two matches of a long day, McPartlin first escaped from the edge of elimination facing Ike Runnels, and then clobbered past high-finisher Bucky Souvanthong in a third set whirlwind. Runnels conquered the first race hill-hill, but then watched a 4-1 lead in the second set turn into a 5-4 defeat, with a ball in hand combination on the nine that could have ended the match unsuccessful, and multiple scratches in a decline to a 5-1 ending in the case race, eliminating a tired Runnels in a tie for 17th-32nd place with $595 in winnings.

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Diamond Player’s Championship 10-Ball tournament brackets

The final set to break the knot with Souvanthong was the epitome of determination. The rest of the field had a good head start on the 9 p.m. round as McPartlin’s bout with Runnels took extended time, and the Joss Northeast fixture Souvanthong pounced on his prey when McPartlin arrived with a 5-3 win in the first set. Once again, McPartlin came back, mounting a cautious 5-4 win before unleashing swifter run-out play in the final stanza. A key 1-9 combination with ball in hand, slicing the 9ball in with plenty of distance to the corner pocket and the length of the table between the two yellow balls, gave McPartlin the hill, and he ran down it in the next with his first opening for another 5-1 closer. Souvanthong joined a group of good players left in 9th-16th place and receiving $750.

Veteran Larry Price will be the next challenge for the Michigander in the quarterfinals. Next to them in the draw are the high-octane pairing of U.S. Amateur champion Bill McCollim and Joey Ryan. Both have their break working, and while Ryan has polished off Jason Klatt and Tom Formando in his last two outings, McCollim has looked impervious since toppling Lee Holt in the round of 64. Gary Lutman was no match, and while Shinji Hase came in red-hot, he was in a stupor by the end of his 5-3, 5-1 beating, which concluded before McPartlin and Runnels were finished in the round of 32. The Pittsburgh vicinity is the stomping grounds for McCollim, and he was simply capable of no wrong in the round of 16, getting bumps of balls for position if need be, and blasting in banks or rolling in cuts at will.

In the other half of the open draw, another player out of owner Jesse Nyikon’s Ball & Cue & Brew in Lincoln Park. Danny Barnes joins McPartlin as representatives of a Detroit contingent that tore up the open brackets, many more making lesser cashing efforts. Shannon Schroeder barely escaped with a win in the round of 32 but was confounded by Barnes’ defensive patience and measured ball clearance. Perhaps the uneventful run for Barnes will get a bit bumpier in the quarterfinals facing Nelson Oliviera. Mike Miller and Matt Clatterbuck are the final pairing, with the latter having an off day and advancing anyway, and a prohibitive favorite to take the crown amongst local railbirds.

In the senior ranks, Stan Tourangeau was felled by Carmen Lombardo, but Lombardo in turn bowed out to Steve Shaw. With the heavies gone, Shaw moved on to the last eight to face Freddy Scott. Mike Boyer and Dave Daya are in their half of the quarterfinals, with Daya perhaps the best odds-on shot to emerge out of the four in the finals. In the top half, Dave Fernandez and Bob Telford face each other, and Ken Brisbon will try his luck with Ed Latimer. To close his bracket of 64 and reach the last eight, Latimer broke in some timely 9balls and overcame Joe Stem Jr. in a close contest, joining seven others with one board behind them and one to go.

The amateurs competition are starting to get thinned out at the Super Billiards Expo.

Brittany Bryant remains a contender for the women’s title, taking Liz Lovely down in the quarterfinals after she had done the honors of sending tough out Tina Meraglio packing. Meraglio joined a group in a tie for 9th-16th place, the first paid with $300. Lovely and those tied in 5th-8th place earned $500, Kathleen Lawless in that group when she was bested by Brynani’s next foe, Teruko Cucculelli. The other semifinal match pits Ming Ng and Sherrie Frederick, who deposited Nicole Keeny and Jamie Drobnick in the fifth-place bunch to earn their shot at the finals.

For the youngest juniors, it is down to four boys under fourteen, as tough competitor Briana Miller fell to the run of Kevin Sun, who dismissed Jackson Jeffries in the last 16 before taking the rising young lady out of the field in the round of eight. Jake Humphries is up next for Sun in the semifinals, with Daniel Satinoff and Charles Vergaro vying for the other spot in the final. The slightly older crowd in the 19-and-under tournament has been whittled down to clear favorite Chris Futrell, who will have to earn his spot in the finals through another popular pick, Mac Harrell. Feared young player Richard Barney came up short, ending up falling in the final round of Saturday to Luther Farley to finish tied for 5th-8th. Josh Newman would land there as well courtesy of Farley’s semifinal opponent Sunday morning, Daniel Hill.

Finally, the 32 player pro-am progressed through two rounds. Mike Dechaine took out little table monsters Steve Moore and Jose Parica to reach the guaranteed money-back third round. With a two-game longer race format than other amateur-friendly events, the 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 nail-biter over Parica booked Dechaine a date with Matt Krah, who was the fastest through his two bouts. Dennis Hatch was hot on his heels with short matches as well and will play Darren Appleton in the quarterfinals. Straying from the professional to the nearly professional, Eddie Abraham survived a close match with Joey Testa to advance to tomorrow to try Danny Green in the third round, as the Baltimore wild man laid it on Shaun Wilkie in his opening match and continues to play well during the Expo. Rounding out the remaining field will be Richie Richeson taking on Norm Wines, who upended a grumbling, mumbling, and half-asleep Ryan McCreesh. “The Genie Man” was good-natured in defeat, wondering aloud to the spectators how the third set became such a festival of missed shots after tip-top play in the first two.

Some go without sleep through the night, as Saturday is the last chance to get downstairs and mix it up through the long waits for a spot on a challenge table. McCreesh will likely join the party until the wee hours once again, as the Super Billiards Expo nears its conclusion. Keep up with all of the fun from Valley Forge on InsidePOOLmag.com.