by InsidePOOL Staff

Jeremy Sossei enjoyed an unchallenged run through the 57-player field that gathered for the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour’s first stop of the new year. The event was hosted by Fast Eddie’s Billiards in New Milford, CT, January 7-8, and boasted a $2,000-added prize purse.

In the $1,500-added main event, Sossei worked his way through the winners’ bracket to face Bucky Souvanthong, whom he easily handled 9-3 to advance to the hot seat match. His opponent there was Vinny Zuniga, who had just bested Scott Ireland 9-5. Sossei had little trouble in this match and quickly sent Zuniga to the one-loss side 9-4.

Jeremy Sossei enjoyed an unchallenged run through the 57-player field that gathered for the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour’s first stop of the new year.

Once on the west side, Ireland was soon eliminated 9-1 by Nick Conner and took home fifth place. Tying with him was Rick Sleeper, who was ousted by Souvanthong 9-3. The following quarterfinal match was a hill-hill nail-biter, with Conner triumphing over Souvanthong 9-8.

Wanting a rematch with Sossei, Zuniga topped Conner in the semifinal match 9-5 to advance to the finals. But once there, he soon found himself dominated by Sossei, who took home the title with a 9-2 victory.

In the $500-added second chance event, a dozen players participated. Steve Mack went undefeated through the field to take home first place and $300. Brent Boemmels earned $200 for his runner-up finish. Bruce Carroll won $120 for third, Bud Robideau $80 for fourth, and rounding out the field were Dawn Fox and Bob Vanduzee, who each took home $20 for fifth place.

Results:
1st Jeremy Sossei $1,100
2nd Vinny Zuniga $800
3rd Nick Conner $650
4th Bucky Souvanthong $500
5th Rick Sleeper $350
Scott Ireland
7th Holden Chin $250
Choneyi Tenzin
9th Dave Fernandez $125
Tom Torres
Phil Davis
Spencer Auigbelle

by InsidePOOL Staff

After a hill-hill, fourth-round loss to Shawn Putnam, Shane Van Boening came back through the one-loss side to take the Turning Stone Classic title over Raj Hundal in the finals. The $25,000-added tournament, held twice a year at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY, drew a packed field of 128.

At the start of Sunday’s matches, only four players remained undefeated. Mike “The Fireball” Dechaine suffered his first loss to Rodney Morris, both recently returned from the Mosconi Cup, 9-5, while Ralf Souquet, a Mosconi Cup veteran, was sent to the west side by Raj Hundal 9-5. Hundal went on to best Morris 9-4 and await a finals opponent.

After a hill-hill, fourth-round loss to Shawn Putnam, Van Boening came back through the one-loss side to take the Turning Stone Classic title over Hundal in the finals.

On the left bracket, Darren Appleton, who suffered a third-round, hill-hill loss to Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour threat Dennis Hatch, won six matches in a row to reach Mosconi Cup teammate Souquet and fell 9-3 in fifth place. Tying with him was Dechaine, who came out on the short end of a hill-hill match against Van Boening.

Once on the west side of the chart, Van Boening disposed of top-notch players such as Larry Nevel 9-5, Bucky Souvanthong 9-6, Earl Strickland 9-4, and Dennis Hatch 9-2 to reach the quarterfinals. After disposing of Dechaine, he then had to face the determined Souquet, a past champion of the Turning Stone event. He made quick work of the German, moving on to the semifinals with a 9-3 win.

View the Turning Stone tournament brackets (updated continuously)

Defending champion Morris awaited Van Boening, but there was no repeat performance for the Hawaiian as “The South Dakota Kid” allowed him 5 racks in the race to 9. In the extended race-to-13 final match, Van Boening allowed Hundal a few chances, but when all was said and done, Van Boening took the final match and the title 13-9.

by InsidePOOL Staff

Earl Strickland is on a tear at the Turning Stone Classic XVIII—he earlier whitewashed Johnny Archer 9-0, followed that up with a 9-4 win over “Iron Mike” Davis, and most recently trounced Shane Winters 9-3 to reach the final 8 on the winners’ side. In the next round he faces fellow Hall of Famer Ralf Souquet of Germany, who just sent Stevie Moore to the one-loss side 9-4.

India’s Raj Hundal is also unscathed as yet, having won both of his last two matches 9-3 over Brian Brekke and Chris Lynch. Hundal’s next challenge will come from Dustin Morris, recently the victor over Danny Thompson 9-3.

“The Fireball” burned down Dennis Hatch, who can still take the title but from the west side. Their match saw Mike Dechaine advance 9-6 to next play Brandon Shuff, who recently bested Johnathan “Hennessee” Pinegar 9-7.

Two Mosconi Cup teammates matched up when Shane Van Boening and Shawn Putnam went head to head, but only one went on to remain undefeated. It was the closest of matches, but Putnam was the one to win it 9-8, while Van Boening must trudge through the left side if he is to make a try for the title.

View the Turning Stone tournament brackets (updated continuously)

Another Mosconi Cup member, Rodney Morris, also had a hill-hill match but eked out a 9-8 victory over Bucky Souvanthong. Morris and Putnam will play each other in the following round.

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by InsidePOOL Staff

Tom D’Alfonso bested hometown hero Mike “Fireball” Dechaine in a gritty double-elimination finals at the November 19-20 stop of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour to claim the title. The $5,000-added stop was hosted by Snookers Billiards Bar and Grill in Providence, RI, and drew a field of 64 top players.

It was D’Alfonso who skated through the winners’ bracket, defeating Ivaylo Petrov hill-hill and advancing to the hot seat match. There his opponent was Matt Tetreault, who had just bested Stevie Moore 9-6. The hot seat match was no contest, as D’Alfonso easily handled Tetreault 9-2 and sent his opponent to the west side of the chart.

Dechaine moved speedily through the one-loss side, eliminating Jennifer Barretta 9-5, Bucky Souvanthong 9-2, and then Moore 9-7 to reach the quarterfinal match. “Iron Mike” Davis, having just ousted Petrov 9-5 at a fifth-place tie, was Dechaine’s competitor, and Dechaine slipped past him 9-2.

In the semifinal match, Dechaine also found little resistance from Tetreault, sending his opponent home in third place 9-5. In the double-elimination final match, Dechaine dominated D’Alfonso in the first set 9-3, but D’Alfonso turned the tables in the second and won the title by the score of 9-3.

Tom D’Alfonso bested hometown hero Mike “Fireball” Dechaine in a gritty double-elimination finals at the November 19-20 stop of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour to claim the title.

Results:
1st Tom D’Alfonso $2,500
2nd Mike Dechaine $1,800
3rd Matt Tetreault $1,300
4th Mike Davis $1,000
5th Stevie Moore $750
Ivaylo Petrov
7th Bucky Souvanthong $550
Brittany Bryant
9th Ray McNamara $350
Jennifer Barretta
Greg Antonakos
Ron Casanzio

by InsidePOOL Staff

Greg Antonakos escaped defeat until he reached the finals of the October 8-9 Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, where he was bested by Chance Chin in the first set. He redeemed himself in the second set, though, to take the title over the 36-player field that gathered at Trick Shot Billiards and Sports Bar in Clifton Park, NY.

With a total prize fund $3,450, the competition was fierce. Antonakos, who has won at the Joss Tour once before, sent Jeff Smolen packing in the winners’ side final four 9-4, while tour promoter Mike Zuglan eked out a nail-biting 9-8 victory over Bucky Souvanthong. But Zuglan soon followed, as Antonakos claimed the hot seat with a decisive 9-4 win.

After whitewashing Angelo Hilton 9-0, Dwight Dixon sent Souvanthong home in fifth place 9-5. Joining Souvanthong was Smolen, ousted by Chin in a close 9-7 match. Chin went on to face down Dixon and advance to the semifinal match 9-5.

Zuglan was waiting for Chin, who was determined to reach the unscathed Antonakos and relegated Zuglan to third place 9-4. Chin was geared up for the first set of the finals and dominated the match to win it 9-4. But the second set was another story, as Antonakos turned the tables and took the match and title 9-3.

There were 14 players in the second chance event, which had a $780 prize fund. Spencer Auigbelle went undefeated and bested Kevin Ketz 3-1 in the finals.

Greg Antonakos escaped defeat until he reached the finals of the October 8-9 Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, where he was bested by Chance Chin in the first set.

Main Event Results:
1st Greg Antonakos $1,000
2nd Chance Chin $750
3rd Mike Zuglan $550
4th Dwight Dixon $400
5th Bucky Souvanthong $250
Jeff Smolen
7th Angelo Hilton $125
Geoff Montgomery

Second Chance Results:
1st Spencer Auigbelle $300
2nd Kevin Ketz $200
3rd John Babravich $120
4th Bruce Carroll $80
5th Paul Pickard $40
Pete Mitchell

by InsidePOOL Staff

Rodney Morris rocketed undefeated through the 128-player field at the Turning Stone Classic XVII to claim the title, besting Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan in the finals. The $25,000-added event was held this weekend at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY.

Morris went unchallenged through the field, besting Charlie Williams 9-5 and then Jose Parica 9-5 as well to reach the hot seat match against Shawn Putnam, who had just delivered Josh Ulrich 9-4. In a closely contested battle, Morris was able to eke out a 9-8 victory over Putnam and await a finals opponent.

On the west side of the chart, Pagulayan, who suffered a second-round loss to Morris 9-6, recovered to win the next nine matches in a row to reach Morris again. He sent Jeremy Sossei home in ninth place 9-4, then bested Bucky Souvanthong 9-4, and dominated Parica 9-2 to reach the quarterfinals.

Pagulayan’s opponent in the match for fourth place was Johnny Archer. No stranger to the winner’s circle at this event, Archer also suffered a second-round loss and worked his way through the left side of the bracket, ousting players such as Bruce Nagle 9-3, Charlie Williams 9-8, Greg Antonakos 9-7, and Ulrich 9-2.

Morris rocketed undefeated through the 128-player field at the Turning Stone Classic XVII to claim the title, besting Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan in the finals.

View the Turning Stone Classic tournament brackets

After their long treks through the one-loss side, both players faced off in the quarterfinal, with neither giving an inch until the end, when Pagulayan pushed through for a 9-7 win. It was much of the same in the semifinal match against Putnam, who went neck and neck with Pagulayan until “The Lion” squeaked past 9-8 to earn a rematch with Morris.

Pagulayan and Morris traded the first two racks, but that was the only time the score was in parity. Morris whizzed ahead to a 4-1 and then a 7-2 lead in the extended single race to 13. Pagulayan was in the electric chair for most of the match as Morris was clearly on a roll. The Hawaiian reached the hill 12-4, and though Pagulayan won the next three matches to inch closer to the goal, he scratched on his following break and left a wide-open table for Morris, who cleared up to take the title 13-7.

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by InsidePOOL Staff

“Rocket” Rodney Morris and Shawn Putnam are the final two undefeated players at the Turning Stone Classic XVII and will face off in the hot seat match this afternoon, while four other players remain in the west side of the chart. The $25,000-added event is held this weekend at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY, and attracted a full field of 128.

After dispatching tour promoter Mike Zuglan 9-4 to the one-loss side, Morris went on to face down Larry “The Truth” Nevel and dealt him a 9-3 loss. A 9-5 victory over Charlie Williams put Morris in the final four undefeated, where he bested Jose Parica 9-5 to reach the hot seat match.

Putnam escaped a double-hill match Fiddlestix Billiards Café owner Chris Szuter 9-8 to defeat Jeremy Sossei 9-4. Another 9-4 victory, this time over Josh Ulrich, saw Putnam meet up with Morris.

Morris and Putnam are the final two undefeated players at the Turning Stone Classic XVII and will face off in the hot seat match this afternoon, while four other players remain in the west side of the chart.

View the Turning Stone Classic tournament brackets

Much like Pagulayan, Johnny Archer, winner of the Turning Stone Classic XV and XIV, also lost his second-round match, which was against Sossei, and has been able to stay alive. Archer’s victories in the one-loss side include wins over Jennifer Barretta, Williams, and Greg Antonakos.

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by InsidePOOL Staff

The Turning Stone Classic has returned to the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY, for its twenty-seventh installment, with a full field of 128 billiards players seeking their share of the $25,000-added prize purse. The event is held September 8-11 and is produced by Mike Zuglan of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour.

Several mishaps occurred in the first couple of rounds. Defending champion Corey Deuel is not at the event, but Turning Stone XIV and XV champion Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer suffered a second-round loss to Jeremy Sossei 9-4 and will have to reclaim his title from the west side of the chart. So far he has eliminated Ron Casanzio and Billy Biasin, both 9-4.

Alex Pagulayan has had his ups and downs so far. His first match with Angelos Inness he won 9-6 but then advanced to face recent Seminole Pro Tour stop winner Rodney Morris, who had just bested Pete Sever 9-5. Morris was able to send Pagulayan to the one-loss side 9-6 and then follow that up with a 9-4 defeat of Zuglan, who had just bested Dennis Hatch in a thrilling double-hill match 9-8. In the next round, Pagulayan whitewashed Hatch 9-0 to advance, thwarting “The Hatchetman” in his attempt to claim the title.

The Turning Stone Classic has returned to the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY, for its twenty-seventh installment, with a full field of 128 billiards players seeking their share of the $25,000-added prize purse.

View the Turning Stone Classic tournament brackets

Jose Parica, who was just crowned Empire State champion at last weekend’s Predator 9-Ball Tour stop, blew through Shaun “Get Some” Wilkie 9-4 in the first round and then bested Angelina Paglia by the same score in the second. In the third round he delivered Los Angeles’ Ernesto Dominguez to the left side 9-6.

Oscar, the younger Dominguez, won his first two matches but was then stopped by Bucky Souvanthong 9-3. Souvanthong was also responsible for the first-round defeat of Shane Van Boening 9-6. Both Dominguez and Van Boening are still alive as yet.

Three ladies participated in the event this time. Liz Ford won one of three matches, being ousted by Hatch 9-1. After her second-round loss to Parica, Paglia was then ousted in the fourth round by Chris Orme 9-4. And Jennifer Barretta, who had a first-round loss to Ivaylo Petrov 9-5, has rebounded on the one-loss side to win her last three matches.

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by InsidePOOL Staff

Mike “The Fireball” Dechaine cruised to an unchallenged victory at the June 11-12 stop on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, besting Nelson Oliviera in the finals to take the title. The $1,500-added main event drew a 55-player field to Snookers Billiards, Bar, and Grill in Providence, RI.

In the winners’ side final four, Dechaine matched up with Matt Tatreault and scorched him 9-1 to advance to the hot seat match. There he faced Oliviera for the first time in the event, as Oliviera had just dealt Ray McNamara a 9-5 loss. Dechaine was driven and soon claimed the hot seat 9-5, sending Oliviera to the one-loss side of the chart.

Dechaine cruised to an unchallenged victory at the June 11-12 stop on the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, besting Nelson Oliviera in the finals to take the title.

After a narrow 9-7 victory over Pete Ziemak, Bucky Souvanthong advanced to face Joe Dupuis, who had just ousted Jarrod Clowery 9-4. Souvanthong emerged the 9-6 victor there, as Dupuis was relegated to seventh place. Tims Perry and Parisian met each other after respective wins over John Smith 9-6 and Tom D’Alfonso 9-5, and it was Perry who eked out the hill-hill triumph.

Souvanthong went on to eliminate Ray McNamara at fifth place 9-7, while Perry tied with him after a lopsided 9-2 loss to Tatreault. In the following quarterfinal match, Souvanthong and Tatreault went double-hill before Souvanthong edged past his opponent to win 9-8.

Oliviera faced down Souvanthong in the semifinal match 9-6 to earn a rematch with Dechaine in the double-elimination finals. Oliviera jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but Dechaine fought his way back to knot the score at 5-all. From there it was all “Fireball,” as he won the next four games in a row to claim the title 9-5.

In the $500-added second chance event, 17 players participated. Phil Davis went undefeated through the field to best Dave Wright in the hot seat and then in the first set of the finals.

Main Event Results:
1st Mike Dechaine
2 Nelson Oliviera $900
3rd Bucky Souvanthong $650
4 Matt Tatreault $450
5th Ray McNamara $350
Tim Perry
7th Tim Parisian $200
Joe Dupuis
9th Pete Ziemak $100
Jarrod Clowery
John Smith
Tom D’Alfonso

Second Chance Results:
1st Phil Davis $320
2nd Dave Wright $220
3rd Bill Roberge $140
4th Rick Matarazzo $80
5th Paul Dryden $40
Brent Boemmels