Breaking News #203
| 2008 Arizona BCA State Team Championships |
Arizona Players from around the state ascended onto Payson, AZ on August 7th - 10th, 2008 to compete in the 2008
Arizona BCA State 8-ball Championships. 60 Men competed in the Men's Open, 30 Women in the Women's Open, 7
Masters Men, 5 Masters Women, 22 Men's/Mixed Teams and 7 Women's Teams.
This tournament is usually held in March every year, but because of some scheduling conflicts and the Vegas
tournament in May the tournament had to be moved until August. The venue also changed from Parker, AZ to
Payson, AZ and was played at the Mazatzal
Casino. The Bingo Hall was converted into a
prime billiards room. 16 pro-cut Diamond Bar
Boxes were trucked in for the event and as
usual played perfect. The room was very
spacious with plenty of room between tables
for spectators and players to play there games
uninterrupted.
As Saturday rolled around and the remaining
team players arrived and got ready for there
matches, there was still some great action
going on in the singles events. Most teams
walked into the venue and felt the tournament
feel right away as the Semi-Finals and Finals
matches were wrapping up in the Men's
Masters, Women's Masters, Men's Open and
Women's Open.
22 Men's teams kicked off and everyone was
aware of the one team to beat. The Cops and
Robbers, shooting out of Alexander's, consisting of Mitch Ellerman (10-2), Dennis Orender (10-1), Jimmy Mendoza
(10-1), Mike Williams (10) and George Teyechea (10). But there were many teams that had a chance to take home
the title. The White Rhino's out of Prescott put together an all star team of there own. Led by captain Echo Ledger
and long time player Bob Soto. Yuma brought a team with a few AZ Master's players as well. Crazy Earls 2 fielded
players Terry Tucker, Pete Lhotka and 2nd place in the Men's Open Robert Barry. Robert will be a Master's player
next year after his strong finish. Another strong team in the field, also from Alexander's, was the X-factor, with players
of Brandon Butler, Jerry Stuckart, Travis Kennedy, Ken Guoso and Bernie Store. Brandon took 4th place in the
Men's Open, Jerry took 1st and Travis came in 9th place. Bernie Store played her way to 2nd place in the women's
Master's division with a close match with Susan Williams. Ken couldn't make it for the singles, but he was the only
defending 2007 AZ State Team Champion to represent.
After the draw players quickly found there name, and then checked to see where the other 3 strong teams fell. The
Rhino's sat on the top half of the bracket while the other three found themselves on the bottom. Another team that
had come to play was La Playa, with caption Steve Stowers. The Rhino's and La Playa both made there way through
the top half to setup a battle to get to the hot seat match. But in the end Prescott had too much experience and they
sent La Playa to the other side of the board.
X-Factor came out swinging with convincing wins over 3 teams in a row with scores of 13 - 3, 13 - 2 and a hard fought
13 - 8 win verse Tom Ryan's. They then had to wait for the winner of two of the top teams, as the Cops and Robbers
and Yuma's Crazy Earls 2 had run into each other. Yuma jumped out to a big lead early at 7 - 2 only to watch the
Cops and Robbers fight there way back into it. They were tied at 9, then at 10 before the Cops and Robbers got a 2
game lead at 12 - 10 in this race to 13. But Yuma would not be denied as they won the last 3 games to take the win
13 - 12 and send the Cops and Robbers to the one lose side.
In the next match X-Factor and Yuma traded blows back in forth before Yuma took a commanding lead at 10 - 7. But
X-factor was down but not out as they won 4 of the next 6 games to get within 1 game at 11 - 12. Ken and Pete were
locked up in a tight game, so Jerry Stuckart and Terry Tucker started game 25 with Terry breaking. He made a ball
on the break, but ending up missing his second shot. Jerry approached the table with a pretty wide open table, but
one eye was focused on Ken and Pete's game. Pete made an extremely tough shot and came 2 rails to nudge into
the 8 ball leaving him straight in on his last ball. And with that Yuma continued there quest winning 13 - 11.
Before the Hot-seat match between the White Rhino's and Crazy Earls 2 got underway there was many matches to be
played on the one-lose side. Both X-factor and Cops and Robbers looked to gather some vengeance by getting back
to the other side of the board as they sent everyone home just short of the money. The Cops and Robbers knocked
La Playa out at the same time as X-Factor knocked Time Out Lounge - John home. They both finished tied for
5th/6th.
With the Men's/Mixed Team event down to 4 teams everyone was left in the money. The White Rhino's started there
battle with Yuma, only to find out the same story everyone else had already read. They were here to win, and did so
with a 13 - 8 victory. The Rhino's now had to wait for the winner of X-Factor and Cops and Robbers. Both teams
have played before as they were part of the now closed Alexander's Sports Bar in Phoenix.
Arizona BCA State 8-ball Championships. 60 Men competed in the Men's Open, 30 Women in the Women's Open, 7
Masters Men, 5 Masters Women, 22 Men's/Mixed Teams and 7 Women's Teams.
This tournament is usually held in March every year, but because of some scheduling conflicts and the Vegas
tournament in May the tournament had to be moved until August. The venue also changed from Parker, AZ to
Payson, AZ and was played at the Mazatzal
Casino. The Bingo Hall was converted into a
prime billiards room. 16 pro-cut Diamond Bar
Boxes were trucked in for the event and as
usual played perfect. The room was very
spacious with plenty of room between tables
for spectators and players to play there games
uninterrupted.
As Saturday rolled around and the remaining
team players arrived and got ready for there
matches, there was still some great action
going on in the singles events. Most teams
walked into the venue and felt the tournament
feel right away as the Semi-Finals and Finals
matches were wrapping up in the Men's
Masters, Women's Masters, Men's Open and
Women's Open.
22 Men's teams kicked off and everyone was
aware of the one team to beat. The Cops and
Robbers, shooting out of Alexander's, consisting of Mitch Ellerman (10-2), Dennis Orender (10-1), Jimmy Mendoza
(10-1), Mike Williams (10) and George Teyechea (10). But there were many teams that had a chance to take home
the title. The White Rhino's out of Prescott put together an all star team of there own. Led by captain Echo Ledger
and long time player Bob Soto. Yuma brought a team with a few AZ Master's players as well. Crazy Earls 2 fielded
players Terry Tucker, Pete Lhotka and 2nd place in the Men's Open Robert Barry. Robert will be a Master's player
next year after his strong finish. Another strong team in the field, also from Alexander's, was the X-factor, with players
of Brandon Butler, Jerry Stuckart, Travis Kennedy, Ken Guoso and Bernie Store. Brandon took 4th place in the
Men's Open, Jerry took 1st and Travis came in 9th place. Bernie Store played her way to 2nd place in the women's
Master's division with a close match with Susan Williams. Ken couldn't make it for the singles, but he was the only
defending 2007 AZ State Team Champion to represent.
After the draw players quickly found there name, and then checked to see where the other 3 strong teams fell. The
Rhino's sat on the top half of the bracket while the other three found themselves on the bottom. Another team that
had come to play was La Playa, with caption Steve Stowers. The Rhino's and La Playa both made there way through
the top half to setup a battle to get to the hot seat match. But in the end Prescott had too much experience and they
sent La Playa to the other side of the board.
X-Factor came out swinging with convincing wins over 3 teams in a row with scores of 13 - 3, 13 - 2 and a hard fought
13 - 8 win verse Tom Ryan's. They then had to wait for the winner of two of the top teams, as the Cops and Robbers
and Yuma's Crazy Earls 2 had run into each other. Yuma jumped out to a big lead early at 7 - 2 only to watch the
Cops and Robbers fight there way back into it. They were tied at 9, then at 10 before the Cops and Robbers got a 2
game lead at 12 - 10 in this race to 13. But Yuma would not be denied as they won the last 3 games to take the win
13 - 12 and send the Cops and Robbers to the one lose side.
In the next match X-Factor and Yuma traded blows back in forth before Yuma took a commanding lead at 10 - 7. But
X-factor was down but not out as they won 4 of the next 6 games to get within 1 game at 11 - 12. Ken and Pete were
locked up in a tight game, so Jerry Stuckart and Terry Tucker started game 25 with Terry breaking. He made a ball
on the break, but ending up missing his second shot. Jerry approached the table with a pretty wide open table, but
one eye was focused on Ken and Pete's game. Pete made an extremely tough shot and came 2 rails to nudge into
the 8 ball leaving him straight in on his last ball. And with that Yuma continued there quest winning 13 - 11.
Before the Hot-seat match between the White Rhino's and Crazy Earls 2 got underway there was many matches to be
played on the one-lose side. Both X-factor and Cops and Robbers looked to gather some vengeance by getting back
to the other side of the board as they sent everyone home just short of the money. The Cops and Robbers knocked
La Playa out at the same time as X-Factor knocked Time Out Lounge - John home. They both finished tied for
5th/6th.
With the Men's/Mixed Team event down to 4 teams everyone was left in the money. The White Rhino's started there
battle with Yuma, only to find out the same story everyone else had already read. They were here to win, and did so
with a 13 - 8 victory. The Rhino's now had to wait for the winner of X-Factor and Cops and Robbers. Both teams
have played before as they were part of the now closed Alexander's Sports Bar in Phoenix.
| Yuma's - Crazy Earls 2 |
| Champion's - Cops and Robbers |