James Aranas
One of a personally-gathered group of professionals, semi-professionals and amateur pool players brought together by one Wayne Everhart, owner of TTMD (ThinkTechMD) Billiards Streaming of Maryland, to compete in a $10,000-added, two-phase 10-Ball Championship in Front Royal, VA this past weekend (June 25-27), James Aranas went undefeated through a field of 64 entrants, including Alex Pagulayan in the finals, to claim the event title.
It was a strong field that took to the 9-ft Blue Diamond Tables at On Cue Sports Bar & Grill in Front Royal over the weekend. Earl Strickland competed. So did Rodney Morris, Hunter Lombardo, Brandon Shuff, Brett Stottlemeyer, Joey Korsiak, Warren Kiamco, Tyler Styer and recent-junior player, Shane Wolford, just to mention about 15% of the field. It began as a straight double elimination tournament, which worked its way down to eight players on the winners’ side (winners’ side quarterfinals) and eight on the loss side (playing for the 13-16 slots). They redrew those 16 players into a single elimination field that eventually came down to Aranas and Pagulayan.
Aranas opened up with a victory over Tuan Chau and then, defeated Brian Brekke and Josh Burbul to secure his place among the winners’ side’s final eight. Pagulayan downed Warren Kiamco, Manny Chau, and Tyler Styer to secure his spot. Joining them were Brandon Shuff and Hunter Lombardo, Kyle Dilly (who would have faced Aranas in a winners’ side quarterfinal), Logan Harrington, Joey Korsiak and Rodney Morris (who would have played Pagulayan in a winners’ side quarterfinal).
From the loss side, Rick Scarlato and Jeremy Sossei had eliminated, between them, Scott Roberts, Manny Chau and five others to join the final eight on the loss side. Demetrius Jelatis and Jesse Engel joined the loss side group; Engel having played only a single opponent on the loss side. Jesus Atencio and Tyler Styer were scheduled for a 13/16 match, when they joined the loss-side’s final eight. Both had played only a single match on the loss side; Atencio eliminating Stottlemeyer and Styer defeating Brian Bekke. Warren Kiamco had defeated Scott and Thomas Haas, as well as Mark Nanashee and was poised to face Shane Wolford, who’d put an end to Earl Strickland’s time at the tables, when they both joined the loss-side final eight.
The single elimination matchups went like this: Joey Korsiak faced Demetrius Jelatis, Hunter Lombard vs. Jeremy Sossei, Logan Harrington and Shane Wolford, Pagulayan and Kiamco, Morris and Engel, Brandon Shuff and Jesus Atencio, Kyle Dilly and Rick Scarlato, and at the bottom of the single elimination bracket, Aranas squared off against Tyler Styer.
When the dust settled at the end of the first, single elimination round, only Jelatis/Sossei, Wolford/Pagulayan, Atencio/Engel and Dilly/Aranas remained. Sossei and Jelatis battled to double hill before Sossei advanced to the semifinals. Pagulayan defeated Wolford 11-4 to join him in their semifinal match. Atencio eliminated Engel 11-4, as Aranas ended Dilly’s day 11-7.
Pagulayan got into the finals with an 11-4 win over Sossei. Meanwhile, Atencio and Aranas were engaged in a double hill fight that eventually did send Aranas into the finals against The Lion.
Aranas completed his undefeated run with a 13-6 victory over Pagulayan to claim the TTMD Billiard Streaming 10-Ball Championships.
Event organizer Wayne Everhart thanked the ownership and staff at On Cue Sports Bar & Grill for their hospitality, as well as sponsors THINKTECHMD, On Cue Sports Bar and Grill, The New Green Room Billiards, On the Hill Productions, Queens of the Green, Military Family Relief Fund Mid Atlantic, WEBROOT + CARBONITE, Gina Cunningham, Big Money Billiards, Lambros Cues, Element Risk Management, Baltimore City Cues, Charlie’s Pro Shop, American Billiard Covering and H & H Landscaping.
Though presently scheduled only to conduct next spring’s Bob Stock’s Memorial ahead of the annual Super Billiards Expo, TTMD Billiards Streaming is looking to expand its reach to any number of venues and is in the process of trying to “bring in dollars from the technology sector to inject cash into the sport (and in so doing), find a way to make an income for the players who sign on.” It has a familiar ring to it because Everhart and his company are not the first entity to attempt a means by which to grow and develop the sport. His plans are extensive and if his recent efforts with the TTMD Billiards Streaming $10,000-added 10-Ball Championships are any indication, we will likely be hearing from him and his organization real soon.
