The old saying goes, “when the cat is away, the mice will play.” This was never a more true statement than it was Sept 19th & 20th on the 2009 Desert Classic Tour. While two of Arizona’s top “cats” – Scott Frost and Mitch Ellerman – were gallivanting around Galveston, their home boys were tearing things up in Tucson.
DCT Stop #7 served up the game of 10-ball on 9-ft. Gold Crown tables, and was hosted by the ever-gracious Lenny Johnson and his crew at Pockets Billiards in Tucson, Arizona. This room, while on the small side in square feet, is huge in its reputation as home for Tucson’s best players, and its support for high-caliber pool tournaments.
Despite the absence of Frost and Ellerman, there was no shortage of talent in this event, but there was what might be considered a couple of surprises. The first one was the 5/6th finish for points leader Gus Briseno, when pre-tournament logic would have automatically had him winning it all. The second surprise was when tour director Dennis Orender did win it all. Not that Dennis isn’t an extremely competent player ? it’s just that tour director/players are never expected to win their own tournaments because it’s just too stinking distracting for them to be able to do so! But now that Dennis has accomplished just that, it places him in a very small and elite group of players in this country.
Congratulations also go to Paul Grande, George Teyechea, and Jeff Webb for their highest-ever finishes in a DCT event.
