Scott Frost (File photo courtesy Diana Hoppe)
Each of the final six competitors in the 2011 Casper Classic One-Pocket event, held on the weekend of February 4-6, had at least one, one-pocket title to their credit. Collectively, those titles spanned 11 years of one-pocket history, dating back to 2000. Scott Frost, winner of the 2010 Derby City Classic One-Pocket event, stopped a one-loss side bid by Cliff Joyner, who'd won the US Open One-Pocket Championship in Las Vegas in 2004. Due to an area ice storm that closed local airports, the $5,000-added event drew only 20 competitors to Casper Billiards in Dickinson, TX. The event was the first of three qualifying events for Cue Sports International's US Open One-Pocket Championship, set for May at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
The hot seat match pitted Frost against Gabe Owen (winner of a Midwest 9-Ball One-Pocket event in July). Frost had sent Sylver Ochoa west in one of the nine, double hill matches among the final 12 players (14 matches). Owen sent Charlie “Hillbilly” Bryant to the one-loss side 4-2. Frost got into the hot seat with a double hill win over Owen and waited for what turned out to be Joyner's march to the finals.
Ochoa moved over to face Rafael Martinez, who'd defeated Louisiana Keebie 3-1 and Mike Alonzo 3-2. Bryant drew Joyner, who'd been sent west from among the winners' side final eight by Ochoa and then defeated Brandon Shuff 3-2 and Denis Strickland 3-1. Martinez defeated Ochoa, double hill, denying Joyner the opportunity at a ‘payback' match, as Joyner downed “Hillbilly” 3-1.
The financial difference between third and fourth place in this tournament was $900, so it was no surprise to see Martinez and Joyner hook up in a double hill quarterfinal, won by Joyner (his fourth of five on the one-loss side). Joyner then got locked up in a second straight double hill battle in the semifinals against Owen, winning it to take on Frost.
It proved to be Joyner's last, as Frost won the single race-to-5 finals 5-2, chalking up his first 2011 event victory.
