Dennis Orcollo (Jay Garrison)
Comes from the loss side to double dip Van Boening in 10-Ball Mini Tournament, as well
With four of the five members of the 2020 USA Mosconi Cup team on hand for the festivities, the Michael Montgomery Memorial Tournament got underway last Wednesday (Jan. 27) with a $5,000-added One Pocket Tournament that drew 12 entrants to Snookered Billiards and Bar in Frisco, TX. Dennis Orcollo went undefeated through the field, downing Corey Deuel twice (hot seat and finals) to claim the title. He had no sooner finished winning the One Pocket Tournament, when he moved right into the start of a $1,000-added 10-Ball Mini Tournament on Friday night, Jan. 29. Orcollo didn’t have to face Deuel in the 10-ball event, but he did double dip Shane Van Boening to claim the 10-Ball title.
The finalists in the One Pocket event (Orcollo and Deuel) were the recipients of opening-round byes, as were Tony Chohan and Billy Thorpe. In the second round, Orcollo drew Roberto Gomez and defeated him 4-1 to advance to a winners’ side semifinal match against Thorpe, who’d just sent Van Boening to the loss side, 4-3. Deuel, in the meantime, opened with a second round, double hill win over fellow Mosconi Cup teammate Sky Woodward to draw Chohan in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Orcollo advanced to the hot seat match with a 4-2 victory over Thorpe, as Deuel and Woodward locked up in a double hill battle that eventually advanced Deuel. After winning two double hill matches, Deuel found himself outmatched in the battle for the hot seat. Orcollo shut him out and waited on his return.
On the loss side, Thorpe picked up Scott Frost, who’d lost his opening match to Van Boening and on the loss side, defeated Mosconi Cup teammate Sky Woodward 3-2. Thorpe advanced and picked up a forfeit win over Chip Compton before running into Thorpe. Chohan drew Van Boening, who’d followed his defeat at the hands of Thorpe with victories over Gus Briseno and Roberto Gomez, both 3-1.
Thorpe did what he had to do to reach Van Boening for a quarterfinal rematch, winning his battle against Frost 3-1. Van Boening, though, was shutout by Chohan, who promptly did likewise to Thorpe in those quarterfinals. Deuel and Chohan battled to double hill in the semifinals, but it was Deuel who prevailed for a second and potential third shot at Orcollo in the hot seat.
Having shut Deuel out in the hot seat match, Orcollo may have been looking forward to an easy trip in the finals. Deuel, though, put up a serious fight in the opening set and forced a 7th and deciding game. Orcollo hung on to win it and claim his second title at this event.
The list of ‘Usual Suspects’ moved right into a 10-Ball battle
With Deuel not participating, many of the competitors who’d signed on to the One Pocket tournament, got right back to work playing 10-Ball on Friday night. Three of Dennis Orcollo’s final five matches in the $1,000-added, 16-entrant 10-Ball Mini Tournament went double hill. One of the two that didn’t, put Shane Van Boening in the hot seat.
Orcollo opened with a 7-5 win over Tony Top, which he followed with a 7-3 win over Scott Frost to draw James Aranas in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Van Boening, in the meantime, opened with a 7-1 win over JP Kinman and then downed two of his Mosconi Cup teammates in a row; Billy Thorpe 7-5 and in the other winners’ side semifinal, Sky Woodward 7-4. Orcollo battled to double hill versus Aranas, but did eventually advance to challenge Van Boening in the hot seat match. Van Boening defeated him 7-2 and waited on his return.
Aranas and Woodward moved west and met up with Jalal Alsarisi and Jeffrey DeLuna, respectively. Alsarisi had lost his opening match to Scott Frost and on the loss side, had defeated Tony Top 6-2, John Morra 6-4 and Fedor Gorst 6-2 to draw Aranas. Deluna had lost his opening match, as well (to John Morra), and had gotten by Tony Chohan and Scott Frost, both 6-1, before downing Roberto Gomez 6-3 to pick up Woodward.
DeLuna and Alsarisi made it four loss-side wins in a row with their defeat over Woodward 6-4 and Aranas 6-3. DeLuna then made it five in a row with a double hill win over Alsarisi in the quarterfinals, before Orcollo put a stop to that streak 6-4 in the semifinals.
The true double elimination final that followed was certainly the best pool match of 2021, so far. Not to take anything away from the Mosconi Cup battles, but it might arguably have been the best head-to-head matchup between two champions of their caliber in well over a year. Both sets of the final went double hill and Orcollo won them both to claim the 10-Ball Mini Tournament title.
Tournament representatives thanked the ownership and staff at Snookered Billiards and Bar for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Omega, Predator, Simonis, ACME, Doc’s Billiards Office, LBS Championship Pool, Staggs Plumbing, Clutch Shot Billiards Apparel, John Eagle Honda of Dallas, Molina Mike, Dunski Dungeon, 1st Choice Appliance Repair, D Real Pool Promotions, Outsville, Hanshew Jump Cues, PDQ, Rackem Live Stream, Diamond, Off the Rail and OB Cues.
