Jayson Shaw has opened 2016 with a string of victories that have already earned him half of his 2015 earnings. After finishing seventh at Turning Stone XXV in January, he went on, two weeks later, to win the Derby City Bigfoot 10-Ball Challenge (defeating Shane Van Boening in the finals). He finished second in that multi-tournament 9-Ball Banks event, fourth in the One Pocket and 45th in 9-Ball. He added $1,750 to his mounting total by winning the 7th Annual Ray Desell Memorial 9-Ball Tournament, held on the weekend of March 4-6. Also known as the New England Pool & Billiard Hall of Fame 9-Ball Open, the $2,500-added event, held under the auspices of the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, drew 88 entrants to Snookers in Providence, RI.
The event was preceded, on Friday night, by the annual New England Hall of Fame awards ceremony, which inducted eight players into the region's Hall of Fame; Mike Dechaine, Joe Dupuis, Tommy D'Alfonso, Tommy Seminaro, Bobby Hilton, Sal Bevilacqua, Larry Gendler, and Becky Ellsworth-Tucker. Dechaine was inducted into the Hall as a two-time winner of the tournament, and its defending champion. Dupuis had won the event in 2014, defeating Dechaine in the finals.
Dechaine and last year's runner-up, Jorge Rodriguez, ended up meeting in the quarterfinals; Rodriguez, at the time, had lost his opening match and won nine loss-side matches. They'd both survived double hill matches in the battles for 5th/6th to get to those quarterfinals.
It was Shaw and Shaun Wilkie who ended up battling twice to crown a winner. Shaw had sent Ivaylo Petrov to the loss side in a winners' side semifinal 9-5, as Wilkie was sending Jeremy Sossei over 9-6. In what was surely a surprise to Shaw, Wilkie claimed the hot seat 9-4 and waited on Shaw's return.
On the loss side, Petrov and Sossei ran into Dechaine and Rodriguez. Dechaine had picked up a forfeit from Nelson Oliveira, and defeated Kevin Bauccio 9-4 to reach Petrov. Rodriguez had chalked up loss-side wins #7 & #8, downing Ron Casanzio 9-3 and Kyle Pepin 9-1 to draw Sossei. Two double hill wins sent Dechaine and Rodriguez to the quarterfinals, where Dechaine prevailed 9-4 for a shot at Shaw.
Another double hill battle ensued, and the defending champion, Dechaine, finished in third place. Shaw, not pleased to have had to play that extra match against Dechaine, won the opening set of the true double elimination final against Wilkie 9-3. He punctuated his displeasure with a 9-2 second set win that gave him the title.
A $500-added Second Chance Tournament that drew 17 entrants saw Justin Muller defeat Joe Darigis in the finals. Mario Argentino finished third, and Dennis Levesque finished fourth. Mark Creamer and Bob Begey finished in the tie for fifth place. A custom, engraved Joss Cue, valued at $1,700 was raffled off at the event, and won by Joe Duperry.
The next stop on the Joss NE 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for March 12-13, will be a $1,500-added event, hosted by Trickshot Billiards and Sports Pub in Clifton Park, NY. Tour director Mike Zuglan noted that the roster for Turning Stone XXVI, scheduled for August 25-28, is two-thirds full. Anyone wishing to sign up should contact Zuglan immediately at 518-356-7163.
