Trenton White
In 2022, Florida native Trenton White appeared to step off of the pool-career bus he’d been riding, steadily forward, for five years. It had been his best (recorded) earnings year, since, at the age of 14, he finished 9th at the Sunshine State ProAm Tour’s season finale in 2017. He would go on to cash, though not win, any of the 16 events in which he would compete on that tour until that record-setting (for him) year of 2022, during which he finished 2nd and 4th in his two appearances. He did, that year, win an event on the Junior International Championship series (which did not add to his recorded earnings) and a premiere event on Stephanie Mitchell’s Corner Pocket 9-Ball Tour. At that event, with a single ‘bead’ on the wire’ at the start of the hot seat match, he shut out another Florida ‘felt’ veteran, Kyle Bova, who would not return from the semifinals.
And then, in 2023, White stepped off that pool-career ‘bus’ and didn’t record a single cash-paying appearance anywhere (that we know of) until last year, when, in his only cash-winning appearance anywhere, he finished 5th at Zingale’s Labor Day Tournament. Bova, was in attendance and finished in the tie for 9th, but he and White’s paths did not cross.
Over his 13-year career (different bus, same route), dating back to 2012, Bova has (among other things) chalked up 11 cash-winning appearances (two wins) on the Sunshine State ProAm tour, as well as a couple of cash-winning appearances and a single win on Tommy Kennedy’s Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour. This past weekend (Feb. 22-23), Bova was afforded an opportunity to ‘revisit’ his earlier meetup with White at a $300-added Stroker’s Bar & Grill Open Masters Tournament, that drew 35 entrants to that location in Palm Harbor, FL.
White went undefeated to the hot seat, while Bova, who’d lost his third-round match to Donald Kreischer (5-7), won five on the loss side for the right to meet White in the finals. They opted out of playing the match and split the top two cash prizes. Each ended up recording their first, 2025 cash finish.
White’s five opponents on his undefeated trip to the hot seat, chalked up every possible racks-against total (in races to 7), except for 2 and 6 (double-hill). In ascending order of those racks-against, he shut out Tony Rowell (2nd round), gave up one to Jay Winters in the hot seat match, three to Jose Del Rio (winners’ side quarterfinal), four to Rodel Morados (1st round) and five to Penera Mota.
With Bova, already at work on the loss side, it was Jay Winters who ended up in the hot seat match with and losing to White. Though he failed to shut anyone out, Winters’ trip (with a first-round-bye) included every other racks-against total, except 3 and the only losing racks-against total, 7, which, of course, sent him to the semifinals. Winters gave up two in his winners’ side semifinal against the guy who’d sent Bova over (Kreischer), four against Carlos Gomes (1st round), five versus Troy Berber and six in a double-hill win against Rolando Aravena.
So, a quick recap after the ‘racks against’ diversion. Jose Del Rio and Donald Kreischer moved to the loss side, as White moved on to claim the hot seat over Winters.
Bova had followed his loss to Kreischer with victories over Carlos Gomes (2) and Rolando Aravena (3) to draw Del Rio. Kreischer came over and picked up Troy Berber, who’d followed his loss to Winters with four straight that included a forfeit win over Dru Cammarata and a 7-5 win over David Ricci.
Bova advanced to the quarterfinals 7-5 over Del Rio. Kreischer joined him for their rematch after surviving a double-hill battle versus Berber. Bova won the rematch 7-4 and in the semifinals, downed Winters 7-3. Negotiations got underway for a split of the top two prizes, which, with White as the undefeated occupant of the hot seat, gave him the ‘official winner’ title.
One way or another, if you’re in the Florida area with a pool cue in your hand, heads up! Trenton White is apparently ‘back on the bus.’
Event director Eric Young thanked the ownership and staff at Stroker’s for their hospitality, along with Samuel Cruz and Dave Stem for their help with running the tournament. He also thanked the 35 players that competed in the event and added a ‘shout out’ to White for his undefeated run to the hot seat.
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