Joe Wright, Jr and Shaun Wilkie
It has been a good year for both of the finalists in this past weekend’s (Nov. 30-Dec. 1) MD State 10-Ball Bar Table Championships, which drew 49 entrants to Brews & Cues on the Boulevard in Glen Burnie, MD. Joseph Wright, Jr., who claimed the event title, and runner-up Shaun Wilkie are in the midst of one of their best (recorded) earnings years.
For Wright, it is his best, though only by $100. He has only recorded two cash payouts with us since he entered the AZBilliards database in Feb., 2023, when he won the 1st Annual B & L Tournaments’ Senior Open at Bank Shot Bar & Grill in Laurel, MD. His capture of this past weekend’s 10-Ball Bar Table Championship title marks his second recorded payout. For Wilkie, it’s been his best since 2019, while his overall best recorded earnings year with us occurred in 2008, when he climbed to #72 on the AZBilliards Money Leaderboard.
Either way, they’ve both had a good year at the tables, which can often spark a growth that happily spills into the following year, now less than a month away.
“What can I say?” asked On the Hill Tournaments’ Loye Bolyard before answering his own question in a post to OTH’s Facebook page. “Another great Maryland State Bar Table 10-Ball Championship is in the books and per usual, there was plenty of action.”
Wright didn’t give up more than a rack until his third round, giving up that one to Jenn Benton in his opening round and then none at all to Bobby Baldwin. Paul Krimes chalked up three against him, just before Rick Miller battled him to double hill. He survived that challenge to draw Reggie Jackson in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Shaun Wilkie won two 6-3 matches against Heath Willard and Rolando Freolo, with a shutout over Joe Garofalo in the middle. His victory over Freolo set him up in the other winners’ side semifinal against Bobby Pacheco II, who’d alternated his first four between double-hill and 6-1 matches, beginning with his double-hill win in the first round against Brian Bender and a 6-1 victory over Jay Glasco. He survived a second double-hill match after that, against Dave Beegle, before chalking up another 6-1 over Rafael Reyes and drawing Wilkie.
Wright recorded his second shutout, with a victory over Jackson and advanced to the hot seat match. Wilkie and Pacheco battled to double hill before Pacheco chalked up his third double-hill win and joined Wright. Wright claimed the hot seat 6-3 over Pacheco and waited for Wilkie to close out his three-match, loss-side run.
In his first of those three, Wilkie came up against Bryan Jones, who’d lost a winners’ side quarterfinal to Jackson and then, eliminated Tom Zippler, double hill, and Dylan Spohr 5-2 to face Wilkie. Jackson drew Rolando Freolo, who’d lost his winners’ side quarterfinal match to Wilkie and defeated Mike Saleh and Rafael Reyes, both 5-3.
Wilkie faced two straight rematches after downing Jones 5-2. He was joined in the quarterfinals by Freolo, who’d defeated Jackson 5-2. Wilkie won the first of his two rematches, downing Freolo 5-1 in those quarterfinals and then, chalked up his second with a 5-2 victory over Pacheco in the semifinals.
The semifinal concluded about an hour after Wright had claimed the hot seat, and whether it was enough time to benefit Wright with some rest or Wilkie with some momentum was a matter of speculation, although not for long. Fifty minutes later, Wilkie had won the opening set of the true double-elimination final, 6-1. The race was reduced to 5 for the second set and Wright turned the tables on Wilkie, getting out in front and winning that second set 5-2 in 40 minutes to claim the MD State 10-Ball Bar Table Championship.
On the Hill Productions’ Loye Bolyard and Tour Director Bev Dillow thanked Tony Manning and his staff at Brews & Cues on the Boulevard for their hospitality, along with sponsors Simonis Cloth, Aramith Balls, CPBA Gloves, Moori Tips, Jacoby Custom Cues, J. Pechauer Custom Cues and AZBilliards.
There are three events left in On the Hill Productions’ 2024 schedule. They will be in The New Green Room Billiards in Baltimore this coming weekend (Sat., Dec. 7) with a Split Bracket event, and the following week (Sat. Dec. 14) will be at Choptank Bowling & Billiards in Cambridge, MD for a $1,000-added Split Bracket event. There will be a year-end, $5,000-added Split Bracket Finale on the weekend of Dec. 28-29, with the High Side bracket playing at Brews & Cues on the Boulevard, while the Low Side bracket will compete at The Bank Shot Bar & Grill in Laurel, MD.
“Be sure to follow us on Facebook, or at http://www.othbilliards.com,” wrote Bolyard, “and ‘til next time, keep hitting ‘em straight.”
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