News

Calling all Captains!

Meeting: October 11th, 2018 - 7:00pm - Oasis Bar & Grill

First Games: October 25th, 2018 - 7:00pm

It's that time of year again - leaves are turning, football is in full-swing, Costco has Christmas decorations out, hockey is back, and Thursday Night Chico Mens Pool League is just around the corner!

But before we can start the season, we need to have our annual Captains Meeting to see who's in, who's out, what changes need to be made, what we can do better, and of course argue about pointless topics ad nauseam.

So Captains, start getting your rosters ready. I'll have downloadable roster sheets available on this website soon. The cost should be the same ridiculously-low rate of $20 per season, per player. A savings of over 90% of the other weekly leagues and their 'green fees' paid every week. Again, just with the free beer we get each week, that alone adds up to over $70. So even if you never played a game you'd get 20-something free drinks for 20 bucks. Um, logic - where are you? And yet every year we have players and teams unpaid for weeks. Again, ridiculous, but somehow amusing.

So again, Captain's meeting - Thursday, October 11th, 7:00pm, Oasis. All captains are required to attend. Captains can bring an assistant, but when it comes to voting, only one vote per team. If you can bring a roster and team payment to the meeting, I would truly appreciate it! 

Non captains: talk to your captain about what you want differently for the upcoming season so they can properly represent their team and the league.

Captains and players can contact me at anytime - (530) 966-5632, text or call. Or via email: scott@chicomenspoolleague.com

See you then!

-Scott-

4th Annual Chales Lintz Top Shooter Tournament Champion for 2017-2018

Kevin Cibart

After an exciting tournament last week at the Oasis, Kevin Cibart came out victorious in the end and is our 2017-2018 Top Shooter.

Here's how it happened:

Round 1:

#1 seed Tommy was playing #8 seed Larry Hiller in the race to three match. Tommy got Larry 3-2 to move to the next round.

#4 seed Derek Spainhower was up against #5 seed Dennis Bruch on table #3. Dennis got all 3 games to Derek's zero to move on to face Tommy in the 2nd round.

#3 seed Kenny Duff defeated #6 seed Kevin Lombard 3-0 in their match. Kenny moved on.

#2 seed Kevin Cibart beat #7 seed Dave Back 3-1 in round #1 to move on to face Kenny Duff in round #2.

Round 2:

Dennis took care of Tommy 3-0 in their match on table #1 to move on to the finals.

Kevin beat Kenny in a tight 3-2 match to move on to the Championships against Dennis.

Championship Match:

Kevin and Dennis played a good match that in some places could have gone either way. Kevin stayed the course, though, and does what Kevin does best - avoid distractions, focus, and plow ahead no matter what's going on around him. He strung a few wins together in the middle games to get some separation, a deficit Dennis just couldn't overcome. In the end, Kevin won 5-2 for his 5th title as CMPL Top Shooter. Kevin won in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, and now in 2018. Congratulations again to Kevin. We're proud to have him representing the Chico pool community as our top shooter, great leader, true gentleman, and good friend. Here's the ageless Kevin 7 years ago after he beat Charles 3-2 in 2011 (must be his lucky shirt, too!):

So that leaves "JUST" one more event for the 2017-2018 season - the Pool Party & Awards Banquet! As always, we'll have free food - pot luck dishes supplied by the CWPL and others, chicken prepared and provided by Samoan Joe, free beer, the biggest raffle EVER, a tournament, music, fun, friends - do I need to keep going? It happens at the Oasis (not Eagles) at 1:00pm, this Saturday, June 16th - Father's Day Eve. This is what you pay your dues for! As always, the cheap $20 season fee pays for the trophies, the prizes, the beer, and all the fun. You deserve it! Come and party!

-Scott-

Championship Recap – May 31^st, 2018:

Well, it wasn’t pretty. It was pretty ugly. The #7 seed Stickmen were up against the Original O’s, ranked #4, but a lot of people’s choice as the favorite to win it all this year. Here’s what happened-

Cele was up against Jackie to start things off. He lost all three. He was called on a technicality foul by Jackie halfway through the 2^nd game causing a stir among the onlookers – a foul that doesn’t get called too much (or ever) in our league play. To answer and clarify to those that are still questioning me today, Cele had ball in hand, and two object balls lined up perfectly within 18 inches of the corner pocket. After he meticulously placed his ball down for the obvious two-ball combo shot, he went ahead and shot and made the fairly simple ball-in-hand combination. No biggie. But Jackie evoked the rule which states any combos and banks need to be called since they are not ‘obvious’ shots (i.e. single ball shots without a bank or kick, etc.). Totally the rule, down to the ‘t’. She picked up the ball, shouted some expletives to me as I was looking for an answer, and moved on with her game with ball in hand. Again, absolutely the rule. But knowing the shooter, knowing the simplicity of the shot (with a ball in hand), I’m not convinced it had to be called, except to gain an advantage. But it is the championship, and it is a very large trophy. So lesson learned – be warned next season that you need to call every combo no matter how easy or implied it is – you never know when it can bite you.

Keith was up second and had to shoot against Stacy. Stacy got the first two games with some flawless game play and key shots, not to mention a couple tough leaves for Keith. But Keith was able to get the last game with a tricky 8-ball shot to at least get the Stickmen on the board – 5-1 Original O’s.

Cowboy Rob shot in the third spot against Joel Russo. Joel got the first two, but Rob had to work hard in the third game and make a difficult full table 8-ball shot to get the Stickmen to 2 points. But at this point the Oasis team had a 7-2 lead.

The Oasis power hitters kept coming to the table – in the 4^th spot it was #1 top shooter contestant Tommy against Stickman Dave Kaplan. The first game was a Dave break, and a Tommy run out. Second game wasn’t too much different as Tommy buzz sawed through the balls. Dave broke again in the third game but same outcome. That got the score to 10-2 Original O’s.

Wheeze was up 5^th and lost the game to James giving the O’s 11 points and handing the Stickmen their first loss of the playoffs.

Congratulations to the Oasis O’s – your 2017-2018 CMPL Champions! Trophies will be presented on June 16^th at the Oasis – 1:00pm.

Ok, so wrapping up a season on a personal note. First, hats off to the Oasis O-Team. They played hard from their first break in October to the winning shot in May. Secondly, I want to apologize to all in attendance for the Championship. We all saw friends and family, ex-teammates, fellow players, Charles, all showing up or sticking around to hopefully witness a memorable Championship. Speaking for our team, we are sorry that we couldn’t have provided more excitement or competition. I can’t say we were nervous, definitely not over-confident, we just ran into a hell of a team – 6 of their players had a higher winning percentage than our top shooter! I think our position as being the fun, relaxed, easy-going team to play caught up with us. We aren’t built for championships necessarily – we all work, have kids, etc. We had a good, fun run, which is what it’s all about. Thirdly, for those that still value gamesmanship, reputations-before-plastic trophies, and purely transparent love for the game, I have new found respect for you. I’ve already thanked Brian of the Original O’s (who did an awesome, selfless, job this year running a very talented team), but I’m looking forward to thanking all the captains this year personally either at the awards banquet or when we play next year, for their continued display of candor while riding that fine line of professionalism and recreation. It’s hard to believe that only a relatively few years ago our league was played on 7-foot coin tables by beer drinkers looking to pass the time. We paid $5 a season and got two beers a night. Now we have exclusively big tables, 140 of some of the best shooters in the state, a cheap $20 season entry fee, and the same money reward: zero. Bragging rights are a big deal for many people – it’s just amazing how much those rights are worth in this league, for better or for worse. I know without a doubt that our team will be going for those rights again next year, but we're not going to lose friends over it if we don't get there, or if we have to change our team persona to do it. So for those still keeping it real, I owe you one for staying the course. Please hit me up if you’re with me – first one’s on me.

See the prior post regarding the Charles Lintz Top Shooter tournament competitors and match-ups. Thursday, June 7^th – Oasis – 7:00pm.

Pool party and awards banquet – Saturday, June 16^th – Oasis – 1:00pm.

-Scott-

...and then there were just 2.

Here's what happened last week in the 3rd/4th place match:

The Oasis Bulldogs were home as the higher seed. They lost to the Original O's last week. The visiting team was the Down Lo Damned - they lost to the Stickmen last week. So these two teams were playing for the 3rd place trophy. Derek started the night for Down Lo - he got all 3 off of Keith Whitworth. Brenon was up next and got 2 back against Goran. Tony Tokarski then got 2 more back for the Damned against Captain Steve. Dennis beat Scott Gentry in the 4th match 3-0 to get the score tied at 6-6 at the halfway point. Satyr got 2 against Phylicia to make it 8-7 Damned. The only problem was that the Damned, unknown to everyone else, only had 6 players. So McGrill was up in the 6th spot, but he had to get all 3. He lost the first one to Ty and that was it. The Damned were unable to win with the 6 players. Ty and McGrill played it out anyway, Ty got 2 to Steve's 1. Throw in 2 forfeit wins and that got the Bulldogs to 11-9. So congratulations to the Oasis Bulldogs - the 207-2018 Chico Mens Pool League 3rd place team!

That leaves just one more match - the Championship!

2017-2018 CMPL Championship

#4 seed Oasis O-Team vs #7 seed Down Lo Stickmen - Oasis, 7:00pm - Table #1

Come down to the Oasis for one more match to see who takes home the trophy!

Next week: the 4th Annual Charles Lintz Top Shooter Tournament. June 7th, 7:00pm at the Oasis. Just to note, Kevin and Tommy played a tie-breaker match (I think) to determine the #1 seed and Tommy got it. So it will be the following:

#1 seed Tommy Reynolds (Original O's) vs. #8 seed Larry Hiller (Playa's)

#2 seed Kevin Cibart (Playa's) vs. #7 seed David Back (Original O's)

#3 seed Kenny Duff (Outlaws) vs. #6 seed Kevin Lombard (Outlaws)

#4 seed Derek Spainhower (Damned) vs. # 5 seed Dennis Bruch (Bulldogs)

Should be an exciting tournament as always so if you can't make it tonight, we'll see you next Thursday.

Pool party: Saturday June 16th - Oasis (not Eagles) - 1:00pm

-Scott-

It really doesn't seem that long ago we were having the October Captain's Meeting. But 6 months later, here we are. Round one and two of the playoffs are over and only the trophy matches remain.

Here's what happened in Round #2 last week:

The #6 seed Down Lo Damned beat the Oasis Outlaws in round #1 to advance to the next round. They were taking on the #7 seed Down Lo Stickmen, who defeated the Playa's in the first round. This week, downstairs at the Down Lo, Stickman Dave Kaplan was taking on the Damned's Scott Gentry in the first slot. Scott G. got 2 out of 3 to get his team off to an early lead. Stickman Scott was up 2nd and got 2 out of 3 right back against Tony Tokarski to tie it up at 3-3. Keith put on a show in the third slot blanking Goran 3-0. Cele kept the pressure applied by beating Derek S. 2-1 to make the halftime score 8-4 Stickmen. 'Cowboy' Rob was up 5th taking on Damned captain Satyr. Cowboy shot amazing and got all 3 to get his team to 11 points and to propel the Down Lo Stickmen to the Championship match on May 31st. The Damned will play in the 3rd/4th place match this Thursday, May 24th.

Over at the Oasis, the #1 seeded Bulldogs, fresh off their round one win over the Down Lo I Cue, were taking on the #4 seed Oasis Original O's, who defeated the Dragons in the first round. Jackie started things off with 2 out of 3 against Brenon, but Keith Whitworth came back and gave his squad the lead with his 3-0 victory over Dave Back. But then Joel Russo responded with a 3-0 win against Chris Urbach to regain the lead 5-4 - a lead they never gave back up. Original O Dave Napier shot fourth and got a 3-0 victory off of Phylicia to get his team to 8. Aaron Rooney got his first game to get the O's to 9 points, but his opponent Dennis Bruch got the next two to make it 9-6. Needing two points to get his team to the Championship, Tommy Reynolds did just that - 2 out of 2 against Ty Kaye in the 6th and final match. Final score: 11-6 Original O's. Stacy's squad will meet up against the Down Lo Stickmen in the CMPL Championship on May 31st, at the Oasis, 7:00pm. The Bulldogs are still alive and will play the Down Lo Damned for the 3rd place trophy this Thursday, May 24th, at the Oasis, 7:00pm.

So unbelievably, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd seed teams are out of the Championship for the first time in however long. Adding to that, I can't remember, ever, a 7th or lower seed making it to the Championship match! So it's a different year, different cast of characters, for better or for worse. Either way, it should make for an interesting and unique trophy round. Some team names will be engraved that have never been submitted before! Come down and watch the final rounds - cheer on your buddies from the other teams and hopefully witness some memorable gameplay! 

One more time, here's the remaining playoff schedule:

3rd / 4th Place Trophy Match - Thursday, May 24th

#1 seed Oasis Bulldogs vs. #6 seed Down Lo Damned - Oasis, Table #1, 7:00pm

CMPL Championship Match - Thursday, May 31st

#4 seed Oasis Original O's vs. #7 seed Down Lo Stickmen - Oasis, Table #1, 7:00pm

Don't forget - the Charles Lintz Top Shooter Tournament is coming on June 7th at the Oasis, and the end-of-the-year Pool Party and Awards Banquet, also at the Oasis, on June 16th.

Looking ahead even further, now that we're almost done with Thursday night league, we will be starting a new round of the Down Lo Summer league soon. The Spring season is just wrapping up, so the new season will be starting right around the Pool Party - maybe June 13th or 20th. Again, Wednesday nights - 8-ball (maybe some 9-ball, too???), teams of at least 4, essentially same structure as the CMPL, except money is the prize. 100% of the entry fees go right back to the winners - we call it 'Pure Transparency'. The Spring season was perfect - all handicaps seemed correct. Fun, quick nights. Most matches over by 9:30pm or so. You can split your existing team maybe in half - it's always fun to play your teammates in the off season! The Down Lo tables will be re-felted soon now that Thursday matches are done - the cloth is sitting in a box ready to go - we just need to get an installer. So, keep that all in mind as the CMPL season wraps up - talk to Scott, Meredith, Chuck, and Chris S. if you have any questions or to reserve a spot/team. 

-Scott-

Wow what a Thursday! The first week of playoffs did not disappoint in the way of excitement!

Here's what happened last Thursday - Round #1 of the Playoffs!

The Down Lo Damned, the #6 seed, was at the Oasis playing the #3 seed Oasis Outlaws. Scott started things off against Kenny Duff. He got 2 out 3, including one via an 8-ball break-and-run. Tony Tokarski got the next two off of Kevin Lombard. Goran kept the streak going by getting 2 more off of Bulldog. Mike Brandt got things tied at 6 thanks to his 3-0 effort against Sean Krueger. The teams were tied at 6-6 and skipped the beer frame. In the bottom-half, the Damned kept the pressure applied. Derek beat Mike Karol 2-1, and Curt got the best of Greggy Bear 2-1. Going into the final match, the Damned were on the hill 10-8. The final matchup included Tree versus Steve McGrill. Tree got the first two making the match tied at 10-10. McGrill came through in the end, in the final game, to get the Damned the first-round playoff win: 11-10. The Damned advance on to the next round, the Outlaws are out.

The top-seeded Bulldogs were home versus the #8 seed Down Lo I Cue, making their first playoff appearance in their inaugural season. It was all Bulldogs in the first half. Brenon got 2 off of the I Cue's top shooter Matt V. Keith Whitworth got 2 more off of Kyle S. Dennis came up big against Top Shooter flirter Dave Larabee. It was the only 3-0 match of the night. Chris chipped in 3 more against Sean Higgins in the 4th match making it 9-3 Bulldogs at the break. The teams skipped the beer frame and sent Phylicia to the table against Paul H. in the 5th match. Paul got the best of her 2-1, but she got her team to the hill: 10-5. It was up to Ty to get 1 out of 3 against Jeremy H., which he did exactly. Final score: Bulldogs 11, I Cue 7. The Bulldogs move on as the top 'Dogs, the I Cue's respectable first season is over.

Over at the Down Lo, the #2 seed Playa's were taking on their barmates the Down Lo Stickmen, the #7 seed. The two teams literally traded and swapped 2-1 games the whole night, keeping the pattern the same through all seven matches. Charles got 2 out of 3 against Cele to start the night, but Scott A. came back and got 2 off of Jason Colabove. The Playa's Jeff Jacobsen got 2 off of Cowboy Rob, but keeping the back-and-forth trend going, Wendy got 2 off of Leo in the fourth match. That got the score to 6-6 at the break. The teams skipped the beer frame and got right to the 5th match, Larry versus Dave Kaplan. Dave got 2 out of 3 to get the Stickmen into the lead. Keith tried his best but could only get 1 off of Kevin Cibart. That got the team score tied at 9-9 going into the final match. Wheeze was playing Mikie Leitner - whichever player that got 2 out of 3 would get their team to the next round. Wheeze got the first one - almost via an 8-ball break-and-run - but Mikie came back and won the next game very decidedly, getting the score tied at 10-10. Mikie went for a bank shot on the eight ball at the end of the final match, it rattled in the pocket, and he scratched in the corner. Wheeze then got the ball-in-hand shot in and the 8-ball in the jaws to fall to get his Stickmen to 11 points and a ticket to the next round. This is the first time the long-standing CMPL team The Stickmen got to the 2nd round of the playoffs. The squad from the Wild Hare, slash Nick's Night Club, slash Quackers, slash Down Lo finally overcame the odds. They move on to the next round, while the Playa's are done for the year as they prepare their guys for the Top Shooter tournament.

The Original O's, the #4 seed club, was home versus the Oasis Dragons - the # 5 seed team. The other three matches on the night were fairly close, as few matches went 3-0. The O's and Dragons were the exception as it was feast or famine. Jackie played enough nights during the season (the minimum 6) to be legal and started off the night 2-1 against Steve S. But Micah came back and got 3-0 against Aaron Rooney. Steve Hambek got 2 out of 3 against one of the top shooters, Dave Beck. But Joel came through 3-0 against Rob C. With all that back-and-forth gameplay the score was tied 6-6 after the 4th match. Tied for the #1 Top Shooter spot, Tommy got all 3 of his games against Walter. That got the Original O's to 9 points, to the Dragon's 6. It was up to Original O James to get 2 out of 3 against John Chamberlain. James did just that and punched the Original O's ticket to the next round, by winning 11-7. The O's move on, the Dragons do not.

So here's the schedule for next week, Thursday May 17th:

#1 Seed Oasis Bulldogs vs. #4 Seed Oasis Original O's - Oasis, 7:00pm - Table #1

#6 Seed Down Lo Damned vs. #7 Seed Down Lo Stickmen - Down Lo, 7:00pm - Table #10

Winners go on to the Championship on May 31st, losers play in the 3rd/4th place match on May 24th - the week prior. 

The Charles Lintz Top Shooter Tournament is coming on June 7th, at the Oasis, and the all-important Pool Party and Awards Ceremony will be at the Oasis (not the Eagles) on June 16th.

Be sure to come down and cheer on your favorite team in the playoffs, or your top player in Charles' Tournament. Good luck to everyone still going!

-Scott-

The last games are all in the books, as they say. Technically they are all in the website and ready for the playoffs. Everything is final.

Here's what happened in week #26 (final week):

The Eagles were hosting the Down Lo Damned on May 3rd. It was pretty much all Damned. The Eagle's Mike D. started the night with a 2-1 victory, but that was the last highlight. Tony, Curt, and Satyr all had 3-0 victories. Every other Damned got 2-1 victories. Sean and McGrill got the road beer frame win against Bobby V. and Alan, 2-0. Final score: 16-5 Damned. That leaves The Damned in 6th place where they were pretty secure to start the night. The Damned will play the #3 seed Outlaws, at Oasis, this Thursday night.

The Oasis Dragons were on the road at the Tackle Box last week. It was a close match in the first half as both teams were tied at 6-6. Pops started the night off with a 3-0 leadoff victory. Evan and Ricky beat Sid and Aaron in the beer frame for a Tackle Box victory. In the bottom half, Steve H. and Johnny got 2-1 victories to make it 10-8. The final match was a forfeit - 3 points to the Dragons. Final score 13-8 Oasis. The Dragons ended the season in 5th place - they play the Oasis Original O's (4th seed) this Thursday, at Oasis.

The Oasis Team Chaos were hosting the Duffy's Tavern crew in the last night. It was close the whole way through. Both teams were tied 6-6 at the break. Evan got a 3-0 win for Duffy's, Rich Jr. got 3 for Chaos to even it up. Newbie Jason Knight and partner Kevin beat Ken and Russ in the beer frame, 2-1. Jason stayed at the table and got a 2-1 win in the 5th spot. Barney came back and got 2 for his club in the 6th, making the teams tied at 9 going into the final match. Russ stepped up and got all 3 of his games to secure a 12-9 victory to end the season.

The Stickmen were home at the Down Lo for their regular season game. They hosted the Oasis Outlaws. The Stickmen got off to a good start against the teeth of their lineup. Cele, Wendy, and Scott got 2-1 victories to help them to a 7-5 half-way lead. Gregg and Kevin were too much for Wheeze and Madsack in the beer frame - the Oasis won 2-0. Teams traded 2-1 victories in the bottom-half to get the final score as a 12-9 victory for the Stickmen. The Stickmen finished the season in 7th place so they play the #2 seed Playa's at the Down Lo this Thursday. The #3 Outlaws play the Damned.

The Rack Pack were playing the Oasis Bulldogs last week at the Down Lo. It wasn't pretty, but it almost didn't happen. The Pack were down a bunch of players. The score at the half was 10-2 thanks to Keith and Chris Urbach's 3-0 victories to start the night. Brenon and Steve each got 2 wins to help their squad. Phylicia and Brennon got the beer frame against Mike D. and Gary, 2-0. Phylicia played in the 5th spot and won 2-1. The Rack Pack didn't have a 6th player, and the Bulldogs did, so the Oasis got 3 free points. Both teams didn't have a 7th player, so it was a double-forfeit - zero points to each team for the 7th match. So in the end it was a non-traditional final score of 15-3 Bulldogs. The Bulldogs ended up in first place so they play the #8 seed Down Lo I Cue, making their playoff debut as an expansion team (a la the stinky Vegas Knights in the NHL). Congrats to the I Cue - their record-setting equipment payroll paid off! The match will of course be at the Oasis.

Over at the Oasis, the Down Lo Playa's were taking on Stacy's Original O's. This match was also tied 6-6 at the break. Charles, Walt, and Kevin C. each had 2-1 wins for the Playa's, but Dave Beck tied it for the O's with a 3-0 win. Aaron and Dave Beck beat Kevin and Mikie in the beer frame, 2-0. In the bottom-half it was all O's - Dave Napier and James each got 2-1 wins, and Brian V. finished the regular season with a 3-0 win to get his squad to a 13-8 victory at home. The Playa's ended #2 so they play the #7 Stickmen, the O's ended #4 seed so they play their #5 seed barmates, the Dragons.

For the record, the Playa's and the Outlaws were tied at the end of everything - and I mean really tied. They had the same amount of season points (306). They had identical season win/loss records (impressive 20-4's). What about head-to-head season series results? First match was an 11-10 Playa's win, second match was an 11-10 Outlaws win. As close as you could get: 21-21. Okay, beer frame wins - nope, teams traded BFW's. So all that was left was a physical tie breaker. We offered a one match captain vs. captain playoff, a lag, or a coin flip. In the end, a coin flip was picked. That happened Monday night at the Oasis. Scott flipped it, Mike Karol called it, and Kevin Lombard (and others) witnessed it. Mike called tails, it came up heads. So Playa's came out #2 seed, Outlaws #3.

So here's the Round #1 playoff schedule for May 10th:

#1 seed Oasis Bulldogs vs. #8 seed Down Lo I Cue - Oasis, Table #1 - 7:00pm

#2 seed Down Lo Playa's vs. #7 seed Down Lo Stickmen - Down Lo, Table #10 - 7:00pm

#3 seed Oasis Outlaws vs. #6 seed Down Lo Damned - Oasis, Table #2 - 7:00pm

#4 seed Oasis Original O's vs. #5 seed Oasis Dragons - Oasis, Table #4 - 7:00pm

A couple playoff rules: 

Eligible players need to have played in 6 nights during the season - any combination of just beer frame nights or regular match nights. A beer frame match and a regular match in the same night does not constitute 2 'nights' towards the 6. It would still be just 1 'night'. Ineligible players result in MATCH forfeits (not individual) so be careful!

The home team (higher seed) still puts players up on the sheet first, then the visitor matches. The home captain only needs to put up one player at a time (not the first 4 like in the regular season). I know, I know.

Call your shots more obviously than usual. At the same time, don't question the shooter once he is down and ready to stroke: Let it go - 99.9% of the time he/she is going to be honest about where the shot was intended. Stay seated or in a consistent spot away from the table. No conversations with players playing their match. Before picking up a ball in hand - double check with your opponent/their captain. Call neighboring captain from another table over as a hopefully neutral referee if needed. Try calling me if you need to (966-5632). Beer frames are optional - decided between captains (maybe just one game?). Finally - relax! Money is not at stake here.

The emails have been sent out including a link to download the latest, and final, stats and standings. It will also be posted at the Oasis as usual. Note the tie in the top of the Top Shooters list - we'll address that soon. If you want to double check your stats to make sure you did or didn't make the Top Shooter list, please do so ASAP, and let me know ASAP. Even a game here or there could make a difference! Let me know if you see anything.

Good luck! More on the top shooters later.

-Scott-

April 25th update:

All sheets are in - stats and standings are up to date. Just got the Eagles vs. Rack Pack score sheet, so I'll update the stats list and Top Shooter numbers here shortly.

Here's what happened in Week #24:

In a pivotal match to decide the 8th and final playoff spot, the 8th place I Cue were hosting the 9th place Duffy's at the Down Lo. Sean Higgins and Jeremy Hedlund each had 3-0 wins for Down Lo to help them get to a definitive 14-7 win against Ed and his crew. Matt V. and Dave got the beer frame, too - beating Evan and Kevin 2-0. This puts I Cue up 16 points on Duffy's, and 18 over Team Chaos, but the I Cue hasn't had their bye week yet, meaning the Duffy's squad, and Team Chaos, will have 2 weeks to make up the difference to I Cue's 1 week. We'll see! Either way it was a big win to help the I Cue's chances.

The Outlaws also had a big win. They were out at the Tackle Box last week. Kenny Duff and Kevin L. each got 3 wins, the rest of the team got 2's. Gregg didn't have a final Alligator Humper to play against so the Outlaws got 3 the free way. Final Score: Outlaws 16, T-Box 5. Kevin and Tree beat Cody and Ricky for the beer frame honors. 

In a much closer match, the Damned were home welcoming in the Oasis Team Chaos. It was all Chaos in the first half as Rich Jr.'s 3-0 win got his team to an 8-4 lead at the break. Tony and Satyr beat Bill and Junior in the beer frame, 2-1. Bill then came up and got 2 more for his visiting team to get the Chaos to the hill, 10-5. But Scott and Derek came through big in the final two matches and scored 3 each to get the Damned the necessary 6 points to get them to a come-from-behind 11-10 victory. 

In another nail biter, the Playa's squeeked out an 11-10 victory over the Dragons at Oasis last week. Charles Lintz got all 3 (of course), but then Rob C. got all 3 of his in the 2nd spot. Steve got 2 more for the Dragons, but Mikie Lietner came right back and scored 3 for the Playa's to make the score 7-5 Playa's at the break. In the beer frame, Jeff and Leo beat Steve H. and Krad 2-1 for the free round. The Dragons stormed back in the bottom-half - Steve Hambek and John Chamberlain each got 2 out of 3 to make it 9-9 going into the last match. It was Krad vs. Kevin Cibart. Krad got the first one to make it 10-9, but Kevin rallied back and got the next two to make the final score 11-10 Playa's on the road.

The Original O's were facing off their barmates, the Bulldogs, in week 24. It was all Bulldogs to start - Brenon got all 3 and Keith, Phylicia, and Chris got 2's to make it 9-3 at the break. James and Brian did manage to beat Ed and Steve in the beer frame, 2-1. Steve stayed at the table and got another 2 for his club, and Dennis B. got all 3 of his to make the score 14-4 going into the final match. Tommy got all 3 for his O's to make the final score a semi-respectable 14-7 Bulldog win.

The Eagles hosted the Rack Pack last Thursday. In yet another very close match, the two teams were tied 6-6 at the Beer Frame. Mike D. and the Deuce beat Terry and Chuck 2-0 for the free beer on the Eagles. In the bottom-half teams traded 2-1 wins just like the first-half - neither team had a 3-0 match. In the end it was the home club with the victory - Eagles 11, Rack Pack 10.

The Stickmen were on their bye week.

The Outlaws have the week off this week, and as mentioned the I Cue have the last week off (May 3rd). That's right - just 2 (or one!) week left for the season! Playoffs are just around the corner. Make sure all your guys are playoff eligible, and top shooter eligible if applicable. Last chance to make a move! Good luck!

-Scott-