McCready Leads Field for Joss Win

By Bill Rosenberger

"Earthquake" Keith McCready was o­ne of many big names to make an appearance at the Joss Tour event o­n November 27-28.  Joining him at Drexeline Billiard Club in Drexel Hill, PA, were number-one ranked WPBA player Karen Corr and last week's winner Jose Parica, but it was McCready who stood the tallest at the end of the day.

The $3,000-added event drew a field of 32, and o­n the final day, the top players remained alive in the brackets.  In the west side, Corr ousted Parica, then faced Allen Hopkins, who had come all the way back from a first-round setback to Shaun Wilkie.  He ousted Corr 9-5 and waited for an opponent in the semifinals.

In the winners' bracket, McCready was all smiles, knocking out o­ne player after another.  He faced the current Pennsylvania State 8-Ball champion Joe Dipeitro, but seemed unfazed by his title, winning easily 9-3. 

Dipietro and Hopkins battled in the semifinals, with Hopkins looking for his eighth straight win.  Dipietro proved to be no match against Hopkins, either, and fell by the same score of 9-3.  For the third match in a row, 9-3 was the final score, and again, McCready came out o­n top of Hopkins for the tour victory. 

"I scored a win this weekend, and to be up against my buddy Allen [Hopkins] in the finals brought back some memories for the both of us.  Allen and I were cutting up before the match, reminiscing about the last time we faced each other, when he defeated me in a thrilling hill-hill match back in eighy-three.  He still plays really strong, and I had to bring my 'A' game to beat him because if I didn't, I would have checked up short."

Results:

1st Keith McCready $1,560

2nd Allen Hopkins $1,100

3rd Joe Dipietro $850

4th Karen Corr $650

5th Pooky Rasmeloungon, Jose Parica $450

7th Brandon Sluzalis, Lee Holt $250