Dan Harris, travel team coordinator
On Feb. 20, the PebbleCreek Billiards Club (PCBC) and CantaMia (CM) Billiards Club delivered an action-packed day of competitive 8-ball, with matches split between the two communities. In the morning, four CM players traveled to PebbleCreek to challenge four PCBC hosts, while the afternoon saw four PCBC players make the trip to CantaMia. PCBC was eager to avenge last month’s decisive loss to CM.
Home-court advantage proved decisive: each team swept both matches on their own turf. By day’s end, the series was tied at two matches apiece, but CM edged out the overall game count, winning 52 games to PCBC’s 45.
Morning Session at PebbleCreek (PCBC Wins 30–23)
First Match: Round-Robin (32 games + tiebreaker). Each PCBC player faced each CM opponent twice in a round-robin format. The match remained neck-and-neck throughout, with both sides trading racks until it ended in a 16-16 deadlock. Standouts included PCBC’s Don Moser and CM’s Tom Juliano, James Fogerty, and Craig Jones—all finishing with five wins in their eight games. The outcome hinged on a single-game tiebreaker between Moser and Juliano, where Moser’s steady play sealed the victory for the home team.
Second Match: Ranked Heads-Up (20 games). Players were paired by their round-robin win totals for five rounds. The contest stayed razor-close early on, but PCBC surged late, capturing the final five games to secure a 13-7 win. Don Moser and Lynn Warren led the charge for PCBC, each going 4-1 in their games.
Afternoon Session at CantaMia (CM Wins 29–15)
First Match: Round-Robin (32 games). The match was close at first, with the visitors from PCBC holding a narrow 6-5 edge after the opening 11 games. But CM erupted with a nine-game winning streak and maintained control thereafter, powering to a 20-12 victory. Paul Hermann and Ken Balog starred for the hosts with six wins apiece out of eight, while Blair Dreyfus won five games for PCBC’s best.
Second Match: Ranked Heads-Up (12 games). With only enough time remaining for three rounds, CM kept the pressure on and dominated with a decisive 9-3 win. Paul Hermann and Dean Miller went undefeated at 3-0 for CM, while PCBC’s Rene Lefebvre was tops for the visitors with two wins in three games.
Both clubs showcased outstanding talent and true competitive spirit, making this inter-club rivalry one of the highlights of the season. Next month’s showdown is already set, and whichever team steps up their game could claim bragging rights!