Players (left to right) include CantaMia’s Vickie Jones, Claudia Deardorff, Sherri
Cassidy, and Julie Hibbard; and PebbleCreek’s Kathy Smith, Diana Horton-Smith, Betty
Weaver, and Rochelle Zuckerbrow.
Dan Harris, Travel Team Coordinator
On April 24, four ladies from the PebbleCreek Billiards Club (PCBC) headed south for a spirited inter-club showdown against four opponents from CantaMia (CM). The format was fast and fun: two separate short-rack 8-ball matches, with each PCBC player facing every CM player once in each match. That added up to 16 exciting games per match and nonstop action for everyone.
After two hours of sharp shooting, CM came out on top, winning 18 games to PCBC’s 14.
Short-rack 8-ball packs all the strategy and thrill of traditional 8-ball into a quicker, higher-energy format. For this contest, only five solids, five stripes, and the 8-ball are used—racked in a formation similar to 10-ball with the 11th ball in the center of the back row of the rack. With fewer balls on the table, games fly by, racks reset faster, and every player gets more shots and table time. It’s ideal for friendly yet competitive play.
In the first match, CM jumped out to an early 5-2 lead and held on to win 10-6. The second match was much tighter. PCBC found their rhythm and traded games evenly with CM for the rest of the afternoon, resulting in an 8-8 tie.
PCBC’s Kathy Smith was the day’s hottest shooter, winning six out of eight games. For the home team, Claudia Deardorff and Vickie Jones each posted five wins.
The afternoon perfectly captured what makes these inter-club events so special: genuine competition tempered with plenty of laughter, mutual respect, and warm camaraderie. As players exchanged hugs, handshakes, and goodbyes, both sides were already looking forward to the rematch—scheduled for next month.