November 2009 page 14
Wilder Takes Brickhouse
The 2009-2010 Lucasi Hybrid All American Tour (produced by the American All entries in the Tour are also entered into a drawing in January for a $1,000 CueSports Alliance – ACS) traveled to Decatur, Illinois, on Saturday, October Lucasi Hybrid Cue, courtesy of Ozone Billiards. Sponsorship opportunities 24, at Brick House Billiards. The $500 added event featured thirty-five and tour stop openings are still available for the 2009/2010 All American Tour players in a double-elimination 8-ball format on 7-foot bar boxes. by contacting the ACS. On the A-side semifinals, Michael The Tour splits off into three events Wilder (Decatur, IL) dominated Mike in Arizona and Illinois the weekend Dunklin (Normal, IL) 5-1, while Milton of November 7-8, as two tour stops Strack (Monticello, IL) eclipsed (separate Men’s and Women’s 8-Ball) Mike Verkruyse (Mahomet, IL) are being conducted during the 5-3. Strack then took the hot seat $5,000 added Southwest Amateur by beating Wilder 5-3. With eight Pocket Billiards Championships at remaining players, on the B-side Skip & Jan’s Sports Bar in Tempe, Marco Jyawook (Springfield, IL) and AZ, November 8 (call 480-598-8611), Larry Parke (Decatur, IL) respectively while Pockets Billiards will produce eliminated Scott Boyd (Pekin, IL) and a $500-added 8-Ball Tour Stop in Tom Gallagher (Champaign, IL) at Crestwood, IL (contact Dan Taylor at 7th place by identical 5-4 margins. 630-399-8890). Further information, Both Parke and Jyawook continued entry details and schedules for through the next round by upending the 2009/2010 Lucasi Hybrid All Michael Wilder Mike Verkruyse 5-3 and Mike Dunklin American Tour are available at www. 5-4 respectively. In the B-side americancuesports.org. semifinals, Jyawook bested Larry Parke 5-3, but Jyawook in turn completed his day at 3rd place at the hands of Michael Wilder 3-5. In the tourney finals, FINAL RESULTS: Michael Wilder had to defeat Milton Strack twice, and he succeeded in doing 1st $350 Michael Wilder (Decatur, IL) so by scoring 5-4, 5-1 wins for the title! 2nd $250 Milton Strack (Monticello, IL) By virtue of Larry Parke being the highest-finishing ACS member in the 3rd $150 Marco Jyawook (Springfield, IL) event, he qualified for a free 8-Ball singles entry into the 2010 ACS Nationals in 4th $100 Larry Parke (Decatur, IL) Las Vegas – courtesy of the ACS. The ACS wishes to thank sponsors Lucasi 5-6th $75 Mike Verkruyse (Mahomet, IL), Mike Dunklin (Normal, IL) Hybrid Cues, Championship Billiard Fabric, Nick Varner Signature Cases, 7-8th $50 Scott Boyd (Pekin, IL), Tom Gallagher (Champaign, IL) Ozone Billiards and Pool Cue Guru for their support in donating “Value-In9-12th $25 Dave Gentry (Decatur, IL), Joe Ramsey (Champaign, IL) Kind” product for this and all stops on the Lucasi Hybrid All American Tour. Mark Reynolds (Decatur, IL), Curtis Conley (Decatur, IL)
Pool Save My Life
making her way back home from Chicago when, the state patrol later continued from page 5 confirmed, she had fallen asleep romance quickly progressed. They behind the wheel and drove off the were madly in love and after a brief road. Luckily, no one else was injured five-month courtship Phil proposed but the grief over her marriage and death still remains Julie accepted. with him to this day. It was a fairytale “You might leave the Phil fought back the love story that game, but the game will tears as he shared would have a never leave you.” the details with me. devastating “The most ending. painful day of my life The two married and briefly moved was when I saw my baby girl just lying to the East coast. In the fall of 1996, there,” he said, “She looked peaceful they returned to Colorado where Phil but I never hurt so badly in my life. I would face the initial blows of the wanted to die. This whole time, I just hardships to come. That December, asked ‘why?’.” After failed counseling Phil’s step-father was diagnosed with sessions and turning to his religion pancreatic cancer. They were told he for answers, Phil then turned to the only had three months to live. He called only thing at the time that numbed his his wife to break the news. She was sorrow – alcohol. spending Thanksgiving with her family Meanwhile, he and his mom in Chicago and planned to return to were still pained by his step-dad’s Colorado as soon as possible. diminishing health. Phil explained, The haunting events that followed “I was purposely destroying myself. will remain with Phil for the rest of his I was looking for answers. Why is life. this happening to me? What did I do On a chilly December evening, wrong?” Failing to find a reason to live, Phil received the most shocking he was giving up on life. phone call you could ever imagine. It After three months of selfwas Julie’s mom. He listened in utter destruction and complete misery, a disbelief as she spoke the words, “… good friend’s words would unknowing she’s gone…” commence Phil’s healing process. Just like that, in an instant, Julie She said, “She [Julie] wouldn’t want was gone. Phil’s beautiful bride was you to live your life like this. Didn’t you
love to play pool?” someone going through struggles of “It made perfect sense,” Phil their own could benefit from his story, recalls. In February 1997, he screwed he adds, “whatever situation you’re his cues together again. “The first day, going through, it doesn’t have to be I was just going through the motions. pool but find something that you’re I forced myself to do it again the next passionate about, something you love, day. Then, for about half an hour, I and use that energy to do something actually forgot about what happened, positive versus feeling like life dealt for the first time.” He was immediately you a crummy hand. Think about what flushed with all his fond memories and you have, how fortunate you are. Sure experiences from the game. enough, there’s someone out there in “From that point on, I really shaped the world that would kill for what you up. I went back to school and took up have.” pool again,” he recalls with a smile As a powerful final statement, on his face, “Yeah, she wouldn’t want “You might leave the game, but the me to live this way. She knows that game will never leave you.” These I’ll always love her.” He began taking days, Phil experiences another high lessons and playing again for hours. in his life from marathon running and He transferred his pain from the bottle training. His time is split between pool to the balls. He even took trips to the and running. He is thankful for having pool hall with his step-dad after chemo found such a magnificent, faithful treatments, before friend in pool. his condition “My heart will “My heart will always be worsened and always be to the to the game because of eventually ran its game because of what it’s given to me.” course. what it’s given to How does me. It’s hard to he handle pain describe in words. nowadays? “Nothing can possibly It gave me my life back. It’s really not compare to what happened,” he just a hobby. It’s a passion.” explains, “Pool definitely saved my [The player’s name in this story life, wholeheartedly. Yeah, I started to has been changed to protect his get my act together, but at the same identity.] time, all the energy that I had, whether it be good or bad, I channeled it into something positive.” When asked how