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We finished up the 2008/2009 season in style in with the Player of the Year Awards for all three divisions as well as a couple of special recognition awards. The ceremony began by sharing a few words about Mr. Harold Schmidt along with some history and pictures, which were provided by the owner of Jones Brothers Billiards, Bob Schmidt. Mr. Schmidt was involved in the success of the APPA nearly from the very beginning and Bob continues to be our number one supporter. Bob’s guidance and financial support has helped to make the organization what it is today. I speak for everyone when I extend a heartfelt thank you for your support!

Sarah Weaver began the player’s meeting with a rundown of the state of the APPA. She has played a vital part in our organization by performing the duties as statistician, treasurer and Webmaster. I was proud to present a very special award to her, which read:

From there we went to another special award. The inscription on the plaque about says it all about this exceptional person. It reads as follows:

This VERY SPECIAL AWARD is presented to LARRY DUDLEY for his unprecedented participation and support of the Arkansas Pool

the Year award for the Advanced Division.

Thank you Larry for your determination and dedication to the APPA and

Larry Dudley & Bob Reed

Needless to say, Larry has set a record that no one has ever even come close to and his extraordinary accomplishment is appreciated. Speaking of record setting, I think another record was set this year. For the first time ever we had a father and son to win Player of the Year Awards in two separate divisions. Yep, that would be Larry Dudley winning the A Division and his son Jimmy Dudley winning the B Division! Young Jimmy has improved his game dramatically over the year and if he develops the determination his old man has, he will without a doubt, become a force to be reckoned with.

The Masters Division POY went to Lynn Smith. Lynn is one of our most dedicated players we have and traveling to pool tournaments from Texarkana, he racked up quiet a few miles…not to mention the points necessary to win this most prestigious award. Great job!

The first runner-up and the honorable mention awards were a horse race in all three divisions. They are all winners in my book! As follows:

Greg Vardaman - honorable mention (beat out Jeff Hubbard (4th) by 16 points)


Lynn Smith	John James

Ronald Runyun - Honorable mention (Beat Randy Porter (4th) out by 18 points)


Jimmy & Larry Dudley Father and Son Player Of Year	Jimmy Dudley B Division POY

Bryan Covington - Honorable Mention (Jodie Lee finished (4th) 26 points behind Bryan)

I’d like to make mention of one more thing that I think is pretty special. As I have mentioned at the players meetings before, John James for some time has been bringing extra prizes for the players to win. It makes it quiet interesting. Sometimes, like at the Harold Schmidt Invitational, the prize went to the 13^th place finisher. Next time, maybe 8^th place. At the Masters Division 9 Ball there were two prizes, one for the highest placing A and B Division finishers. B Division player, Dillon Moore was awarded a nice 4-piece collector’s edition knife set. A Division winner, Kenny Ridgeway, not only received a very nice folding saw, but also finished in the cash. Kenny played outstanding pool to finish that high in this pool of sharks! I call that one, “the winner of the saw award”. Do you suppose if you went to a wood cutting tournament you could win a pool stick? I doubt it! Many thanks go out to John James for his long-time, undying support!

So, this finished up another fantastic year of APPA pool and it has been both my honor and my pleasure to be your president. We will be meeting soon to plan next year’s activities and selection of officers and anyone willing and able to throw in your two cents worth and participate, the current board will gladly accept your help.

I hope everyone has a great summer and that you keep your game in stroke. The new season will be here before you can blink! As always, best wishes and….

We had 39 determined pool players in Russellville to compete for the richest and most prestigious tournament of the year. It was a very good day and everyone had a great time; but none as good as Floyd Trice who went undefeated to win the tournament. Floyd has one of the prettiest pool strokes and one of the softest touches you can ask for and it is a pleasure to watch him play. Congratulations Floyd!

Second went to our own Steve Miller. Folks always crowd around the table when Steve plays because he too has a stroke that is the envy of many a player in the APPA. Plus it is always a pure pleasure just to be around him. Congratulations to Steve again, a true Champion!

Third went to one of the toughest competitors around and it looked like Clint West was going to go all the way. He played superbly all day long and may have begun to tire a little. No matter, Steve Miller had just been put into the losers bracket by Floyd and he was ready for bear! Clint did not get too many chances at the table but a hardy congratulation is definitely in order! Very good job, as always.

Brian Callicott made an impressive show by taking 4^th place in this very tough field. Brian owns the poolroom in El Dorado and you can always expect to have a great time when you visit his location. Great job Brian!

Fifth and sixth is a pleasure to talk about. It’s what our handicap system is all about. The top players are going to win most of the tournaments, but as we say, “Everyone can play and Anyone can win” proved again to be a true statement. Brian Covington and Judy Carter, two of our finest four speed players, rose to the occasion this time. It was just great to watch them both play with such determination and concentration to finish so high in a tournament this rich with all the top players in the state. They both beat some of the “top dogs” to get to this level and it is with great pleasure that I congratulate both of you! Super fine jobs!

This tournament ended another wonderful year of pool playing for the APPA and I’m just proud to be a part of it. You can check our web page to see all the results.

And stay tuned for a rundown of the Player of the Year Awards Ceremony and a couple of special awards that were presented. It was all good!


Floyd Trice - 1st Place	Steve Miller - 2nd Place

Lisa Marr and Jerry Blackstock were in dead punch when the got there and they were in dead punch when they left. During that time they captured the title, “Arkansas State 9 Ball Scotch Doubles Champions” by going undefeated in a very tuff field of 19 teams. Rumor has it that they plan to compete in Vegas this summer in the BCA Scotch Doubles as well. If Saturday’s tournament was any indication of what the can do together, then they will surly do well on the National stage. Best of luck in Vegas and congratulations on a well earned victory here in Arkansas!

John James and Greg Kreutzer make up a team that is always a force to be reckoned with too as they shot long and hard all day to finish in second place. Greg and John have been each others Scotch Doubles partners for a long time and they finish high just about every time. Congratulations again to these two superb competitors!

Third went to another team that played well together all day. Butch Jette and Monroe Jones got through one tuff match after another to get this far and trust me, in this field, that was quiet an accomplishment. Congrats to two more top rated pool players who did such a fine job playing as partners.

Now, fourth place is a story in itself. Two of my favorite people, Joe Dalton and Lindsey Lewis lost their very first match to none other than second place winners John and Greg and proceeded to fight one battle after another on the loser’s side. With Lindsey’s sledgehammer break and Joe’s unique ability to come with those difficult shots when called upon, they put up a remarkable fight. And as the bracket would have it, they finally had to match up a second time with the same two warriors that put them in the loser’s bracket to start with. What a deal! Huge congratulations are in order to Joe and Lindsey for a real fine day at the pool hall!

Fifth / sixth went to two players that are Always in the hunt, Ron Allen and Lance Fairchild and two more players, Jeff Hubbard and Brock Thomas. Both of whom I expect will be in the hunt for a lot of tournaments to come. Congrats to you all.

This year’s Scotch Doubles proved to be as exciting and as much fun as it always is and if you missed it, you missed a good one. However, that will be no excuse to miss the grand finale. It’s the Harold Schmidt Invitational this Saturday the 18^{th at} Beezers. You must have played in 10 tournaments to qualify and there are plaques up for grabs as well as $1000 added money. And the entry is only $20. Keep in mind that because we always have such a big turnout for this one, we have an 11am deadline for sign-up.

Jerry Blackstock and Lisa Marr
1st Place

FINISH	PLAYER	PAYOUT
1	Jerry Blackstock/Lisa Marr	308.00
2	John James/Greg Kreutzer	249.00
3	Monroe Jones/Butch Jette	192.00
4	Lindsey Lewis/Joe Dalton	115.00
5	Jeff Hubbard/Brock Thomas	48.00
6	Lance Fairchild/Ron Allen	48.00

We had 31 of the very best pool players in the state to do battle in Russellville for the prestigious title of “Masters Division 9 Ball Champion!” It was the place to be if you wanted to witness pool-shooting excellence. There were no easy matches to be seen anywhere and Jerry Blackstock of Texarkana rose to the occasion by capturing this most coveted award. And if you think he had an easy draw, forget it. He went undefeated for the day having to do battle with the likes of Clint West, Steve Miller, Lance Fairchild, Brian Callicott and others. Jerry has a style of his own and it was enjoyable to watch him “in action” as they say. Congratulation Jerry on a job well done!

Second place went to Clint West who is a fierce competitor that is a threat to win ANY tournament he plays. Now, Clint had a long day at the pool hall. After being defeated in the winners bracket by Steve Miller he went on the warpath ending the day for folks like Monroe Jones, Lance and then on to return the favor to Steve for a shot the title. Second place in a field like this is an honor indeed. Congrats to Clint. Great job!

Third went to none other than Steve Miller. Of course, you know he is going to be in the hunt every time he shows up at any pool tournament. It’s always fun to watch Steve in action as well. Congratulations to a class act!

Lance Fairchild, another threat at any tournament, took off fourth place losing only to the first and second place finishers. Congratulations go to Lance for yet another fine finish in a State Championship tournament!

As I mentioned, there were no easy matches at this one and it was a very nice day for Arkansas Pool. But it’s not over yet. We have the Scotch Doubles tournament at McDaddy’s on Saturday the 11^th. Signup deadline is 12 noon and we expect a huge turnout. Lots of fun, so pick a partner and come on down. All you need to play is an APPA membership card and a pool stick.

April 18^th is the grand finale of the year; the $1000 added Harold Schmidt Invitational, and it will be huge too. You must have played in 10 previous tournaments to participate in this one.

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at these last two tournaments of the 2008/2009 season, so get in stroke and …..


Jerry Blackstock - 1st Place	Clint West - 2nd Place

Steve Miller
3rd Place

FINISH	PLAYER	PAYOUT
1	Jerry Blackstock	485.00
2	Clint West	280.00
3	Steve Miller	140.00
4	Lance Fairchild	90.00
5	Michael Komarek	50.00
6	Monroe Jones	50.00
7	Lynn Smith	40.00
8	Dan Briggs	40.00
9	Ron Allen	25.00
10	Kenny Ridgeway	25.00
11	Brian Callicott	25.00
12	John James	25.00

There were no surprises in Searcy as Price Kissinger did exactly what was expected. He played near flawless pool by going undefeated to win the State 9 Ball Championship tournament. And he did it with that typical easy-going, always up-beat Price Kissinger style. It was no easy feat either because he had to beat most of the tournaments toughest players to get there. Watching Price made for a very enjoyable day at the pool hall! Congratulations are in order for a job well done!

Talking about easy going and just fun to be around, I am proud to announce the second place winner was Ronald Runyun. Ronald’s game is getting more and more impressive each time I see him play and this tournament showed just what he is capable of. He had several very close matches that came down to the wire and he came with his “A” game every time when the pressure was on. A great job and a well deserved win to Ronald!

Third place went to what’s becoming known as, “one of those Benton boys”, Chris Thornberry. The competition is tuff in Benton and it is showing again that hard practice with tuff competitors will bring your level of play up quicker than anything. A Great job from a fierce competitor. It will be interesting to see how far the “Benton boys” can go.

If I had to name the APPA’s most improved player of the year, it would probably go to our fourth place winner in this tournament. Brock Thomas from Little Rock is learning at warp speed and he has that burning desire to get better. He is working hard on his game and thrives on the competition. Way to go Brock! I expect we will be seeing a lot more from this young man.

Fifth/sixth went to two more players with that same fire in their belly to play great pool. And guess what folks, that fire can stay lit for life if you continue to feed it. I know of no better example than Butch Jette and Larry Dudley who both did an extraordinary job. Congrats to you both!

A couple of “old timers” that made a fine showing with 7/8^th place finishes was Randy Porter of Benton and Vernon Fowler from the Mt. Home area. Great job as usual for these two competitors.

As everyone knows, the cream always comes to the top and this tournament proved it once again for Arkansas pool and everyone there made me that much more proud to be a part of the APPA. Now that everyone is in dead stroke, let’s not forget that any member with eight or more tournaments is welcome to Beezers this Saturday, April 4^th, to compete in the Masters Division State Championship tournament. It is sure to be exciting and you will get to compete straight up with the best the State has to offer. You won’t be sorry you came! See you there.


Price Kissinger - 1st Place	Ronald Runyun - 2nd Place

Chris Thornberry - 3rd Place

FINISH	PLAYER	PAYOUT
1	Price Kissinger	429.00
2	Ronald Runyun	241.00
3	Chris Thornberry	120.00
4	Brock Thomas	70.00
5	Butch Jette	40.00
6	Larry Dudley	40.00
7	Randy Porter	30.00
8	Vernon Fowler	30.00
9	Kenny Ridgeway	25.00
10	Darren Charles	25.00
11	Tommy Long	25.00
12	Hunter Willis	25.00

What a day! Doug Theel, owner of JC’s Billiards showed what he is really made of last Saturday by winning the prestigious title of State Champion! He came out of the losers’ bracket and beat everyone he came up against. And the closer he got to the end, the more focused he became. It’s what I call rising to the occasion… and Doug certainly rose to the top. Congratulations are definitely in order for a job well done!

Second place went to a young man, also from Benton, who has been impressing people all year and some had him favored to win the tournament. Hunter Willis played great pool all day, beating everyone he met to win the winners bracket. Having to sit for a long while and then meet his good friend Doug in the finals of a Championship match was just a little much. But not so much that we can’t call him “Champion”. Congratulations Hunter! Great job and we expect to see a lot more from you in the winner’s circle.

Third place cash and plaque went to Rick Abraham of Searcy. Rick lost only to Hunter on the winner’s side and Doug on the loser’s side. In as tuff a field as you will see in the B division, that was a well deserved win! Hardy congratulation to Rick as his game continues to get stronger and stronger.

Fourth place went to another who many thought was favored to win, CJ Thornberry, also from Benton. Great job CJ. Did I just say Benton again? Humm. Three out of the top four spots went to players from Benton. What’s up with that? Just goes to show, that when you get a group of good players playing against each other all the time, they ALL just get better!

Honorable mention to 5/6th place winners, Wade Warriner and Leonard Smarjesse, 7/8^th place went to Jonathan Perryman of none other than Benton yet again, and Tom McCord. Everyone is to be congratulated for a great, fun day of pool playing for the APPA.

Now, stay in stroke, because the A State 9 Ball is this Saturday in Searcy, and I have already been told that a good number of B players and coming and they will be loaded for bear! So come on down! It’s gonna be another good one, not to mention another $500 added plus plaques.

Doug Theel
1st Place

Hunter Willis
2nd Place

FINISH	PLAYER	PAYOUT
1	Doug Theel	458.00
2	Hunter Willis	257.00
3	Rick Abraham	120.00
4	C J Thornberry	80.00
5	Wade Warriner	50.00
6	Leonard Smarjesse	50.00
7	Jonathan Perryman	30.00
8	Tim McCord	30.00
9	Clyde Burchard	25.00
10	Bryan Covington	25.00
11	Jayton Long	25.00
12	Justin Jones	25.00