Loye Bolyard with Ryleigh Ann Bolyard, Dylan Spohr, Jimmy Varias and Rick Scarlato Jr.
Going into the Maryland State Bar Table 8-Ball Championships this past weekend (Sept. 25-26), Dylan Spohr was $115 short of making 2021 his best recorded earnings year since he began showing up in our player database in 2018. He hit that target and more when he went undefeated to claim the MD State 8-Ball title. The event drew 61 entrants to Brews & Cues on the Boulevard in Glen Burnie, MD.
Spohr’s path to the winners’ circle gained in momentum once he got past his opening 7-3 win over Steve Johnson. He followed that with victories over Jeff Ball (2), Steve Fleming (0) and Kyle Dilly (1) to arrive at a winners’ side semifinal versus Bryan Jones. Jimmy Varias, on his way to the runner-up prize, was doing the same thing; chalking up his best recorded earnings year, dating back to 2013, and gaining (only slightly less) momentum. Varias opened with a 6-1 win over Christie Hurdel, followed with wins over Eric Lyons (2), Joey Korsiak (4) and Thomas Haas (0), to arrive at his winners’ side semifinal against Mid-Atlantic veteran, Brett Stottlemyer.
Spohr downed Bryan Jones 6-1 and moved into the hot seat match with a 31-7 game record (82%). Varias joined him after sending Stottlemyer to the loss side 6-1, as well, and arriving at the hot seat match with a 78% game-winning average; one behind in the loss column, 30-8. Spohr claimed the hot seat 6-2 over Varias and waited on his return.
On the loss side, Jones picked up co-tour director, Loye Bolyard, who’d lost his second round, winners’ side match to Stottlemyer and was working on a six-match, loss-side winning streak. The run would lead him to his best (recorded) finish anywhere, since he shared a 5th place finish with Matt Krah at a stop on the old Blaze Tour back in March of 2007. Along the way, he’d eliminated Steve Fleming 6-1, survived a double hill match versus Thomas Haas and defeated Rick Miller to reach Jones.
Stottlemyer drew Max Schlothauer, who’d lost his second round, winners’ side match to Bryan Jones and was also on a six-match, loss-side winning streak that included victories over New York City’s Joey Korsiak and a double hill victory over Shaun Wilkie that put him up against Stottlemyer.
Jones stopped Loye Bolyard’s run 6-2. Schlothauer eliminated Stottlemyer 6-3 to earn a rematch against Jones in the quarterfinals. That match went double hill before Jones prevailed a second time to earn a shot against Varias in the semifinals.
Varias made short work of Jones, allowing him only a single rack in those semifinals and turning his attention to a rematch against Spohr in the finals. Though Varias got closer to Spohr in their final match than any of Spohr’s previous opponents, six racks were not enough. Spohr completed his undefeated run 9-6 to claim the MD State 8-Ball Championships.
On the Hill Productions, in the persons of Loye Bolyard and Rick Scarlato, Jr. thanked the ownership and staff at Brews & Cues on the Boulevard for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Mezz Cues & Turtle Racks, AlleyKat Cue Sports, AZBilliards.com, Aramith Balls, Lucid Ballsports (Predator Arena Light), Simonis Cloth, TAP Chesapeake Bay Region and Safe Harbor Retirement Planners. The next On The Hills Productions’ event, scheduled for Oct. 16-17, will be a $1,000-added Amateur 9-Ball event, hosted by Choptank Billiards and Bowling in Cambridge, MD.
