Hill Hill Catastrophe

I honestly don't even know how to write this, to share this, to TELL this!

This was the most amazing thing I had witnessed in pool in a long time.  Even as I type this, trying to figure out HOW to write this, I'm still shocked.

It was my boyfriend's Sunday league playoffs.  His team, Beaners and Crackers (don't ask) were in the finals against another good team (HM), and BandC would need to be double dipped by HM.

There were a few really weird things with this leagues' playoff.

First, it's a SIX-man roster, but the matches in the playoffs were a race to THIRTEEN.  13?  Really?  That's ludicrous with a 6-man roster.  My boyfriend was the 6th player and a couple of times he only played twice. 

And the other really weird thing was if any matches went hill-hill, the league operators called another game!

What?

Every league I have ever been on, if it's hill hill, then no more games are played.  None.

That one hill-hill game decides the outcome.

But not on this league.

This weird rule will really "shine" later in this story.

Right before the finals started, HM asked BandC if they wanted to race to 25 for BOTH the 1st and 2nd place monies.  BandC were ALL over the idea, but not all the players of HM wanted to do that, so instead, it would be a race to 13, and if needed, another race to 13.

So, BandC were down 11-8 in the first set of the finals, and they all told each other, "Only 5 in a row, Guys.  Come on; we can do this."

And next thing you know, they win 4 in a row, with the other team getting one more, making it 12-12.

As the hill-hill game starts, the league operators calls another game!  The next game in the line-up on the roster.

When they started the other game (while the hill hill game was going on), I was SO confused (perturbed, even).  It just didn't make sense to me.  And I had never seen anything like it before!

I overheard several new players mumbling about it.

I was told that WHICHEVER game finished first, they would win the set of the 12-12 match.

So, basically, 4 people had a chance to win the first set.

I was told that last season, this same thing happened and one of the guys was running around the table trying to finish his match first before the other team won theirs.

Omg...

So, we are literally watching TWO tables to see who would win first, even though technically only one hill-hill game should be played.

My boyfriend, Brian, is playing on the other table (the not-so-real hill-hill match).

The REAL hill-hill match, everyone is already sweating because it started already.

I look over at Brian and he's rolling his eyes.  His opponent (CM) is taking forever to rack for himself.  CM finally starts to break, then sees something off, and then RERACKS again. 

I think he's doing this deliberately.

Because mind you, on the real hill hill table, his teammate (NewJ) is running out against Brian's teammate (Florida).  So, CM (who is slow anyway), is taking his sweet time.  He presumes NewJ will win the other match and then they get to play another set (because HM has to defeat BandC twice in the finals - at least that part is "normal"). 

Well, Brian's teammate, Florida, gets a chance at the table!  He shoots a few balls, but can't get out - it's too tricky.  NewJ starts to make another run.

On the other table, Brian's opponent FINALLY broke, but again he keeps taking his time.  But he makes a few balls and isn't letting Brian to the table.  But, he's on a run.  I also notice he is intently peeking over at the other table though to see how NewJ is doing in his match.

I didn't understand why he just wouldn't finish the rack off!  But CM had a tricky shot in front of him and he took his time; knowing if Brian got to the table, it wouldn't be good.

NewJ goes for a shot two balls before the 8 and HOOKS himself.  Unfortunately, one of Brian's teammate's yelled out for him to get hooked and we were all appalled and told him he was rude (that's another story).

NewJ took his time, made a good hit with a long rail kick.  Left Florida tough, and no clean shot.

On the other table, MC nails his tough shot nicely!  At this point, we see that unless something really weird happens, Brian's opponent can win.  He has two balls and an 8 ball.

Florida plays safe.

NewJ gets to the table and somehow, amazingly, makes his tough cut on the last ball, even though Florida played a good safe!  NewJ yells with excitement and we are all impressed too!  He gets shape on the 8ball, but still has to cut it in.

CM on the other table, now has a straight shot on the 8ball, but he walks around slowly as he watches his teammate NewJ shoot at the 8ball.  At 12-12, this will be the deciding game.

We are all watching the match, including CM, and NewJ makes the cut on the 8ball.... BUT SCRATCHES!!

We all didn't even know what happened til someone said, "it's over."  And we are all like, "what?" 

What do you mean it's over?

We are super confused.

What just happened exactly?

NewJ LOST because he scratched and therefore BndC WON the playoffs because the score was 12-12!

If CM would have just made his 8ball and not dilly-dallied around, THEY would have won and the second set of the finals would have ensued.

I'm still shocked!

No one can believe they won/lost that way!

I would hear later that CM wanted his best friend NewJ to win the final game for the team; boy did that backfire.

Ouch!

Here's Beaners and Crackers celebratory toast after the weird win:

 click photo to enlarge