Harriman Bags $20k Hard Cash in Comeback Win Over Schmidt

Harriman Bags $20k Hard Cash in Comeback Win Over Schmidt
by Paul Berg, InsidePOOL Magazine Staff
While the U.S. Open professional events at the Qlympics are on a weekend hiatus and BCAPL Team 8-Ball has progressed to the latter stages, last night belonged to gamblers. Not the type of scores Tony “Cha-Ching” Chohan racked up early in the week taking down local bank pool maestros, or that Shannon Murphy piled up showing John Teddar and Jason Klatt a thing or two … the way the guys at TheActionReport do it is a little different. Twenty thousand on the light in front of cameras for pay-per-view internet viewing is one slightly different twist.
Justin Collett and Chad “Big Nasty” Pollman have a long list of prospective match-ups and poolrooms that may be next, but for this week, the two main men behind the website and broadcast have added to the proceedings at the Clarion in Louisville, KY, at each turn. During the U.S. Open One-Pocket and Full-Rack Banks events, marquee matches were filmed with their equipment, including both sets of the one-pocket final. Later this week they’ll hold the sequel to their initial offering, The First Action Challenge, where Shane Van Boening defeated Corey Deuel 100-70 in a two-day, $10,000 entry 10-ball race. The Action Challenge II will bring Big Nasty’s favorite horse Van Boening back out of the stable to try Earl “The Pearl” Strickland in the same format and fees for backers. Today Chris Bartram will play Gabe Owen a ten-ahead set in 10-ball with the last two for $5,000.
The last three days featured The First All-Around Action Challenge between John Schmidt and Danny Harriman with the same impressive $10,000 entry fee. Schmidt, put in by Bayou Billiards of Baton Rouge, LA, was victorious in Thursday night’s 14.1 straight pool session by a margin of 400-323. Harriman forced last night’s winner-take-all scenario to the delight of his sponsor, Side Pockets Billiards in Lee’s Summit, MO, with a Friday night 10-9 win in one pocket.
Fittingly, Harriman and Schmidt stayed neck and neck in the deciding race to 30 in 10-ball. Neither could break successfully with consistency to pull away, Harriman opening up a 24-22 lead from a tie at 20 games as each made mistakes late in racks. Schmidt caught a stroke for a bit, taking leads of 26-24 and 27-25, but they would be his last. He broke to a 1-10 carom for Harriman, and “The Springfield Flash” showed rare emotion after kicking in a 7 ball off the 10 ball in the side, the pair of shots crucial in propelling him to the hill with Schmidt still stuck three games away.
Schmidt ran out well to take one more, but down 29-28, Schmidt fouled kicking two rails valiantly at an excellent Harriman 1 ball safety. After playing the 1-3 combination with ball in hand, Harriman opted for one more defensive maneuver, and while Schmidt made a successful hit, the table lay open for measured run-out. Harriman handled the clearance with superb calm, taking the 30-28 victory and an all-around 2-1 decision.
Stay tuned to InsidePOOLmag.com for further news from the Qlympics, where the BCAPL Team 8-ball event will conclude today, and Bartram and Owen will have all the details wrangled out by the heat of action. Tomorrow the U.S. Open series of events from the BCA resumes, as 10-ball and straight pool kick off.