Tooting My Own Horn

Last night before our match began I was studying the sheet, as I always do. The first thing I look at is the skill levels of the opposing team's players. Well into my second year of the league, I've got a pretty good idea by now of who is who on all the teams we play. When looking at the sheet, I try to mentally match players, taking into account who played the previous week and who didn't, who's playing well and who isn't, etc. Last night we only had five players total and so I knew everyone would have to play. Whenever I see a lot of 3s and 4s on the other team I think we'll match up well. At some point I looked over to our team's column and noticed an unusual number next to one of the names. It was a 5 next to my name. The feeling of surprise was quickly overshadowed by doubt. I was nervous knowing that I was going to have to "defend" that new skill level.

So it was business as usual and before long the third match had ended with us ahead 2-1. But the other team appeared to be short on players and all the people I recognized had already played. Part of me hoped they were going to have to forfeit the last two games and thus I wouldn't have to defend my new ranking. It was our turn to put up, so I went over and told them I would be playing and asked if they had any players. Sure enough, they did. It was a new player I didn't recognize, a 3. The player had a high/recent APA number so I wasn't sure what to expect. But before I knew it, I was up three games with only the 8 ball on the table left for the win. But I was blocked with a side pocket in the way of a kick shot, so I had to use awkward english. Not only did I miss the 8 ball but the cue ball pocketed my opponent's stripe and then followed it in for a dreaded "S8." All of a sudden it was hill-hill. The longest the games had gone before was four innings. But on the final game there were eight innings, mostly due to me missing the 8 ball I think three times. In the end I was faced with yet another kick-into-the-8 scenario. The above diagram shows it all. A highly unlikely shot, a hail mary. But it was a heck of a way to debut as a 5. We ended the night 4-1 and are currently 6-5 for the season with three consecutive wins.