John Schmidt Wins at Valley Forge With Class

[steveharn]

Respect

John certainly gained my respect in this match. For some reason I don't put him in my highly regarded players list. I don't like the black glove, wish he would wear skin tone. Also it seems he wears the same blue shirt every time I've seen him which is not too many. I know he's won the Open and that makes you a great player, so John is definitely on my list now. He can't be overlooked. Congrats, John.

 

[mechanic/player]

It was a great win for him. I was glad to see it from the bleachers.

 

[KMRUNOUT]

another vote for John's class

after John won on Saturday, I was walking the same direction as him in that long hallway to the hotel. I asked him who he beat, and how he was doing. He doesn't know me at all, but was very friendly explaining how he felt. "If I can beat Ralf Souquet, I can win this tournament". I mentioned that Corey was playing awesome, and John was very complimentary. "Yeah, he is playing strong...he's a great player". He also said the break was really helping or hurting him. "I'm breaking good and I look like a genius, I'm breaking bad and I look like a fool."

Just some interesting insight. The girl I was with asked if I knew him, since he was so friendly to me. I said I knew who he was, but never spoke to him before.

Total class act, and a nice guy! (oh, and he can play a little too) :wink:

KMRUNOUT

 

[Vahmurka]

TY for the info CreeDo (I was actually hoping you could have saved some as well )

 

[sjm]

John certainly gained my respect in this match. For some reason I don't put him in my highly regarded players list. I don't like the black glove, wish he would wear skin tone. Also it seems he wears the same blue shirt every time I've seen him which is not too many. I know he's won the Open and that makes you a great player, so John is definitely on my list now. He can't be overlooked. Congrats, John.

Nice post. John has now won a major nine ball event, a major ten ball event, a major one pocket event, and trust me, he'll be World 14.1 champion one of these days. You can use a black magic marker when you add him on your list of the game's most elite. He's one of our game's superstars today, and his future is very bright.

 

[TX Poolnut]

Nice post. John has now won a major nine ball event, a major ten ball event, a major one pocket event, and trust me, he'll be World 14.1 champion one of these days. You can use a black magic marker when you add him on your list of the game's most elite. He's one of our game's superstars today, and his future is very bright.

Although John is still a young guy, with a resume like the one he is earning, he will, undoubtedly, be enshrined in the Hall of Fame some day.

It couldn't happen to a more respectable player either.

 

[trustyrusty]

after John won on Saturday, I was walking the same direction as him in that long hallway to the hotel. I asked him who he beat, and how he was doing. He doesn't know me at all, but was very friendly explaining how he felt. "If I can beat Ralf Souquet, I can win this tournament". I mentioned that Corey was playing awesome, and John was very complimentary. "Yeah, he is playing strong...he's a great player". He also said the break was really helping or hurting him. "I'm breaking good and I look like a genius, I'm breaking bad and I look like a fool."

Just some interesting insight. The girl I was with asked if I knew him, since he was so friendly to me. I said I knew who he was, but never spoke to him before.

Total class act, and a nice guy! (oh, and he can play a little too) :wink:

KMRUNOUT

Totally agree that John is one of the good guys, both he and Corey were very personable in the AZ room (during the 1P challenge) at the DCC. I'll gladly root for both of them in any tourney. Then there was Jay during the 1P challenge, whatta tool.....just kiddin' Jay.

Congrats to John and Corey for playing so well at the SBE!!! :thumbup: Hope they both keep up the good play!

 

[spoons]

He also said the break was really helping or hurting him. "I'm breaking good and I look like a genius, I'm breaking bad and I look like a fool."

I was fortunate enough to be there this weekend, and I watched several of Schmidt's matches, including both that he played against Deuel. He was absolutely baffled by Deuel's break - which incidentally only Allison Fisher seemed to be able to replicate. He was making one or both of the two balls behind the one ball in the side pockets with regularity. He also set the rack up the same way each time, which gave him familiar situations to work with every rack. In John's words, "That's really strong. If he makes a ball in the side every time, I'm dead in the water."


There seemed to be a big turning point for Schmidt on Sunday though. I'd like to have had the chance to ask him about this:

On Sunday morning, between the women's matches and the men's matches, the tension was evident in the room to me. Players were indecisive, playing really slowly, missing balls often, and really struggling to get comfortable. In his quarterfinal match against Charlie Bryant, Schmidt said something to himself that I thought was, "Just play pool." And, from that moment on, to me he looked like the one to beat. He relaxed, picked up his pace, and started firing balls into the pockets. He looked like a different player.

I actually think he might have run away with the final match if he hadn't been so intent on figuring out Deuel's break. It wasn't working for him, and he was setting up familiar racks for Corey.

One last note. Schmidt tried several times early in the final match to replicate Deuel's break. He never made a ball in the side pocket. The first time he broke the balls hard... he made both balls in the side pocket. I couldn't help but laugh.