Puryear Park Closes Out with Big Tournament (Fathers Day 06/20/21)
Front row (left to right): Armndo, Echeva, Cachin, Alex, “Magic” Mike, ScottK
(Denver missing in group but in picture below on right)
America’s first public court ended its first “phase” of operation Sunday afternoon with a big tournament. The court, nestled around a bunch of soccer fields in northeast St. Petersburg had a big run of over 30 years of amateur jai-alai action – the last 14 as the first municipally owned cancha. Fourteen players participated in a 2 hour and 42 minute tournament before a crowd of about 40. We even added a substitute for Corky with Oyarbide (a former pro) from Spain.
The court is now closed and will be undergoing extensive renovations, making it more in line with the old N Miami court and Matt’s in Berlin, Connecticut. The improvements will take 2-3 months and officials hope to have the court open by Labor Day weekend – assuming the weather, manpower and materials all fall into place.
The tournament featured 7 front courters, 7 back courters with each player taking on 5 players with total points accumulating. A win would add 3 extra points, a place would add 2 extra points and a show would add 1 extra point to each persons scores on top of the number of points they accumulated. Seven games were played to 10 points and then two partido’s were held with the 3rd place qualifier from the front joining the 3rd place qualifier playing the 4th place qualifiers of both the front and back.
The first 15-point partido would determine 3rd place and the game featured Magic Mike and Gino (who had subbed for Thomas who had to leave just minutes before the performance with an unfortunate death in the family). Mike and Gino held a commanding 14-9 lead but lost the next 6 points to former Dania pro Garby and J Laca who ended up winning 15-14. Garby/Laca were awarded the 3rd place trophies.
The final game played featured Brodie and Cachin vs. Scott King and Rule with the latter taking the game 15-10. This gave Scott King and Rule the 1st place trophies with Brodie and Cachin taking 2nd place.
FINAL SCORES:
Time 2hrs 42mins. Attendance – 40. Weather – Mostly cloudy 87 degrees.
Sunday June 20 2021 Post Time 1:00pm. Fathers Day Final Tournament.
Game # 1 to 10 points 06-20-2021 Start: 13:06:53 Ended: 13:17:36 Garby/Rule 10 Win ScottK/Oyrbde 1 Alex/Cachin 3 Brodie/Gino 4 Place Mike/Laca 4 Show Game # 2 to 10 points 06-20-2021 Start: 13:26:26 Ended: 13:39:30 Echeva/Oyrbde 1 Garby/Cachin 4 Show ScottK/Gino 10 Win Alex/Laca 1 Brodie/Denver 7 Place Game # 3 to 10 points 06-20-2021 Start: 13:43:13 Ended: 13:53:13 Armndo/Cachin 10 Win Echeva/Gino 2 Garby/Laca 3 ScottK/Denver 3 Show Alex/RickB 4 Place Game # 4 to 10 points 06-20-2021 Start: 14:01:15 Ended: 14:15:39 Mike/Gino 9 Place Armndo/Laca 2 Echeva/Denver 3 Garby/RickB 5 Show ScottK/Rule 10 Win Game # 5 to 10 points 06-20-2021 Start: 14:21:58 Ended: 14:30:18 Brodie/Laca 10 Win Mike/Denver 0 Armndo/RickB 2 Show Echeva/Rule 4 Place Garby/Oyrbde 2 Game # 6 to 10 points 06-20-2021 Start: 14:34:45 Ended: 14:45:17 Alex/Denver 1 Show Brodie/RickB 0 Mike/Rule 5 Place Armndo/Oyrbde 1 Echeva/Cachin 10 Win Game # 7 to 10 points 06-20-2021 Start: 14:49:26 Ended: 15:06:18 ScottK/RickB 6 Alex/Rule 7 Show Brodie/Oyrbde 8 Place Mike/Cachin 10 Win Armndo/Gino 1 Game # 8 to 15 points 06-20-2021 Start: 15:14:04 Ended: 15:27:01 Mike/Gino 14 (4th Place) Garby/Laca 15 Win (3rd Place) Game # 9 to 15 points 06-20-2021 Start: 15:30:38 Ended: 15:47:21 Brodie/Cachin 10 (2nd Place) ScottK/Rule 15 Win (1st Place)
