Well let’s see. Feth wants to start early because he has a plane, and Barney’s match finished well after Feth’s semi, and the schedule says 4PM and we aren’t budging. So Stefan takes to the table and begins his warm-up with Girl’s U-13 Champion Ariel Hsing. Stefan is not only a great player, he has great PR skills as he hits with the future US Women’s Champion. When our two players hit the table, it’s more than PR skills from Feth and he surges out in front 7-0. That’s an awfully large hole, but Barney’s not folding. Game one to Stefan, 11-6. Pride, and focused pride. Barney does a little schooling of his own to the German National Semi-finalist and builds a lead of 8-2! No self-destruct today, thank you. Stefan completely switches tactics here, and it’s all the short game now. It’s a rhythm disrupter, it’s an area of superiority for Feth, and Barney seems caught off-guard by it, leaping in and out for attacks that don’t come. Barney’s leading 9-8 when he gets a bad break, and Stefan’s dunk of a push hits the cord and springs straight up all of an inch, and straight down for a winner. Two missed backhand blocks later, it’s 2-0 in Stefan’s favor. Now they are back to ripping the ball in Game three, and it’s nip and tuck until Feth leads 6-5. Here, Feth takes a two point advantage with a nifty short sidespin serve. When Barney misses a backhand flip off a short push, its Game three to Stefan, 11-6. In Game Four, Stefan takes a 2-0 lead on his serve, but Barney plays smart in gaining ground to 3-3. Barney rips a couple of winners, Feth answers with one of his own. Then Stefan misses a duck, just mishits long on a popped ball and Barney leads 7-5! But Feth, unhappy with that shot, is now gunning like mad for the wide corners. Barney’s backhand loop doesn’t tie him up like it tied up Anh Nguyen and it’s 10-8 for Feth. Make that five straight points for Stefan, the title, and $2000 as he beats Reed 6,9,6,8!

Well, I have been impressed. Barney was beaten by a better player, but he certainly didn’t beat himself, and he gets $800 for that, his best finish this year on the STIGA North American Tour. Stefan Feth? Well, he’s just flat out amazing! The tournament was a blast! The turnout was high, the operations were grueling, the play was first-rate, and I think we saw some breakthrough performances. All of it in the Northern California culture of cooperation, brotherhood and community. I think we gotta get a bigger hall. Because to top this one, we need a bigger tent!