Red Swain Shootout - Swain wins, Gonzalez loses

There will be a past legend-legend in the making match at the Red Swain Shootout in Davison, Michigan, this weekend's International Racquetball Tour (IRT) event. But it won't be past IRT #1 Ruben Gonzalez versus current #1 Kane Waselenchuk. Rather it'll be past IRT #1 versus current IRT #4 Jose Rojas.

Cliff Swain, who won the last IRT event held in Davison back in 1993, won two matches - both in three straight games - to qualify for the round of 16 and a match with two time World Junior Champion Jose Rojas.

For his part, Gonzalez was up 2-1 on Lee Connell, but as anyone who's seen Connell play, it's hard to ever count him out, as Connell will give it his all until the very end. Undoubtedly that effort helped him come back and defeat Gonzalez, 11-3, 10-12, 8-11, 11-8, 11-3. Thus, Connell will face Waselenchuk in the Round of 16 on Friday.

Other surprise qualifiers for the 16s are Brandon Cortese, who won two matches to get there, and Conrad Cole, who did likewise, but the second one was a default win over Juan Herrera, which is likely a Pan Am Games effect, as Herrera was in Guadalajara, Mexico representing Colombia the past two weeks.

The IRT Network's webcast of the Red Swain Shootout on Friday starts at 11:30 AM EDT with the Round of 16.

Red Swain Shootout, Davison, Michigan

Round 1 (64s)

Andrew Price d. Sami Harb, 11-6, 11-8, 11-3
Brandon Cortese d. Brian Pineda, 11-3, 11-2, 11-5

Cliff Swain d. Jason Kennedy, 11-1, 11-4, 11-7
Dan Case d. Nathan Tucker, 8-11, 13-11, 11-1, 11-8

Conrad Cole d. Mark Brower, 11-3, 11-3, 11-1
Eric Desrochers d. Jim Bronson, 7-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-5, 11-3

Round 2 (32s)

Q8: Lee Connell d. Ruben Gonzalez, 11-3, 10-12, 8-11, 11-8, 11-3
Q1: Tony Carson vs. Andrew Price, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6

Q4: Brandon Cortese d. Arthur Schmeiser, 11-9, 7-11, 12-10, 14-12
Q5: Cliff Swain d. Erik Leetch, 11-2, 11-6, 13-11

Q6: James Slamko d. Dan Case, 11-7, 11-7, 13-15, 11-1
Q3: Conrad Cole d. Juan Herrera, WBF

Q2: Anthony Herrera d. Eric Desrochers, 11-6, 12-10, 2-11, 11-5
Q7: Brad Schopieray d. John Scott, 11-9, 11-2, 11-9

Round of 16

Kane Waselenchuk v. Lee Connell
Andy Hawthorne v. Tony Carson

Shane Vanderson v. Brandon Cortese
Jose Rojas v. Cliff Swain

Ben Croft v. James Slamko
Charlie Pratt v. Conrad Cole

Chris Crowther v. Anthony Herrera
Rocky Carson v. Brad Schopieray

Follow the bouncing ball....