WESTERN OHIO Pool players meet match

Just 12, the girl embarrasses older players.
DAYTON (AP) -- Not much taller than her pool cue, 12-year-old Lizzy Lovely makes grown men feel nervous.
Beating competitors twice her age is common for the pint-sized pool prodigy who stays up late on school nights to play in weekly billiards tournaments around the area.
On a recent Monday, she made an impression on her opponent, 20-year-old Ricky Mosley, during their match in a tournament.
"Cockiness. It's in her eyes," he said. "She doesn't say a thing, but the eyes tell you plenty."
Mosley, who admitted to being nervous about the prospects of losing to the sixth-grader, squeaked by with a victory.
Last June, she was the only Ohio girl in the Valley National Eight-ball Association's Junior International Classic in Mankato, Minn. She finished seventh and her Dayton team was fifth of 64 entries.
She knows she's good
No one needs to tell Lizzy that she's good -- she already knows.
"Yeah, sometimes I guess I might be a little cocky," she said.
Her father, Richard Lovely, supports her hobby, driving her to weeknight tournaments. He has kept close watch to make sure it doesn't disrupt her studies.
"Sometimes, we don't get home until 2 in the morning, but if she wants to keep doing this, she has to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when I wake her for school in the morning," he explained. "She also has to be attentive in class and get good grades. I've talked to her guidance counselor and they say she participates and she's getting good report cards."
Other interests
Outside of billiards, Lizzy's interests are typical of other girls her age. She likes going to the mall, Saturday dances at the Washington Township Recreation Center and sleep-overs with her girlfriends. Her bedroom is decorated with posters of dogs, cats and fashion models.
Since showing a knack for pool on her home table and joining a youth league, she's immersed herself in the sport with the support of her father.
"She's kind of living my dream," he said.