[7/28/03]Whether it be Bill Hassell or his older brother Barry, Clear Creek or the Vicksburg Country Club, Paul Loyacono is getting a little tired of this routine.

“We have to do something about those Hassells,” said Loyacono with a smile after finishing second to Bill Hassell on the final day of the Warren County Championships.

Loyacono has finished second five times at both the VCC championships and at Clear Creek. Four of the times at VCC he lost to Barry Hassell, and Sunday was the first loss to Bill.

“He’s just like his older brother,” Loyacono said. “If they have a lead on Sunday, you know what to expect.”

Hassell, playing in his first county championships after a stellar career at Vicksburg High, shot a 1-under par on Sunday to finish the tournament at 3-under, four strokes better than Loyacono. Tony Shepard finished third and Mike Hurley took fourth place.

“It feels great,” said Hassell, who recently celebrated his 18th birthday, allowing him to play in the championships. “I got a good start and played pretty well.”

Hassell came into Sunday’s final with a two-stroke lead and fell into trouble on No. 2. With Loyacono set to pick up a stroke with a par, Hassell buried a 20-foot par putt to keep a two-stroke advantage.

“That shot kept my momentum going,” Hassell said.

Loyacono said it was the turning point of the match.

“After that shot, it was over,” Loyacono said. “I knew that if he was going to make shots like that all day, it would be tough.”

Hassell will join Barry on the VCC team when it squares off against Clear Creek in the Warren County Cup championships in October.

“Bill works extremely hard and he practices all the time,” said Randy Wright, who started Sunday only four strokes back but shot a second-round 87. “He deserves everything he gets.”