Janet Atwell, Hershel Rife and Chad Morton
It wasn’t his first ‘rodeo,’ but according to his profile here on AZBilliards, it was only the third time that he cashed competing in one. According to his profile, seven years ago, Hershel Rife finished 9th in a 9-Ball Mini at the annual Derby City Classic. Five years ago, he finished 4th at a stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, hosted by Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN. This past weekend (Mar. 8-9), at the same location, now known as the Borderline Brunswick Arena, Rife went undefeated to the hot seat and just after midnight on Saturday, once the room owner, Janet Atwell had defeated Chad Morton in the semifinals, agreed with her to a split of the top two prizes.
As the undefeated occupant of the hot seat at the time, Rife became the ‘official’ winner of the $250-added event that drew 35 entrants to the arena. Though there have been no known, comprehensive surveys on the matter, anecdotally, a first tournament victory is one you tend to remember, no matter how long or short a pool career at the tables may be, or not be, from that point.
Eventual runner-up, room owner and WPBA professional competitor, Janet Atwell (currently #13 on the WPBA rankings) is coming off her best recorded earnings year since 2005 and marked her second split of the top two prizes on the Q City 9-Ball Tour within the past year. Last May, shortly after opening her new Borderline Brunswick Arena, within walking distance of the former location, she went undefeated to the hot seat of a Q City 9-Ball Tour stop and in the early hours of a Sunday morning split the top two prizes with her long-time friend, Scott Roberts.
Atwell and Rife almost met in a winners’ side semifinal, but after victories over Tim Crigler 7-2 and a shutout over Robert Ingold, Atwell lost a double-hill match to Gabe Lester, who advanced to pick up Rife in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Rife had opened what would prove to be his winning campaign with a double-hill win over Joe Blackburn, a 5-1 win over Mike Clevinger and a 5-1 victory over Mike Skeens to draw Lester.
Meanwhile, Chad Morton, racing to 5 throughout and bound for the hot seat match, got by Cliff Stout (3), Tommy Chappell (2) and shut out Tai Nakhonexay. He drew Brandon Helton in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Rife sent Lester to the loss side 5-3 and was joined in the hot seat match by Morton, who’d allowed Helton only a single rack in their match. Rife grabbed the hot seat 5-3 over Morton.
When Atwell arrived on the loss side of the bracket, she didn’t give up a single rack in either of her first two matches against Steve Cruse and Anthony Keen. She drew Helton upon his arrival. Lester picked up Bear Mullins, who’d lost his opening match to Evan Jones and set out on a six-match, loss-side winning streak that included recent wins over Nakhonexay and Brady Brazell, both 4-2.
Mullins got by Lester 4-2 as well, while Atwell was eliminating Helton 7-4. Mullins’ streak came to an end with a 7-2 win by Atwell in the quarterfinals. Atwell then defeated Morton 7-4 in the semifinals before arranging for the split of the top two prizes.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked Janet Atwell and her Borderline Brunswick Arena staff for their hospitality, which facilitated what was a last-minute addition to the tour’s schedule. Parker also thanked sponsors BarPoolTables.net, Break Time (Clemmons), TKO Custom Cues, Realty Group One Results, CHC Undeground, Digitalpool.com, Dirty South Grind Apparel, Federal Savings Bank Mortgage Division and AZBilliards.
Parker is continuing work on the tour’s schedule in the coming weeks, to include plans for the upcoming, 13th Annual NC State 9-Ball Championships scheduled for the weekend of March 28-30. Updated information will be posted to the tour’s Group Facebook page – (16) The Q City 9 Ball Tour and T.O.P Tour | Facebook
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