Until this past weekend, Reid Vance had only cashed in three Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball events over the past two years. He finished as runner-up in two of those three events, 4th in the other. Two years ago (Sept. 2018), Vance made it to the hot seat, only to get double-dipped by Ricky Bingham in the finals. Earlier this year (January), he and BJ Ussery opted out of a final match, allowing Ussery, as the undefeated occupant of the hot seat to claim that event title. Vance broke through this weekend (Sat. Oct. 24) when he took the double-dip route; winning five on the loss side and then double dipping Dustin Coe in the finals to claim his first title. The $300-added event drew a short field of 17 entrants to a new venue for the tour, Kickshot Billiards in Phelps, KY.
Vance and Coe met three times in this event; first, in a winners’ side quarterfinal in which Coe launched Vance onto his loss-side trip. Coe advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Bobby Gartin, as Chris Stump faced Bill Collins in the other one. Coe got into the hot seat match with a 6-3 win over Gartin. Stump joined him after sending Collins west 6-2. Coe claimed the hot seat 6-3 and waited on Vance’s return.
Gartin and Collins came into the loss bracket and walked right into their second straight loss. Collins drew Vance, who’d defeated Jacob Marcum 6-2 and then, chalked up the first of three straight double hill wins, against Tony Williams. Gartin picked up Mike Clevinger, who’d recently shut out Kickshot Billiards’ owner, Hershel Rife and eliminated Danny Clay 6-3.
Vance won his second double hill match, sending Collins home, as Clevinger downed Gartin 6-1. Vance made it three-in-a-row with a double hill win over Clevinger in the subsequent quarterfinals.
The double hill pattern ended in the semifinals, though not well for Chris Stump. Vance defeated him 6-2 to earn his rematch against Coe. In the true double elimination final, Vance took the first set 6-2 and in the second, allowed Coe only a single rack, before claiming his first event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Hershel Rife and his staff for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, JB Magic Templates, AZBilliards, Tickler Pool Ball Washing Machine, Skyline Construction, Federal Savings Bank Mortgage Division and Dirty South Grind Apparel Co. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend, Oct. 31-Nov. 1, will be a $500-added event that will be hosted by Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
The Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, through its tour directors Herman and Angela Parker turned their recent tour stop on the weekend of January 11-12 into a benefit event for Brian James, a tour competitor battling fatal pancreatic cancer. Through the raffling of cues, balls and an assortment of other products from keychains to clothing, the tour was able to raise $3,300 to help defray some of the costs of his ongoing health care. James was on hand for the tour stop that followed, which drew 63 entrants to Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN. Trey Frank went undefeated to the hot seat match, where he sent Jonathan Ailstock to the semifinals. The win would stand as the definitive final match between the two, as Ailstock returned from those semifinals to negotiate a split with Frank of the event’s top two prizes.
Their first meeting followed their victories in the winners’ side semifinals. They each gave up only a single rack in advancing to the hot seat match. Frank had defeated Michael Chapman 7-1, as Ailstock was sending Steve Dye to the loss side 6-1. Their hot seat match, appropriately enough, was a double hill affair, eventually won by Frank.
On the loss side, Chapman and Dye walked right into their second straight loss. Chapman picked up Chris Stump, who’d been defeated by Frank in the 4th round, and was in the midst of a six-match, loss-side winning streak that would take him as far as the semifinals. He’d recently eliminated Doug Schulz 5-1 and Charles Hartung 5-2 and then eliminated Chapman 5-3. Dye drew Hershel Rife, who’d defeated Dalton Messer 5-4 (Messer racing to 6) and Anthony Mabe 5-3.
Chapman and Dye fell to Stump and Rife by the same 5-3 score. Stump then downed Rife 5-2 in the quarterfinals that followed.
In what proved to be the last match of the night, Ailstock ended Stump’s loss-side streak 6-2 in the semifinals. Ailstock agreed to the split, and as the undefeated occupant of the hot seat, Frank claimed the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Janet Atwell and her Borderline Billiards staff for their hospitality and all of those who donated to and/or participated in the raffle that was able to donate $3,300 to Brian James and his family. The Parkers also thanked title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the tour, scheduled for January 18-19, will be hosted by Mickey Milligans in New Bern, NC.
Winner Hank Powell came looking for his second win on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. Runner-up Ryan Fossum came in search of his first. Powell went undefeated at the December 7-8 event that drew 41 entrants to Janet Atwell’s room, Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN. Fossum settled for runner-up and his first cash win on the tour.
They battle twice in the event; hot seat and finals. Powell advancing to the match after a double hill (7-5) win over Keith Young, and Fossum joining him after sending Rick Chitwood to the loss side 5-1. Powell claimed the hot seat 6-3 and waited in it for Fossum to return from the semifinals.
On the loss side, Chitwood picked up Chris Stump, who’d eliminated Anthony Mabe, double hill, and Robert Hall 5-1 to reach him. Young drew Jackson Hurst, a 16-year-old junior player, who’d been defeated in the event’s second round by room owner Janet Atwell and launched a seven-match, loss-side winning streak to the quarterfinals. He’d recently eliminated Mike Kirby 5-3 and Bobby Jack Conner 5-6 (Conner racing to 8).
Hurst got into those quarterfinals with a 5-4 win over Young (Young racing to 6). He was joined by Chitwood, who’d defeated Stump, double hill.
Chitwood then ended Hurst’s loss-side streak 6-3 in those quarterfinals, before himself being eliminated by Fossum, double hill (5-5) in the semifinals.
In the opening and what proved to be only double-elimination set necessary, Fossum was able to muster a couple more racks against Powell than he had in their hot seat match, but they weren’t enough. Powell took the opening set 7-4 to claim the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Janet Atwell and her Borderline Billiards staff for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Bar Pool Tables, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for December 14-15, will be a $1,000-added event, hosted by the newly-renovated Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
