Mac Harrell’s been competing since (as far as we know) 2008, when he finished 7th at a stop on the former Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour. He went on to record (on average) one payout finish per year, early on the Carolina Tour, later until recently on the Action Pool Tour and once, in 2013, at the Super Billiards Expo’s Amateur Championships (33rd). On the weekend of August 6-7, Harrell went undefeated to claim his first (recorded) regional tour victory on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. The $250-added event drew 41 entrants to Mickey Milligan’s in New Bern, NC.
Harrell and Delton Howard battled twice to claim the title; once in a winners’ side semifinal and again in the finals. As Harrell and Howard fought in their first meeting, Gregory Speight and Jorge Ramos faced each other in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Harrell advanced to the hot seat match with an 8-3 win over Howard and was joined by Speight, who’d sent Ramos over 7-4. Harrell claimed the hot seat 8-3 over Speight and waited on Howard’s return.
Howard and Ramos moved over, coming back on Sunday to compete in the first of the money rounds. Howard drew Greg Smith, who’d recently eliminated Eddie Almonte 8-5 and Jerry Cannon 8-3. Ramos picked up DJ Brads, who’d defeated Jack Whitfield 6-3 and Bill Chase, double hill, to reach him.
Howard and Ramos got right back into gear. Howard, downing Smith 8-3 and Ramos, eliminating Brads 7-4. In the quarterfinals that followed, Howard limited Ramos’ loss-side run to a single match, defeating him, 8-4.
In the semifinals that featured two opponents anxious for a second shot at the hot seat occupant, it was Howard who prevailed. He eliminated Speight 8-4. Momentum may have been in the wind, as Howard chalked up three more racks against Harrell in the finals than he had in their winners’ side semifinal matchup. Not enough. Harrell claimed what is believed to be his first regional tour title with an 8-6 victory in those finals.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Mickey Milligan’s for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Breaktime Billiards (Winston-Salem, NC), BarPoolTables.net, Dirty South Grind Apparel Co., Realty One Group Results, Diamond Brat, AZBilliards.com, Ridge Back Rails, and Federal Savings Bank Mortgage Division. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend, Aug. 13-14, will be a $250-added event, hosted by a new venue for the tour – Action Billiards in Inman, SC.
Jeff Underwood has won two out of the three events in which he has competed on the 2021 Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour. They are the only known instances of him finishing in a position to collect some cash. The two victories have both come as a result of him finishing an event as the undefeated occupant of the hot seat and negotiating a settlement of the top two cash payouts with his potential finals competitor. The first time he did this, last month (March), he split the top two prizes with Hank Powell. This past weekend, Saturday, April 18, he split the top two prizes with Glen Spikes. The $200-added event drew 27 entrants to Mickey Milligan’s in New Bern, NC.
Underwood and Spikes advanced through the field to meet first in the hot seat match. Underwood faced Jorge Ramos in one of the winners’ side semifinals, while Spikes faced Sheign Krafczik in the other one. Underwood downed Ramos 6-3, as Spikes was busy sending Krafczik to the loss side 5-3. In effect, they both let their hot seat encounter stand as the deciding match; Underwood won it 6-3.
On the loss side, Krafczik and Ramos ran straight into their second loss. Krafczik met up with Justin Knuckles, who’d lost to Underwood in a winners’ side quarterfinal, defeated Jack Whitfield, double hill and then, shut out Justin Outlaw. Ramos picked up Greg Smith, who’d recently eliminated DJ Brads 8-3 and Delton Howard 8-6.
Knuckles defeated Krafczik 5-3, while Smith and Ramos battled to double hill. Smith prevailed and moved into the quarterfinals against Knuckles. Knuckles and Smith got into a double hill fight, as well, with Knuckles eventually advancing to what proved to be the last match of the evening, the semifinals against Spikes.
Spikes won the semifinals over Knuckles 5-2. He and Underwood negotiated their split, leaving Underwood, as the hot seat occupant, the recipient of the official event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked Gerry Shepherd and his Mickey Milligan’s staff for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, Dirty South Grind Apparel Co., AZBilliards, Federal Savings Bank mortgage division and Diamond Brat. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this coming weekend, April 24-25, will be hosted by Buck’s Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
Though Billy Carroll and JR Poste share the headline for the story emerging out of the August 11-12 stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, it should be noted that the player who finished third has more than earned his spot in the story’s opening sentence. While it may be a little early to declare that BJ Ussery is ‘back’ from something of an extended leave of absence from high level pool competition, his performance at this most recent event is, at least, a sure sign that he’s still a force to be reckoned with.
But first, Carroll and Poste, who met twice in the $250-added event, which drew 23 entrants to Mickey Milligan’s in New Bern, NC. With Ussery already at work on the loss side, Carroll advanced through the field to face Robert Perez in one of the winners’ side semifinals. Poste drew Travis Guerra in the other one.
Carroll downed Perez 7-4 and in the hot seat match, faced Poste, who’d sent Guerra to the loss side 6-3. Carroll claimed the hot seat 7-5 over Poste, and waited on his return, or, possibly, if he had any sense of pool history, the return of Ussery.
On the loss side, it was Guerra who drew Ussery, four matches into his six-match, loss-side winning streak that had most recently included wins over Zac Leonard 11-5 and a shutout of Kameron Johnson. Perez drew Larry Pierce, who’d eliminated Jordan Oak 6-2 and Greg Smith 6-5 (it was Smith who’d sent Ussery to the loss side in the event’s second round).
In the first money round, Pierce downed Perez 6-3, as Ussery was busy allowing Guerra only a single rack in an 11-1 victory. In the quarterfinals that followed, Ussery defeated Pierce 11-4.
In what was essentially a handicapped race to 11, Poste began the semifinals with ‘five on the wire.’ He and Ussery both chalked up six racks, but the handicapped advantage gave Poste the victory he needed for a second shot at Carroll in the hot seat. Carroll completed his undefeated run with a 7-5 victory in the finals and his third win on the tour.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Mickey Milligan’s, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, AZ Billiards and Professor Q-Ball. The next stop on the tour, scheduled for this weekend (August 18-19), will be hosted by the Gate City Billiards Club in Greensboro, NC.
Postscript – Eighteen years ago, BJ Ussery finished in the 32-player tie for 65th place at the 25th Annual US Open 9-Ball Championships. More remarkable than the feat itself is the evidence it provides of the caliber of player Ussery was keeping company with at the time. Sharing that tie for 65th place were (among others) Mike Davis, Shannon Daulton, Grady Matthews, Mike Zuglan, Allen Hopkins, Mika Immonen, and Steve Mizerak. It was also the year that Earl Strickland chalked up his fifth and what proved to be his last US Open 9-Ball title. Inthe years after that event, Ussery settled into a variety of Southern-based pool tours, regularly winning stops on the Southeast Open 9-Ball Tour, the Viking Tour, the Great Southern Billiard Tour, and The Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour (to name just a few). Though he’s been away from the tables for a while now, he’s kept his hand in, so to speak. In 2014, he cashed in all three US Bar Box Championship events; 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball, and just last year, he finished fifth at the North Carolina State 10-Ball Open (held under the auspices of the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour), falling to long-time nemesis Mike Davis. Is BJ back? Inquiring minds would like to know.
With his sixth win on the tour, this past weekend (July 8-9), J.T. Ringgold stands as the top competitor on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour. He's played in more matches, chalked up more wins and pocketed more money on the tour than any other player. The $250-added event drew 33 entrants to Mickey Milligan's in New Bern, NC.
Ringgold faced separate opponents in the hot seat and finals of this event. He got into the hot seat match after a double hill (10-7) win over Larry Faulk, and faced Jack Whitfield, who'd sent Ringgold's eventual finals opponent, David Williams to the loss side 7-3. Ringgold claimed the hot seat 10-5 over Whitfield and waited on the return of Williams.
Williams opened his loss-side trip to the finals against Ringgold's father, Terry Ringgold, who'd defeated Wayne Miller and Al Boone, both 5-3, to reach him. Faulk drew Greg Smith, who'd eliminated Wayne Sutton 9-5 and Justin Clark 9-4.
It was Williams and Faulk who advanced to the quarterfinal match; Williams 5-3 over the elder Ringgold, and Faulk 8-3 over Greg Smith. Williams, at this point, playing well above his handicap, downed Faulk (racing to 8) 5-3, and then, with Whitfield racing to 7, downed him in the semifinals 5-5.
Ringgold put an exclamation point on his sixth Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour win. He chalked up his requisite 10 games without giving up a single rack to Williams.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Mickey Milligan's, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for July 15-16, will be a $500-added event, hosted by Q Master Billiards in Virginia Beach, VA.
JT Ringgold picked up his first victory on the 2016 Q City 9-Ball Tour with an undefeated run on the weekend of April 16-17. He dominated two matches versus Scotty Johnson to claim the event title, which drew 34 entrants to Mickey Milligan's Billiards in New Bern, NC.
They met first in the hot seat match. Ringgold had sent Jack Whitfield to the loss side 9-1, while Johnson was defeating Montez Lloyd 5-3. Ringgold subsequently gave up only two racks to Johnson and sat in the hot seat awaiting his return from the semifinals.
Over on the loss side, Whitfield picked up Jorge Ramos, who'd sent Jerry Cannon and Roy Musser home; 7-4 and 7-3. Lloyd drew Greg Smith, who'd defeated Justin Ward and Edward Forbes, both 8-2.
Whitfield advanced to the quarterfinals 5-3 over Ramos, and was joined by Smith, who'd ended Lloyd's day 8-4. Whitfield advanced one more step with a 5-4 victory over Smith, and one step away from a re-match against Ringgold, faced Johnson in the semifinals.
Just as anxious for a re-match, Johnson downed Whitfield 5-1 and got his chance. As it turned out, his match against Whitfield was not only his last match victory, it proved to be the last time that Johnson would win a game. Ringgold completed his undefeated run through the field with a shutout over Johnson in the finals.
The next stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for April 23-24, will be hosted by Brown's Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
Chad Pike, owner of City Cues in Elizabeth City, NC, has been a regular competitor on the Q City 9-Ball for a few years now. He's been a competitor at the game for a lot longer than that, dating back to our (AZBilliards') first recognition of him for finishing 17th on a Falcon Cue 9-Ball Tour stop 12 years ago. He went on to make appearances on the Great Southern Billiard Tour, the Viking Tour, the Action Pool Tour, and a couple of noteworthy appearances at the annual US Open 9-Ball Championships. On the weekend of January 30-31, 2016, he added another victory on the Q City 9-Ball Tour to his resume, going undefeated through a field of 38, on-hand for the $500-added event, hosted by Mickey Milligan's in New Bern, NC
Pike's path to the winners' circle went through Jorge Ramos twice; once in the hot seat match and later, in the finals. He'd sent J.T. Ringgold to the loss side 7-3 in a winners' side semifinal, as Ramos was busy sending Greg Smith over 6-7 (Smith racing to 8). Pike claimed the hot seat 7-4 over Ramos.
On the loss side, Ringgold picked up William Roberts, who'd shut out Shane Hardie and defeated Jack Whitfield 6-2 to reach him. Smith drew Wayne Miller, who'd gotten by Danny Farren 4-2, and Christy Norris (the previous week's winner), double hill.
With Smith racing to 8, Miller advanced to the quarterfinals 4-4. Ringgold defeated Roberts 9-3 to join him. With Ringgold racing to 9, Miller took the quarterfinal match 4-3.
The 6-4 race in the semifinals led to a final game showdown against Miller that advancEd Ramos to a second shot against Pike in the hot seat. A second double hill game led to the completion of Pike's undefeated run, and another title feather to his cap.
It's been said (reportedly, by Albert Einstein, but nobody seems to know for sure) that doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. In addition to it being, reportedly, the most overused cliche of all time (Salon, August 6, 2013), it's obvious that Einstein didn't play a lot of pool.
After somewhere between 30 and 40 attempts to win a Great Southern Billiard Tour stop in his own room, Mickey Milligan's in New Bern, NC, Gerry Shepherd became the first owner, ever, to win a stop on that tour. He went undefeated through a field of 40 to win the $1,000-added event that drew 40 to his place on the weekend of July 25-26.
"That was awesome," said Shepherd, moments after collecting the trophy and dough. "Surprised a lot of people. Surprised me, too."
In fairness to the insanity definition, Shepherd wasn't exactly doing the same thing over and over. In fact, he was doing things quite differently. He'd had some health issues arise in his family, and was looking ahead to some back surgery. He'd come to the realization, in the face of those issues, that "pool isn't all there is about life."
"And that," he said, "is when I started shooting better."
With players racing to their rating, Shepherd played as a "3" in this event, against a field with a few "7"s and "8"s. He faced one of those "8"s – J.T. Ringold – in a winners' side semifinal, while Robert Ash (a "4") got into it with Russell Sasser (a "7"). Shepherd defeated Ringold 3-6, and in the hot seat match, faced Ash, who'd sent Sasser to the loss side 4-5. Shepherd claimed the hot seat 3-2 and waited on what turned out to be the return of Brian Pate.
Pate had advanced through to a winners' side quarterfinal before chalking up his first loss; to Sasser. He moved to the loss side, defeating Wayne Miller and Al Booner, both 6-2, to meet up with Ringold. Sasser had drawn Scott Crain, 5-1 winner over Mike Gaskins, and double hill survivor versus Greg Smith.
Crain spoiled any re-match hopes that Pate may have been entertaining, by defeating Sasser 5-3. Pate joined Crain in the quarterfinals with a double hill win over Ringold. Pate took the quarterfinal 6-2 over Crain, and then fought tooth and nail to a double hill win over Ash in the semifinals.
Pate needed six games to claim the title. Shepherd needed three. They both got three, and Shepherd became the GSBT's first tour stop winning owner.
The next stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour, scheduled for the weekend of August 1-2, will be hosted by Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
There are a lot of nerve-wracking scenarios in the sport of pool; sitting in the hot seat, waiting for an opponent, who'd like nothing better than to knock you out of that seat, for example, or being in the midst of a lengthy loss-side run, during which every match puts you face to face with elimination. Here's one: you've managed to get yourself into the hot seat for the first time on a tour. You've defeated a tour veteran to get there, and then, a loss-side challenger, other than your hot seat opponent, faces and defeats you in the opening set of a true double elimination final, and you step to the table for a second set with everything on the line.
JT Ringold faced just such a scenario during the April 5-6 stop on the Great Southern Billiard Tour, defeating tour veteran Sidney Champion to get into the hot seat, and then, in the second set of a true double elimination final, defeating loss-side challenger Greg Smith to claim his first GSBT title. The $1,000-added event drew 30 entrants to Mickey Milligan's in New Bern, NC.
To get into the hot seat match against Champion, Ringold had defeated Paul Swinson 6-1. Champion, in the meantime, had sent Ringold's eventual opponent in the finals, Smith, to the losers' bracket 9-6. Ringold downed Champion 6-5 to complete the first half of the 'nerve-wracking scenario' that would end with him in the winners' circle.
Swinson moved to the loss side and picked up Joshua Padron, who'd given up only two racks over his previous two matches, giving up one to Shane Foy and the other to Chris McSorley. Smith drew Josh Heeter, who'd gotten by Younger Chapman 7-2 and Chad Pike 7-4.
Smith survived a double hill fight versus Heeter to advance to the quarterfinals, while Swinson gave Padron a taste of his own 'one-rack' medicine, advancing 5-1 to meet Smith. Smith then downed Swinson 9-4, and took out Champion in the semifinals 9-3. Presumably with a little momentum on his side, Smith took command of the opening set of the finals against Ringold, winning it 9-3. Ringold, though, with his eyes no doubt firmly focused on the prize, took solid command of the second set, winning it 6-3 to successfully negotiate the 'nerve-wracking scenario' and claim his first GSBT title.
Tour director Shannon Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Mickey Milligan's for their hospitality, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta-13, Ozone Billiards, Tiger Products, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Lomax Cues, and Universe Clothing for their continuing support of the tour. The next stop on the GSBT, scheduled for April 12-13, will be hosted by Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Greg Smith returned to the Great Southern Billiard Tour winners' circle with an undefeated run in the tour's first event of 2014. Smith, whose last victory on the tour was in November of 2011 at the same location, had to get by hometown threat, Rick Mosiello (aka Limo), twice to capture the event title. The $1,000-added event drew 37 entrants to Mickey Milligan's Billiards in New Bern, NC.
They met first in the hot seat match, once Smith had sent Zach Wilson to the loss side 9-7 and the 70-something Mosiello had dispatched Josh Heeter 5-1. Smith, who'd come from the loss side in his 2011 win on the tour, got into the hot seat this time with a 9-3 win over Mosiello, and waited on his return.
Over on the loss side, Nolan Leonard and Chris McSorley were waiting for Wilson and Heeter. Leonard, who'd been sent to the loss side by Smith from among the final 16 winners, had defeated Terri Faulk 7-2 and Wayne Haire 7-3. McSorley had gotten by Gary Hill 7-3 and Adam Bryan 7-6 (It was Bryan that Smith had faced and defeated in the finals of the 2011 event). Leonard and McSorley handed Wilson and Heeter their second straight loss, both double hill, and advanced to meet each other in the quarterfinals.
Leonard completed his six-match, loss-side winning streak with a 7-5 win over McSorley, but fell to Mosiello, double hill, in the semifinals. Smith secured the event title by defeating Mosiello a second time in the opening set of the finals 9-4.
Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked Gerry Shepherd and his staff at Mickey Milligan's, along with sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta 13 Racks, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Tiger Products, Ozone Billiards and Lomax Custom Cues. The next stop on the GSBT is scheduled for January 11-12 at Shore Thing Billiards in Myrtle Beach, SC.
Younger Chapman stopped a loss-side challenge by Delton Howard to win the second set of a true double elimination final and claim a Great Southern Billiard Tour event title on the weekend of September 14-15. The $1,000-added Amateur event drew 32 entrants to Mickey Milligan's Billiards in New Bern, NC.
They almost met in the hot seat match. Chapman dominated his winners' side semifinal against Nolan Leonard 7-1, but in a straight-up, race-to-9, Larry Faulk sent Howard to the loss side 9-3. Chapman, with Faulk racing to 9, got into the hot seat with a 7-5 win.
Howard moved over and picked up William Roberts, who'd defeated Danny Farin 7-2, and Charlie Brinson 7-5 to reach him. Leonard drew Greg Smith, who'd gotten by Sammy Jones 9-4 and Sidney Champion 9-2. Howard took his first loss-side match 9-2 over Roberts, while Smith handed Leonard his second straight loss by the same score.
Howard ended Smith's loss-side journey 9-5 in the quarterfinals, earning himself a re-match against Faulk in the semifinals. Though Faulk would end up winning more games over their two matches (16), Howard won the critical second match 9-7 and got a shot at Chapman in the hot seat.
He took full advantage, winning the opening set 9-6. Chapman, though, rallied in the second set, to reach his required games (7), two ahead of Howard to claim the title.
Shannon and Marge Daulton thanked the ownership and staff at Mickey Milligan's Billiards, as well as sponsors Nick Varner Cues & Cases, Delta 13 Racks, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Tiger Products, Ozone Billiards and Lomax Custom Cues. The GSBT's next event, a $2,000-added, amateur 8-ball/9-ball tournament, will be hosted by Michael's Billiards in Fairfield, OH on the weekend of September 28-29.
