There was reportedly some Mid-Atlantic area competition with tournaments over the weekend of March 17-18, and it had an impact on entrants who signed on to the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour stop at Q Master Billiards in Virginia Beach, VA on that weekend. Chuck Cuneo and Mike Hancock joined the ranks of 22 players who did compete in the $250-added event, and in the end, with Cuneo in the hot seat, and Hancock coming back from the semifinals, they opted to split the top two prizes.
Cuneo advanced through two matches to reach a winners’ side semifinal match against Bernard Andico, while Hancock faced Brian Lane in the other one. Cuneo got into the hot seat match with a 6-6 win over Andico, who was racing to 8. Cuneo was joined by Hancock, who’d sent Lane west 7-1. Cuneo downEd Hancock 6-5 (Hancock to 7) to claim the hot seat.
On the loss side, in the first money round, Andico picked up Dwight Cherry, who’d defeated Ken Miller 9-5 and Mike Hughes 9-6 to reach him. Lane drew Jim Bird, who’d gotten by Brandon Fitchett 8-2 and Lance Luke 8-4.
Lane advanced to the quarterfinals 7-6 over Bird (racing to 8), and was joined by Cherry, who’d eliminated Andico 9-7. Lane and Cherry locked up in a double hill fight for advancement to the semifinals, which Lane won (7-8).
Lane got into his second straight double hill match, this one in a straight-up race to 7, against Hancock in the semifinals. It proved to be the last match of the weekend, with Hancock advancing to the finals, and then, by mutual agreement, splitting the top two prizes with hot-seat occupant Cuneo.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Cue Time, 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 March 24-25, will be hosted by Brown’s Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
Eighteen months ago, Dustin Coe split a two-set final with Mike Hancock, winning the second set to capture his first Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour title at Janet Atwell’s Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN. On the weekend of January 20-21, he was having none of that. At an event that drew 53 entrants to Borderline Billiards, he took the opening set of a true double elimination final against Dalton Messer to chalk up his second Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball title.
Coe faced separate opponents in the hot seat and finals of this one. He got into the hot seat match with a 6-3 win over Mike Chapman, while Messer was being defeated by 15-year-old Cameron Lawhorne 5-3. Coe claimed the hot seat with a 6-1 victory over Lawhorne and waited on Messer’s return.
On the loss side, Messer picked up Scott Howard, who’d defeated Bear Mullins 7-4 and Brandon Kidwell 7-5 to reach him. Chapman drew Brandon Stiltner, who’d eliminated his older brother, Junior Stiltner, and Matt Shaw, both 6-2.
Messer advanced to the quarterfinals 5-4 over Howard (Howard racing to 7). Chapman did not. He was downed by Stiltner 6-3. Messer took completely different paths to win his next two matches and a shot at Coe in the hot seat. He shut out Stiltner 5-0 in the quarterfinals and then, survived a double hill match against Lawhorne in the semifinals.
Coe was taking no chances. He came out gunning in the opening set, allowing Messer only a single rack to claim his second Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked Janet Atwell and her staff at Borderline Billiards, 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 the weekend of January 27-28, will be hosted by Corner Pockets in Fayetteville, NC.
In what was his second win on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour (his first was in 2015), Daniel Adams won eight matches on the loss side of the event's double elimination bracket to meet and defeat hot seat occupant Trey Frank in an agreed-upon single match final. The event drew 33 entrants to the site of Adams' first victory on the tour, The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
After being awarded an opening round bye, Adams won a single match before being sent to the loss side by Mike Hancock. From there, Adams began his eight-match, loss-side trip back to the finals.
His eventual opponent in the finals, Trey Frank, in the meantime, advanced to a winners' side semifinal against Cameron Lawhorne. Travis Guerra and Brent Hensley squared off in the other winners' side semifinal. Frank got into the hot seat match with a 7-3 win over Lawhorne, and was joined by Guerra, who'd sent Hensley west 6-3. Frank claimed the hot seat 7-1, and waited and watched as Adams completed his run to meet him.
Halfway through his eight-match, loss-side run, Adams downed Jordan Shifflett 7-2, and then defeated Scott Roberts, double hill, to pick up Hensley. Lawhorne drew Shane Wolford, who'd defeated Brian Bryant 8-7 (Brian racing to 9), and Collin Hall 8-2 to reach him (Hall had spoiled any re-match hopes that Adams had been entertaining by defeating Hancock in the previous loss-side round).
Adams and Wolford handed Hensley and Lawhorne their second straight loss; Adams downing Hensley, double hill, and Wolford sending Lawhorne home 8-3. With Wolford racing to 8, Adams took the subsequent quarterfinal match 7-6, and completed his loss-side run with a 7-3 victory over Guerra in the semifinals.
By mutual agreement, Adams and Frank opted out of the tour's normal "true double elimination" final format and allowed a single match to determine the outcome. The single match went double hill and gave Adams his second Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse for their hospitality, 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 this weekend (April 22-23), will be hosted by a new venue for the tour, the 21 Pool Room in Charleston, WV.
Each, having chalked up a victory against the other, Mike Hancock and Jody Musselman opted out of a final deciding match and split the top two prizes on the December 17-18, last 2016 stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour. The event drew 41 entrants to Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
They met first in a winners' side semifinal. With Musselman racing to 7, Hancock advanced to the hot seat match 6-5. He was met by Jonathan "Hennessee from Tennessee" Pinegar, who'd sent Alex Boles to the loss side 12-1. Hancock claimed the hot seat over Pinegar 6-4, and waited on Musselman's return.
Musselman began his three-match trek back to the finals again Jonathan Ailstock, who'd defeated Mike Robertson 6-3, and Zach Hampton 6-6 (Hampton racing to 9) to reach him. Boles drew James Parks, who'd gotten by Kevin Albaba and Brandon Helton, both 5-2.
Musselman eliminated Ailstock 7-4, and was met in the quarterfinals by Parks, who'd defeated Boles, double hill (5-3). Musselman then eliminated Parks 7-2 in those quarterfinals, and went on to defeat Pinegar 7-7 in the semifinals (Pinegar racing to 12).
Though they'd come within a game of double hill in their winners' side semifinal match, Musselman took control of the opening set in their true double elimination final, winning it 7-2. They opted out of a second, deciding match, leaving hot seat occupant Hancock as the official winner, and splitting the top two prizes.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked Janet Atwell and her staff at Borderline Billiards, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, Ruthless Billiards, GoPlayPool.com, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. Parker also extended best holiday wishes to all participants, sponsors, and room owners for their support in 2016.
The 2017 Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour will commence with the 2016 Tour Championships, scheduled for January 7-8. The $1,000-added event is an invitation-only tournament among the tour's top 80 players in 2016, and will be hosted by Brass Tap in Raleigh, NC.
Collin Hall has already pocketed more winnings this year than he has in three previously recorded years playing on a combination of the Great Southern Billiard Tour and the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour. He won a stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour last August, and on Saturday, November 19, he chalked up his second, taking two out of three versus Jeff Young to secure the title. The event drew 39 entrants to The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
They met first in the hot seat match. Hall had sent Scott Roberts to the loss side in a double hill, winners' side semifinal, as Young was busy defeating Matt Booth in a second double hill, winners' side semifinal. Hall claimed the hot seat 6-2 and waited for the return of Young.
On the loss side, Booth and Roberts got right back to work. Booth drew Jody Musselman, who'd defeated Bernie Kirby 7-2, and J.P. Ringgold 7-4 to reach him. Roberts picked up Jonathan Ailstock, who'd eliminated Mike Hancock and Ronald Meeks, both 7-1. Booth downed Musselman, double hill, and in the quarterfinals faced Roberts who'd dispatched Ailstock 8-4.
Booth took the quarterfinal match over Roberts 6-4, earning himself a re-match against Young in the semifinals. Young, though, looking for his own re-match redemption, ended Booth's two-match, loss-side run in those semifinals 4-3 (Booth racing to 6).
Young and Hall won the same number of games (4) in the opening set of the true double elimination final, but with Hall racing to six, Young took the set victory to force a second round. Hall broke their 1-1 match tie with a 6-2 win in the second set to claim the event title.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked the ownership and staff at The Clubhouse, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, Delta 13 Racks, Ruthless Billiards, GoPlayPool.com, AZBilliards and Professor Q Ball. The next stop on the Viking Cues' Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled over the Thanksgiving Day weekend (November 26-27), will be a $500-added event, hosted by Cue Time in Spartanburg, SC.
Dustin Coe, sitting in the hot seat during the June 4-5 event on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, might well have assumed that to win the title, he'd have to beat his hot seat opponent, Jonathan Ailstock, a second time. As it turned out, he faced a friend of Ailstock's, Mike Hancock, who'd won seven on the loss side, and won the opening set of the true double elimination final. Coe took the second set and won the event that had drawn 56 entrants to Borderline Billiards in Bristol, TN.
Coe and Ailstock squared off in the hot seat match, once Coe had sent Darren Musser to the loss side 5-5 (Musser racing to 7), and Ailstock had shut out Cole Parsons. Coe chalked up a second 5-5 win (Ailstock, as well, racing to 7), and sat in the hot seat, waiting on Hancock.
Hancock survived a double hill match against Musser, and in the quarterfinals, faced Parsons, who'd defeated Roberts 5-4 (Roberts racing to 7). Over the next three matches, Hancock gave up a total of four racks; two in winning the quarterfinal match against Parsons, none in the semifinal matchup against his friend, Jonathan Ailstock, and two, in the opening set of the true double elimination final versus Coe.
Coe reversed his fortunes in the second set. He allowEd Hancock only a single rack and claimed the event title with a 5-1 win.
Although Borderline Billiards' owner, Janet Atwell, was in Virginia, competing in the National Pool Tour's 10-Ball Women's Invitational Tour, director Herman Parker thanked her and her staff, as well as sponsors Viking Cues and Delta-13 Racks. The next stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for June 11-12, will be hosted by Brass Tap Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
Mike Hancock had the good fortune to run into a forfeit victory in the finals of the February 20-21 stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour. His potential opponent, Brian Bryant, had been defeated in the second round of play, and won nine straight matches on the loss side for the right to meet Hancock, but a family situation forced Bryant to leave and forfeit the final match. The event drew 48 entrants to Clubhouse Billiards in Lynchburg, VA.
With Bryant, long at work on the loss side, Hancock advanced to a winners' side semifinal match against Collin Hall. Matt Fiple, in the meantime, met up with Zach Hampton. Hancock defeated Hall 6-5, and in the hot seat match, faced Fiple, who'd sent Hampton to the west bracket 7-4. Hancock claimed the hot seat 6-4 over Fiple, in what would prove to be his last match.
Over on the loss side, Bryant was mowing 'em down, one by one. With four notches on his loss-side belt, he defeated Chuckie Brown 9-4 and Scott Largen 9-5 to draw Hall. Hampton picked up Danny Mastermaker, who'd downed his brother, Joey, 10-5 and defeated Beuford Lusk 10-4.
Bryant moved on to the quarterfinals with a 9-4 win over Hall. He was joined by Hampton, who'd ended Mastermaker's weekend 9-7. Bryant eliminated Hampton 9-6, and won what proved to be his last match 9-4, over Matt Fiple in the semifinals. His subsequent forfeit left the event title in Hancock's hands.
Jonathan Ailstock ended 2015 with a third place finish in the Action Pool Tour's Season Finale, behind the tour's #1 and #2-ranked players, Brandon Shuff and Shaun Wilkie. He fell to Wilkie in the hot seat match, and then, Shuff (who went on to win the event) in the semifinals. Ailstock started 2016 on an equally positive note, going undefeated to take first place in the February 6 stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour. The event drew 55 entrants to Chandley's Chalk and Cue in Statesville, NC.
There were a couple of 'wild cards' in the race; professional Jeffrey Ignacio, who, while a majority of the players raced to anywhere from 6 to 9, had to reach 13 to win a match, and Jeff Abernathy, who had to reach 11 in his matches. They both advanced to the winners' side semifinals. Ignacio faced Ailstock (racing to 6), while Abernathy squared off against 17-year-old Justin Martin (racing to 9). Ailstock sent Ignacio to the loss side 6-7, while Abernathy downEd Martin 11-5. Ailstock claimed the hot seat 6-8 over Abernathy and waited on his return, which didn't happen until about 3 a.m. on Sunday morning.
On the loss side, Ignacio picked up Rick Roper, who'd gotten by Scott Lewis 7-5 (Lewis racing to 10), and Ron Frank 7-6 (Frank racing to 9). Martin drew Mike Hancock, who'd defeated Mike Robertson 6-3 and Jody Musselman, double hill. Roper ended Ignacio's day 6-6, while Martin survived a double hill match against Hancock (9-5).
Martin then defeated Roper 9-3 in the quarterfinals. Abernathy ended Martin's run 11-4 to earn a second shot against Ailstock in the hot seat. With Abernathy racing to 11, and needing to defeat Ailstock twice, Ailstock completed his undefeated run with a 6-7 victory in the only set necessary.
The next stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour will be the 2nd Annual North Carolina 9-Ball State Championships, scheduled for February 13-14. The $1,000-added event will be hosted by Brass Tap & Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
