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Chapman goes undefeated to capture his first and what could be his last Q City 9-Ball title

Younger Chapman

He literally took a parting shot. After two years of playing on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, Younger Chapman has had what tour director Herman Parker called "several close calls," including four occasions in which he was runner-up, but until Saturday, June 20, Chapman had yet to chalk up a win on the tour. According to Parker, Chapman is moving to western Kentucky in a couple of weeks, and apparently decided that on his last event before the move, he'd go undefeated to win his first event on the Q City 9-Ball Tour. The tournament drew 26 entrants to Buck's Billiards in Raleigh, NC.
 
Chapman advanced to a winners' side semifinal and defeated J.T. Ringold 7-3. Chapman was joined in the hot seat match by Anthony Mabe, who'd sent Ty Griffin west 6-4. Chapman claimed the hot seat over Mabe 7-3 and waited on the return of Paul Swinson.
 
On the loss side, Griffin drew Swinson, who'd defeated Travis Geurra 7-4 and Shane Hardie 6-5. Ringold picked up Tracy Callahan, who'd gotten by Vernon Rogers 5-4 and Alan Shaw 5-2 to reach him. Swinson shut Griffin out, and in the quarterfinals, faced Callaghan, who'd eliminated Ringold 5-4. 
 
Swinson took the quarterfinal match, defeating Callaghan 6-4, and then spoiled Mabe's bid for a second shot against Chapman, by defeating him in the semifinals 6-5. Chapman took the opening set of the potential true double elimination final 7-3, and took that parting shot to claim the event title.

Ringold hangs on to chalk up his first win on the Great Southern Billiard Tour

Shannon Daulton, JT Ringold and Greg Smith

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.
 

Younger Chapman hangs on to win GSBT stop in New Bern, NC

Shannon Daulton, Younger Chapman, Delton Howard, & Gerry Shephard (owner of Mickey Milligans)

 

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.
 

Rudder and Demetro Decimate in Houston

Sonny Demetro and Chase Rudder

Chase Rudder dominated the Open 9-Ball division in this past weekend’s $1,000 added Poison by Predator Tour event which spawned 57 entries overall, held at Bogies Billiards & Sports Bar in Houston, Texas. Rudder annihilated North Carolina’s Younger Chapman, 9-1, in the final after an undefeated run where he held each of his victims at 4 games or less. Chapman, Great Southern Billiards Tour player and North Carolina State Senior Champion, succumbed to Rudder in the hot seat match, 9-1, after an impressive showing which included wins over resident players Brent Thomas and Bill Fuller.  The final four winners’ side saw #7 ranked Raul Escobedo fall to Rudder 9-4, while #9 ranked Will Felder fell to Chapman, 9-5. After a first round blow at the hands of Eric Hsu, Sonny “The Boss” Bosshamer won 6 consecutive matches including wins over Andy Jethwa, 7-6, and Escobedo, 7-1, but was stopped dead in his tracks by Felder, 7-2. Once again, Felder was defeated by Chapman, 7-4, settling for a respectable third place finish.
 
The Amateur 9-ball division saw Bobby Perez move swiftly through the winners’ side with wins over tour newcomer Matthew Sales, Bobby Garcia, and Steve Williams. On the final four winners’ side, Perez ousted Chuck Adams, 7-4, while the indomitable Sonny Demetro defeated Raul Escobedo, 7-4. After a first round loss to Jonathon Poon, Jerald “Topwater” Jackson won 6 consecutive matches including wins over Errol Sanders, Alex Cardenas, Mike White, and Jack Cavalier. Escobedo ended Jackson’s run, 5-3, but was eliminated by Adams, 5-1.  Hot seat action saw Demetro handily defeat Perez, 7-4, staging a rematch between Perez and Adams. Perez stayed the course, defeating Adams once again, 5-4, earning himself another shot at Demetro. In the final match both players were collected and calculating, shot for shot. Despite his raw determination, Perez fell short against the veteran player by the same score, 7-4.
 
The next event on the Poison by Predator Tour will be held Sunday, July 7th, 2013 at Bogies Billiards in Houston. The game will be 8-ball, played on 8’ Gandy tables with Simonis cloth and Aramith Pro Cup cue balls. 
 
This tour is title sponsored by Poison by Predator cues, www.poisonbilliards.com, endorses the Delta-13 Rack www.delta-13.com, and APA Leagues of North Harris County www.facebook.com/apanorthharriscounty

Ussery wins GSBT over familiar opponent

Shannon Daulton, BJ Ussery, Dave & Inky Huffman (owners of Browns Billiards), & Mike Fuller

The hot seat and finals of the Great Southern Billiard Tour (GSBT) stop on the weekend of January 14-15 was a familiar scene for Michael Fuller and B.J. Ussery. In 2011, the two met in the finals of the Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour six times, with Fuller winning all six of those final matchups. On the GSBT this past weekend, they were at it again, only this time, it was Ussery who survived their hot seat and final match to go undefeated. The $1,500 event drew 42 entrants to Brown’s Billiards in Raleigh, NC.

Their first matchup in this event occurred in the battle for the hot seat. They’d sent their winners’ side final four opponents west by identical 11-5 scores; Ussery over Younger Chapman and Fuller over Brad Shearer. They then battled to double hill, before Ussery prevailed to sit in the hot seat, waiting for Fuller’s return.

Fuller’s trip back was almost derailed by Brian White, who’d been sent to the loss side by Ussery in a winners’ side final eight contest. White then went on to chalk up four straight before falling to Fuller in the semifinals. White got by Johnny Griffin 11-7 and Larry Kressel 11-9 to pick up Shearer. Chapman drew James Blackburn, who’d defeated Dave Brown, double hill, and Vernon Rogers 7-5.  White moved into the quarterfinals with an 11-6 victory over Shearer, and was met by Blackburn, who’d survived a double hill struggle over Chapman. 

White advanced to the semifinals with an 11-6 victory over Blackburn, but had his four-match winning streak snapped by Fuller. Fuller dropped him into third place 11-9 and turned back for yet another finals match against Ussery. In the opening set of a potential true double elimination final, Ussery prevailed 11-9 to complete his undefeated weekend on the GSBT.

Tour director Shannon Daulton extended thanks to owners Dave and Inky Huffman and the staff of Brown’s Billiards, as well as sponsors Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Mike Davis Exterminating, Tiger Products and Delta-13 racks.

Later this month, Daulton will travel to Elizabeth, IN to “do some playing of (his) own” at the Derby City Classic, scheduled for January 20-28. Next stop on the GSBT will be February 11-12 at QMaster Billiards in Virginia Beach, VA.