by InsidePOOL Staff

An undefeated B. J. Ussery won top honors at the January 14-15 stop of the Great Southern Billiard Tour, as he breezed through the field to best Mike Fuller in the final match. The $1,500-added amateur 9-ball event drew 42 players to Brown’s Billiards in Raleigh, NC.

An undefeated B. J. Ussery won top honors at the January 14-15 stop of the Great Southern Billiard Tour, as he breezed through the field to best Mike Fuller in the final match.

Ussery’s run wasn’t without its challenges, though. After sending Younger Chapman to the one-loss side 11-5, he went on to face Fuller, who had just bested Brad Shearer 11-5, for the first time in the event in the hot seat match. Their first meeting in the tournament went hill-hill, with Ussery eking out the 11-10 win.

Once on the west side of the chart, Chapman and Shearer soon found themselves tied for fifth place courtesy of James Blackburn 7-8 and Brian White 11-6, respectively. White went on to topple Blackburn in the quarterfinal match 11-6 and advance to the semifinals.

In a narrow 11-9 decision, it was Fuller who won and earned a rematch with Ussery in the finals. It was another close call, but Fuller still could not get past Ussery, who took the title 11-9.

Results:
1st B. J. Ussery $1,000
2nd Mike Fuller $500
3rd Brian White $300
4th James Blackburn $200
5th Younger Chapman $155
Brad Shearer
7th Vernon Rogers $90
Larry Kressel

by Lea Andrews

After a third-round loss to Cary Dunn, Steven Page took the long way to ultimate victory at the Great Southern Billiard Tour’s August 14-15 stop, which drew 56 players to Speakeazy Billiards in Sanford, NC. The $1,500-added event was sponsored by Nick Varner Cues and Cases, as well as Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, for which tour director Shannon “The Cannon” Daulton is now a player representative.

After a third-round loss to Cary Dunn, Steven Page took the long way to ultimate victory at the Great Southern Billiard Tour’s August 14-15 stop, which drew 56 players to Speakeazy Billiards in Sanford, NC.

On the one-loss side, A-ranked Chris Adams, who’d taken a first-round 11-1 hit from AA-ranked Jeff Abernathy, ousted B-ranked James Blackburn 9-6 and A-ranked David King 9-5 to face Hallett. Meanwhile, Page was taking down B players Asia Cycak 9-3 and Lay Thammajong 9-3 to meet back up with Dunn. He got his vengeance with his 9-7 victory, plus a spot in the quarterfinals against Adams, who’d put Hallett in fifth 9-5. It was the end of the road for Adams, though, as he finished in fourth 9-6. In the semifinals, Gladden was looking for a rematch with Russell, but Page had his eye on the finals, and he got there by keeping Gladden two racks shy of his goal—Page moved on 9-7.

In the first set of the true double-elimination final match, Page and Russell fought to hill-hill, but when Russell scratched on the 8 ball, the set went to Page. The second set was a virtual replica of the first, stretching out once again to hill-hill, when another error on the 8 ball cost Russell the game, set, match, and tournament. Victory belonged to Page 9-8, his first on the Great Southern Billiard Tour.

Results:
1st Steven Page $1,000
2nd Glenn Russell $500
3rd Hope Gladden $250
4th Chris Adams $170
5th Dana Hallett $125
Cary Dunn
7th David King $75
Lay Thammajong
9th James Blackburn $45
Chris Vollmar
Larry Faulk
Asia Cycak

by Lea Andrews

Two first-time finalists met up at the June 5-6 stop of the Great Southern Billiard Tour, and it was Brad Smith who emerged the first-time winner. Smith and runner-up Jerry Hilton faced off at Zoo City Billiards in Asheboro, NC, where 32 entrants vied for the $1,500-added purse.

Having coasted through the winners’ side, B-ranked Smith pushed aside fellow B-player JR Poste to reach the hot seat match against AA-ranked Derek “Chew” Leonard, who’d sent A-ranked Adam Stanton west 10-4. Smith’s strong 7-6 victory over Leonard earned him the hot seat, while Leonard moved over to the semifinals to try for the rematch.

On the left side of the bracket, B-ranked Wayne Briles ousted AA-ranked Jeff Abernathy 7-1 and A-ranked Chris Adams 7-7 to meet up with Poste. Meanwhile, B-ranked Hilton, who’d taken a second-round hill-hill 10-6 loss to Abernathy, notched solid wins over A-ranked Glenn Russell 7-6 and B-ranked James Blackburn 7-1 to reach Stanton. Holding Stanton one game shy of his goal of 9, Hilton advanced 7-8 to the semifinals against Briles, who’d edged out Poste 7-6. Dealing Briles his own 7-6 loss, Hilton moved on to Leonard in the semifinals, where another hill-hill match ensued. Once again, Hilton came out on top, advancing to Smith in the finals 7-9.

Two first-time finalists met up at the June 5-6 stop of the Great Southern Billiard Tour, and it was Brad Smith who emerged the first-time winner.

Results:
1st Brad Smith $1,000
2nd Jerry Hilton $500
3rd Derek Leonard $300
4th Wayne Briles $150
5th Adam Stanton $55
JR Poste

by Lea Andrews

While head coach Sean Payton was leading the New Orleans Saints to their first Super Bowl victory at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, another Payton—Roy—was finishing up an undefeated weekend at Zoo City Saloon in Asheboro, NC. He did so at the expense of the field of 30 who gathered February 6-7 for the $1,500-added Great Southern Billiards Tour event.

B-ranked Payton got past fellow B-player Jeff Baumgarner 7-2 to reach the hot seat match against A-ranked Tony Morrison, who’d gotten by A-ranked Kevin Boggs 9-7. In the weighted race for the hot seat, though Payton notched one less game, he scored the win 7-8.

On the one-loss side, B-ranked Charles “Cotton” Trivett eased by B-ranked Robert Ash 7-3 to meet up with Paul Mullins, who’d ousted fellow A-player Sidney Champion 9-7. After taking care of Mullins 7-4, Trivett moved on to Baumgarner. Meanwhile, B-ranked James Blackburn held B-ranked Joe Edmonds to three games to face Mike Basha, who’d held fellow B-player Tony Williams to four games. Edging out Basha 7-6, Blackburn advanced to Boggs, but landed in fifth after managing just two games. In the quarterfinals, Boggs met Baumgarner, who’d put Trivett in fifth 7-5, and though Boggs managed to reach his hill of 8 games, Baumgarner marked up the final rack, earning his spot in the semifinals 7-8. There he found himself in another tight hill-hill match with an A-player, which, fortunately for Baumgarner, yielded the same result—he put Morrison in third 7-8 to get his rematch with Payton in the finals.

In the true double-elimination final match, Payton could afford to get behind or even lose the first set, but he hadn’t lost a set all weekend, and he wasn’t about to start. After jumping out to a two-game lead, Payton stayed in front, and when Baumgarner missed his chance to tie it up by scratching on the 5 ball at 6-5, Payton took ball in hand and the final rack to earn his win 7-5.

While head coach Sean Payton was leading the New Orleans Saints to their first Super Bowl victory at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, another Payton—Roy—was finishing up an undefeated weekend at Zoo City Saloon in Asheboro, NC.

by Lea Andrews

Sam Monday, an extremely familiar face in the late rounds of the Great Southern Billiard Tour, went undefeated November 7-8 through a talented field to earn his first win on the tour this season. Monday and 71 other players gathered at Speakeazy Billiards in Sanford, NC, for the $1,500-added event.

AA-ranked Monday breezed past A-ranked Larry Faulk 11-2 to arrive in the hot seat match versus B-ranked Scott Johnson, who’d gone hill-hill 7-8 against A-ranked Eric Charlton, who was racing to 9. Cruising to victory once again, Monday allowed Johnson just two games to claim the hot seat.

On the left side of the bracket, Chuck Cuneo eased by James Blackburn 7-2 to face Michael Fuller, who’d ousted room owner Jimmy Bullis 11-6. Getting past Fuller 7-7, Cuneo moved on to Faulk and moved on 7-7 once again to the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, B-ranked Kevin Boggs edged out last stop’s winner Adam Pendley 7-10 to face another previous winner, B-ranked Brad Shearer, whom he held to 2 games. Boggs didn’t fare as well against the next former winner he faced, Charlton, who advanced hill-hill 9-6 to meet Cuneo, who’d been on a west-side mission to the finals since falling to Boggs in the first match he played. Cuneo wasn’t about to stop, and he moved decisively past Charlton 7-4 to face Johnson, managing to hold him at bay 7-6 to face Monday.

On the way to the finals, Monday had given up, on average, not even two games per match. Cuneo, therefore, did very well to manage four games in the only set of the true double-elimination finals. Cuneo’s valiant effort earned him second place, while Monday’s stellar play all weekend earned him first. Another winner, Terri Faulk, earned $50 as the highest-finishing lady.

Sam Monday, an extremely familiar face in the late rounds of the Great Southern Billiard Tour, went undefeated November 7-8 through a talented field to earn his first win on the tour this season.

Results:
1st Sam Monday $1,000
2nd Chuck Cuneo $500
3rd Scott Johnson $400
4th Eric Charlton $200
5th Kevin Boggs $125
Larry Faulk
7th Brad Shearer $75
Michael Fuller
9th Jack Miller $50
Adam Pendley
Jimmy Bullis
James Blackburn

by Skip Maloney

Steve Moore came back to take the top prize away from B.J. Ussery in the finals of the Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour stop the weekend of March 28-29. The $1,000-added open event drew 37 entrants to Gate City Billiards in Greensboro, NC.

Moore moved into the hot seat match of the tour’s open event after a 7-3 victory over Jeff Abernathy. Ussery, in the meantime, battled to hill-hill versus Scott Lewis before advancing to face Moore for the hot seat. Ussery made short work of Moore, dispatching him to the semifinals 7-1 to gain the hot seat.

For a while, the one-loss side was playing host to Earl Strickland and Mike Davis before Davis shut out Strickland and then went home himself on the heels of a hill-hill battle versus Jeff Bean. Bean advanced among the tournament’s final 12 but fell to Keith Bennett, who went on to face Lewis. Lay Thammavong, who faced Abernathy, dropped into the tie for fifth when Abernathy shut him out. Bennett advanced to the quarterfinals against Abernathy with a 7-5 win over Lewis. Bennett and Abernathy then battled to hill-hill before Bennett prevailed to take on Moore in the semifinals.

Bennett took an early lead, but Moore fought back to tie it. At hill-hill, Bennett missed a shot on the 3 ball and conceded the win to Moore, who turned back for a rematch versus Ussery in the finals. Moore opened the proceedings with a 2-9 combo, but Ussery came back right away to tie it. Moore ran two racks and so did Ussery, knotting them at 3-3, then traded single racks to tie it at 4. Moore won the next two to go up 6-4. Ussery made it 6-5, and Moore closed it out by winning the next three to capture the first-place prize.

The break contest, with a $150 first prize, was won by James Blackburn. Derek Leonard defeated Mike Maurer in the hot seat match 5-4 and finals 7-1 of the early bird tournament to bring home the first-place, $140 prize there. It was Bob Strandberg winning the last chance tournament, bringing home $110 with a 7-4 win in the finals over Ira Leonard. Jason Prevo won the four-entrant juniors’ event over Palmer Richardson. Prevo and Zach Leonard qualified for the Junior Nationals during the event. The five-entrant ladies’ tournament saw Becca Felds take home the $40 first prize, with a double-hill win over Shannon Forrester in the finals.

Steve Moore came back to take the top prize away from B.J. Ussery in the finals of the Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour stop the weekend of March 28-29.

Open Results:
1st Steve Moore $1,000
2nd B.J. Usssery $500
3rd Keith Bennett $325
4th Jeff Abernathy $225
5th Scott Lewis $150
Lay Thammavong
7th Jeff Bean $100
Chris Turner
9th Todd Nelson
Mike Davis
Bob Strandberg
Chris Vollmar