Mike Davis - File photos courtesy of Bob Beaulieu
Mike Davis took the undefeated route, while Cheryl Pritchard opted for the loss-side challenge as her path to victory. Both were winners in the first annual Virginia State 8-Ball Championships, held under the auspices of the Virginia-based Action Pool Tour. Both events, held on the weekend of April 27-28, were hosted by Q-Master Billiards in Virginia Beach, VA. The Men's event drew 47 entrants, while the Women's event drew a short field of six.
Davis and Pritchard actually faced each other in the opening round of the Open event. Davis shut the eventual Women's champion out in that opening round and went on to defeat Dave Hunt, Kevin West, and Jordan Grubb, before meeting up with Chris Futrell among the winners' side final four. Brandon Shuff and Reymart Lin squared off in the other winners' side semifinal. Davis sent Futrell west 7-4, and was met in the hot seat match by Shuff, who'd downed Lin 7-2. Davis got into the hot seat with a 7-4 win over Shuff and waited for what turned out to be the return of Shaun Wilkie.
Wilkie, who'd been sent to the loss side by Shuff in the third round, was in the midst of a seven-match winning streak that would propel him into the finals. He defeated Shane Buchanan, Danny Mastermaker, Jordan Grubb and R.J. Carmona to pick up Lim, coming out of the winners' side final four. Futrell drew Brett Stottlemyer, current ranking leader on the Action Pool Tour, who'd been sent to the loss side by Carmona, and was on a four-match, loss-side winning streak of his own. He'd gotten by Darren Musser, Chad Pike, and survived a double hill match against Vernon Steinke to draw Futrell.
Wilkie advanced to the quarterfinals with a 5-3 win over Lim, and was met by Futrell, who'd eliminated Stottlemyer 5-2. Wilkie then defeated Futrell 5-2, and completely shut out Shuff in the semifinals. He wasn't as fortunate in the finals, however, as Davis completed his undefeated run with a 7-4 win to claim the top prize.
It took Cheryl Pritchard four matches to claim the Women's title, and one of them was a loss. She was awarded a bye in the opening round, and defeated Ann Bellamy for the right to meet Jackie Rivera in the battle for the hot seat. Rivera got by Daisy Blancaflor and Kristine Wylie for her chance at the hot seat. Rivera got into the hot seat with a 7-4 victory over Pritchard.
Pritchard moved west and for the second time, faced Bellamy, who'd defeated Blancaflor and Wylie to get into the semifinals. Pritchard gave up only a single rack against Bellamy and got a second chance against Rivera. She took full advantage, taking the opening set 7-3 and surviving a double hill second set to claim the Women's title.
Open
1st Mike Davis $1,600
2nd Shaun Wilkie $1,000
3rd Brandon Shuff $700
4th Chris Futrell $500
5th Reymart Lim $300
Brett Stottlemyer
7th R.J. Carmona $200
Vernon Steinke
9th Dave Hunt $100
Jordan Grubb
Chad Pike
Women's
1st Cheryl Pritchard $400
2nd Jackie Rivera $200
