Jason Blackwell
According to our records prior to this past weekend (Sat., Feb. 24), Jason Blackwell had cashed in 14 stops on the PremierBilliards.com’s Q City 9-Ball Tour dating back to 2016. During that time, his highest finish was runner-up at the 2nd Annual Ron Park Memorial Tournament in 2022 (a Scotch Doubles event, he shared the finish with Mallory Walters). He broke through last Saturday, going undefeated through a small, 20-entrant field to claim his first, regional tour title at a $500-added event, hosted by The Clubhouse in Lynchburg, VA.
In a field dominated by players like Blackwell, racing to 6 (they represented nine of the 20), Blackwell only got to play one of them, in his opening match (after a bye) against Melvin Shelton, defeating him 6-1. He then downed Brent Worth, racing to 7, 6-3 and drew Jonathan Hernandez, also racing to 7, in one of the winners’ side semifinals.
Steven Ellis in the meantime, racing to 7, defeated (in order) a 5, Dylan Neighbors and a 7, Stevie McClinton, both 7-3. He drew Nathan Worley, racing to 6, in the other winners’ side semifinal.
Ellis caught something of a ‘gear’ in his winners’ side semifinal, shutting out Worley and advancing to the hot seat match. Blackwell joined him after defeating Hernandez 6-5. Blackwell claimed the hot seat 6-4 over Ellis and waited on his return.
On the loss side, Hernandez picked up McClinton, who’d followed his loss to Ellis with victories over Robert Cuneo, double hill, and Quan Douglas 7-1. James Boddy, who’d lost his opening-round match to Clinton, won three on the loss side – 6-1 over Neighbors, a shutout over Christoper Pyle and 6-5 victory over Brent Worth (racing to 7) – to draw Worley.
In a straight-up race to 7, Hernandez downed McClinton 7-1 and advanced to the quarterfinals. In a straight-up race to 6, Worley downed Boddy 6-2 and joined him.
Worley and Hernandez battled to double hill in those quarterfinals before Hernandez prevailed, advancing to the semifinals versus Ellis. In another double-hill battle, Ellis defeated Hernandez in those semifinals, earning himself a second shot against Blackwell.
Blackwell bore down just a little harder than he had in the hot seat match, winning the only set of what might have been a two-set final. He claimed his first (recorded) regional tour title, downing Ellis a second time, 6-3.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked Chris England and his Clubhouse staff for their hospitality and sponsorship of the tour, along with title sponsor PremierBilliards.com, BarPoolTables.net (Randy Tate), TKO Custom Cues and Realty One Group results (Kirk Overcash), Dirty South Grind Apparel (Angela Harlan-Parker), Federal Savings Bank (Alex Narod), CHC Underground (Chris Clary) and AZBilliards.
The next stop on the PremierBilliards.com’s Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend (March 2-30, will be hosted by Overtime Bar & Grill in Columbia, SC.
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