Jason Brattain
A week ago (March 24-25), Jason Brattain won five matches on the loss side of a Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball stop and then, the opening set of a true double elimination final against another Jason (Rogers). Rogers rallied in the second set to claim the event title. Perhaps believing that more time on the loss side would result in a different outcome, Brattain won seven matches on the loss side during the March 31-April 1 stop on the tour and won both sets of a double elimination final against Mike Bumgarner to claim his first Q City 9-Ball title. The event drew 25 entrants to Randolph’s Billiards in Hickory, NC.
With Brattain already at work on the loss side, having lost to Oscar Espinoza in the event’s second round, Bumgarner advanced to a winners’ side semifinal against Randall Bowman, which he won 7-3. He was joined in the hot seat match by Collin Hall, who’d defeated Steve Hughes in the other winners’ side semifinal 6-2. Bumgarner punctuated his winners’ side exploits with a shutout over Hall and waited for Brattain to meet him in the finals.
With two notches on his loss-side belt, Brattain downed Tyson Key 6-4, and then Daniel Gambill 6-6 (Gambill racing to 9), to enter the event’s first money round against Bowman. Hughes drew Jerry Hilton, who’d defeated Espinoza 7-3 (spoiling any thoughts Brattain may have been entertaining of a re-match) and Jeff Young 7-2.
Brattain gave up only a single rack to Bowman and advanced to the quarterfinals. Hughes, in the meantime, downed Hilton 7-3 to join him. Brattain then downEd Hughes 6-3 in those quarterfinals.
In a straight-up race to 6, Brattain and Hall battled to double hill, before Brattain completed his loss side trip and turned to face Bumgarner in the true double elimination finals. Brattain took the opening set 6-4, and though Bumgarner battled in the second set to force a 12th deciding game (Bumgarner racing to 7), Brattain dropped the final ball and claimed the event title.
Tour directors Herman and Angela Parker thanked the ownership and staff at Randolph’s 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 April 7-8, will be hosted by a new venue on the tour, Carolina Billiards in Garner, NC.
