Josh Heeter
They were both looking for their second PremierBilliards.com’s Q City 9-Ball Tour title. Both had won their first tour title (ever) earlier in the year. Heeter went undefeated to claim his first tour title, defeating Larry Hughes in the finals of an April stop in Winston-Salem, NC, while Justin Knuckles chalked up his first at an event in Cary, NC just over two weeks ago (July 29-30), when he came from the loss side and downed Christy Norris twice in a double-elimination final. The two met three times this past weekend (Aug. 12-13), in the hot seat and twice in the finals. Knuckles took the first, but Heeter took both sets of the true double-elimination final to snare that oft-elusive second title. The $250-added event drew 30 entrants to Mickey Milligan’s in New Bern, NC.
“It wasn’t a big field,” noted tour director Herman Parker, “but it was a strong field.”
An attempt to have the event play out over a single day was unsuccessful, as the bracket narrowed to a final four. Sunday rolled around and the four embarked on a journey to determine how the event’s four payouts were going to be divided.
“Heeter’s play was awesome all weekend,” said Parker.
That hot seat match followed Heeter’s 9-3 victory over Jeff Underwood in one of the winners’ side semifinals and Knuckles’ 7-2 defeat of Jason Futrell in the other one. Knuckles grabbed the hot seat 7-5 and waited for Heeter’s return.
On the loss side, on Saturday, Eddie Almonte had advanced through the field and reached the four matches that would determine who finished in the tie for 9th/12th. His opponent was to have been his son, Eddie, Jr. That match didn’t happen, son waving Dad through to the 7/8 matches, where Dad defeated Greg Smith 6-5 (Smith racing to 8) and then, drew Futrell, fresh off his winners’ side loss to Knuckles. Underwood drew Jack Whitfield who had defeated Jerry Cannon 7-2 and Glenn Weatherly 7-3 to reach him.
Almonte (Sr.) shut Futrell out, as Underwood eliminated Whitfield 7-2. Everybody’s Saturday was over.
Almonte took the quarterfinal match over Underwood on Sunday 6-5 (Underwood racing to 7). Josh Heeter made Almonte’s Sunday return a single-match affair, defeating him 9-3 in the semifinals. Heeter took the opening set of the true double-elimination final 9-2. Knuckles added two racks to his second-set effort, but Heeter downed him a second time 9-4 to claim the event title.
Tour director Parker thanked Jacob and Kayla (Shepherd) Corley and their Mickey Milligan’s staff for their hospitality, along with title sponsor PremierBilliards.com, Bar PoolTables.net, Realty One Group Results, TKO Custom Cues (Kirk Overcash), Dirty South Grind Apparel Company (Angela Harlan-Parker), Diamond Brat (Tonya Crosby), Federal Savings Bank/Mortgage division (Alex Narod) and AZBilliards. The next stop on the Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend, August 19-20, will be a $250-added event, hosted by Big Backs Burgers & Grill in Princeton, WV.
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