Dustin Lackey
The first time the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour paid a visit to Sonny’s Billiards in Princeton, WV, back in October, 2020, one of the venue’s local players, Wayne Hubbard, broke through to win his first (recorded) cash payout and event title, anywhere. And defeated tour veteran Hank Powell, twice, in the finals, to do it. Hubbard returned to the ‘scene of the crime’ last weekend (March 13-14) in search of his second win. For the second time, he made it to the winners’ side semifinals before being sent to the loss side, but this time, he didn’t return. The man who sent him over, Dustin Lackey, advanced to claim the hot seat, which became his last win when he and BJ Ussery later opted out of a final match and split the top two prizes. The $1,000-added event drew 34 entrants to Sonny’s Billiards.
Lackey’s advance to the hot seat match, 7-3 over Hubbard, led to a battle between him (Lackey) and Dwain Barberie, who’d survived a double hill match versus Scott Largen. Lackey claimed the hot seat 7-3 over Barberie and waited on negotiations for the split with BJ Ussery.
Ussery, in the meantime, was at work on an 88% winning-average in the seven matches he’d end up playing on the loss side. He’d been awarded an opening round bye and defeated Joey Supphin 12-1, before running into Mark Williams, who sent him to the loss side 5-4. From that point on, Ussery gave up only 14 racks in the next 98 games. He gave up one of those to Tim Crigler and another to Ricky Bingham just before drawing Hubbard, coming over from the winners’ side semifinal. Largen picked up Reid Vance, who’d recently eliminated Mark Williams 7-3 and Mike Clevinger, double hill.
Ussery gave up another rack eliminating Hubbard 12-1, as (with deliberate alliteration) Vance advanced to the quarterfinals over Largen 7-4. Vance put up what, under the circumstances, would have to be considered a ‘fight’ in the quarterfinals, but fell to Ussery 12-4.
Ussery repeated that score in the semifinals. He’d given up 11 racks total through his first seven matches, and gave up eight in his last two. The last one, in his 7-4 semifinal victory over Dwain Barberie, sent them both home. His top-prizes-split negotiations with Lackey, waiting for him in the hot seat, sent everybody home.
Tour director Herman Parker thanked Jason Paitsel, Jonathan Brockman and their Sonny’s Billiards’ staff for their hospitality, as well as title sponsor Viking Cues, BarPoolTables.net, AZBilliards, Federal Savings Bank Mortgage Division and Dirty South Grind Apparel Co. The next stop on the Viking Cues’ Q City 9-Ball Tour, scheduled for this weekend, March 20-21, will be a $500-added ($1,000 with 48+) event, hosted by Randolph’s Billiards in Hickory, NC.
