Chamberlain Takes It in Two at the VA State Amateur Championship
Great Southern Billiard Tour / Midlothian, VA
by Lea Andrews
While most of Midlothian, VA’s 9-to-5ers were enjoying their morning coffee on June 1, Bobby Chamberlain was sinking his final 9 ball of the Virginia State Amateur Championship at Diamond Billiards. Chamberlain was among a field of 53 in the $1,500-added, A-B event that lasted through Sunday night and into the morning because of a combination of tight races, careful play, and a shorter Saturday agreed upon by the players.
Chamberlain made it far into the tournament before suffering his only loss, which came in the match for the hot seat. He’d just sent Chris Bruner west with a score of 9-4 when he came up against Sean Sporleder, who’d bested Chris Adams 9-8. Chamberlain fought hard for the rights to the hot seat but stopped on the hill just short of the win.
On the one-loss side, Sidney Champion and Sam Monday conquered Alan Duty 9-5 and Jonathan Hernandez 11-3, respectively, while Chris Futrell allowed Barry Lacy only one game, and Cary Dunn knocked Curtis Coleman out with a score of 11-7.
Monday and Champion then faced off, and though AA-ranked Monday marked up 10 games, putting him on the hill, A-ranked Champion filled his quota of 9 games, and Monday finished seventh, as did Futrell, who’d fallen 11-6 to Dunn. Champion then knocked Adams into fifth with a score of 9-5, while Dunn did the same to Bruner 11-7. It was time then for Champion and Dunn to meet, and while the score got to 9-8 Dunn, Dunn still needed two games, while Champion was on the hill. Champion took the match that game, ending it at 9-9, and advancing to the semifinal match versus Chamberlain.
It was already well into the wee hours at this point, but the players plowed on, and Chamberlain earned his rematch with Sporleder by holding Champion to six games. The true double-elimination finals featured two players who fought their hardest and smartest despite the hour, and when Chamberlain won the first set 9-4, he forced the second set and took first place with a decisive 9-3 victory.
While most of Midlothian, VA’s 9-to-5ers were enjoying their morning coffee on June 1, Bobby Chamberlain was sinking his final 9 ball of the Virginia State Amateur Championship at Diamond Billiards.
Results:
1st Bobby Chamberlain $1,000
2nd Sean Sporleder $500
3rd Sidney Champion $300
4th Cary Dunn $200
5th Chris Adams $145
Chris Bruner
7th Sam Monday $100
Chris Futrell
9th Alan Duty $40
Jonathan Hernandez
Barry Lacy
Curtis Coleman