TCL Signature Series IV - Irving Open Doubles

The Main Event. The Headliners. The Big Cheese! We all know that in many sports including cornhole, the levels of competition can vary. You have the beginners, the players who just recently started playing. Those that played at someone's backyard party and survived longer than the other staggering bag chunkers. Those folks got the bug and found a hobby, a sport that doesn't get them winded...unless they didn't get their notification on their phone letting them know they have a game on court 632 somewhere that seems like a galaxy away and had to make a dash like an old Hertz commercial with O J hurdling through several gates of a airport terminal!

You have the Competitive Division where players have figured out how to make more than they miss...sometimes...but can't quite compete with the upper echelon players. They're getting there though, some faster than others.

The Advanced Division is loaded with a large number of players who will beat your brains in at the drop of a hat, or beer or anything else it takes! This group may include a bunch of players who simply don't have the drive to compete with the Open players, or haven't proven to themselves that they feel they belong with the Elite Level monsters. 

Then you have the Open Division players. These folks are different. Open players make a lot of bags and do so with what appear to be little effort. Kind of like they could do it in their sleep. I'm not saying these guys are perfect but they're pretty darn close...some of 'em anyway! A fair description of one of these cats may include someone who throws often...maybe way often...if that even makes sense. They play for hours each day then go play somewhere that evening. Wake up the next day and if they want, do the same thing as the day before. Some are super competitive and are driven to do whatever it takes to be the best. Some are simply blessed with a stupid amount of coordination and can make a bag do amazing things. Top players hone their craft in any sport and the top players in cornhole have put in countless hours developing their game in order to put them in an elite category.

In Open Doubles you sometimes have two top players teamed up and they roll through a tournament like a hot knife through butter. There are teams that have one player who simply is playing at such a high level it may not matter if his partner isn't throwing well for them to win. He just jumps on for the ride and if need be, becomes a coattail rider. Been there! You may have a couple of players who are exceptional players but just don't have the right chemistry. Believe me, being able to jell is important. Being able to trust your partner so much that you never question their decisions and when they miss, you know it wasn't due to the lack of effort. Having the right combination is critical in big events and this Signature in Irving will expose the teams that may or may not have what it takes.

When you go to a concert, typically they have an opening act followed by the headliner. Signature events are the same way. When the finals are set for Saturday night, all eyes will be on the championship boards with hundreds of weary fans, maybe a few that may need some coffee, all of which will be watching the Opens Doubles!

As I scan the list of teams signed up for Open Doubles, initially I look for the top names to see who they're partnered with. I take note of others as I scroll down and man, there are several teams that can win this thing. I see Justin Burton, Jr teamed up with Rylann Claver. Claver has really come on the past several months and can flat out fill it up. These two certainly must be mentioned as a favorite. I noticed Sammy Soto was teamed up with Matt Longoria and that is another combination that will be tough to beat. We all know Sammy, the young phenom who has been one of the best players in Texas and we know what he can do. Matt isn't someone to overlook and has the experience to help carry this duo to the win. Grant Upchurch can win any event he plays in and can never be counted out. His shot making ability and strategical style of play along with his sheer will to win type attitude always makes him a big time threat. His partner is Jaunito Pantoya who along with Brandon Gregor finished second in Mesquite and 9th in Lubbock. Can these two make enough shots to contend? We will see...I like their chances. Jacob Foreman is pairing up with Legend Brandon Gregor and that is scary! If these guys get rolling do not get in their way! Logan Chamberlain and Andruw Villa are teamed up again and will be a tough out. Keep your eyes on some others including Scott Beck and Alex Ibarra, Dillon Randle and Cayhill Isom and Luke Anderson and Caleb Franklin. All of these guys are throwing some mean bean bags lately and if the stars line up right, they could be standing up later in the event with a piece of hardware in their hands! There are a several teams of players that I know but haven't seen them play due to where they play but I know they can play and always have potential to win. Oscar Mairena and Aaron Aspeitia, Charlie Rivera and James Carranco, Easton Franco and Payton Lopez are a few teams that are extremely dangerous. I have to mention Joel Infante and Adrian Jackson because they always seem to be in the mix as well. I see teams like Noah Albarado and Josh Murdock...yep that Josh Murdock and wonder if they have what it takes to compete. Young Tye Thompson is teamed up with Zack Faulkner and those two could do some damage.Another pair that is always competitive is Edgar Cardenas and Johnny Govea. You don't notice what they are doing and the next thing you know, they've won several games and are right there contending. Maybe it is their quiet demeaner but don't let that fool ya, these guys are fierce competitors. There are so many others that I'd like to mention but I just can't fit ‘em all in. Hopefully they will play well and make my next blog!

Good luck to all the teams playing and I'll see y'all in Irving!

Throw 'em straight!

TCL Signature Event 4 Irving Texas

 

Less than 100 years ago Irving, Texas had a population of less than 360 residents. Today there are well over 250 thousand Texans who call Irving home. One of Irving’s most iconic buildings was the former home of the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Stadium. Opening in 1971 and known for its distinctive hole in the roof, this is where legendary Dallas Cowboys Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Drew Pearson, Randy White, Ed jones and Cliff Harris played.

Just few years ago, there may have been a couple hundred players throwing bags competing in a TCL Signature event. Usually those events would’ve been played at the fabled Mule Barn or a nice meeting room at a Marriot hotel. Those events had Texas cornhole brass such as Daniel Vinson, Stuart Foster, Joe Arrington, Eddie Grinderslev, Chad Jacobson and Todd Bridgeman battling against each other. There were others including Chris Paul, Travis Welch who teamed up as The Poachers dominating the boards for a while. As the game started taking off and its popularity began to boom, other names were etched in the great history of TCL including Brandon Gregor, Josh Groce and A.J. Sims.

By 2019 the game had started to outgrow several venues due to the increase in players and places like the Field of Dreams and Tyler Indoor Soccer Center were considered too small. The Denton Convention Center, which was thought to be one of the better venues, also became a victim to the growth of cornhole. Now TCL has to play in massive convention centers like the Shreveport Convention Center which is one of the best places for large events as well as the Irving Convention Center. The first weekend in May, the afore mentioned Irving Convention Center is where the competition will gather as cornhole players from all around will congregate and play for large sums of money!

This is the final Signature Event for the 2022-23 season leading up to the State Tournament in Shreveport. I know it may be hard to imagine but there will be around 1400 players vying for a slice of the $50K payout. That’s crazy considering where the game was just a few years ago when payouts were considerably smaller than that. Nevertheless, you can bet there will be some outstanding players and games to watch as stories will be written, and legends will be declared.

Thursday evening there will be around 50 ladies playing in the Women’s Singles event and there are several very talented ladies who can win this one. Typically you would think that if Christina Espinosa is playing, she is certainly someone who can win any Women’s event and this Signature isn’t any different. Though she hasn’t been as active on the boards, she is still a threat and with her experience she has potential. Other ladies who are looking to add to their legacy include Crystal Infante, Haley Davidson, Denise McEvoy and Tracie Beeson. Infante recently won the Women’s Doubles in Lubbock and has to be a player to watch. Davidson, McEvoy and Beeson all are fully capable of making a run and winning this tourney as well. Other ladies you can’t count out are Trish Trejo, Taylor Rose, Kayleigh Logan and Delany Pilliod. This will be a fun one to watch and I expect the competition to be fierce.

The typical big attraction is the Open Division, and this Signature will have plenty of star power. The obvious favorite has to be Justin Burton, Jr. Burton has won each Signature Singles event this year and has been white hot here of late with some big wins. Burton won the Lubbock Signature which included a epic 33 round win against Sammy Soto. Soto is no stranger to big wins as he has grabbed several podiums the past year and I expect him to contend for this event as well. There are several players in this division who can win and if any of them get hot, look out! Gavin Cano, Grant Upchurch, Jacob Foreman and Brandon Gregor are typically players you would expect to be in the mix however there are some others that are trying to get some hardware. Those players include Cayhill Isom from Lampasas who has been throwing exceptionally well along with Chase Lester and Scott Beck. Isabella Suprenant, Luke Anderson, Juanito Pantoya, Mason Vega, Tye Thompson and Zeb Smith all have tremendous potential as well. There are always players who nobody expects to contend but Signatures always seem to sprout new talent and this one I believe there will be some new names making their name known. Newcomer to Texas Alec Budd is one of those players. Budd has been playing for a while and just recently moved to East Texas and has been lighting it up. Don’t sleep on this guy! There are simply way too many really good players these days and any of them could be a problem. Some of these include Ernest Herrera, Dillon Randle, Fletcher Jonson, Ernest Monarca, Alex Ibarra, Caleb Franklin, Zack Faulkner, Aaron Aspeitia, Andruw Villa, Logan Chamberlain and someone who just recently got back into the swing of things, Anthony Delgado. Man, there is some serious talent out there and it will certainly be a battle. To win this event you will have to mix in a few 13’s and 14’s along with a whole bunch of 12’s to win this one!

I wanted to do this article to see how folks liked it and if I get enough positive response I may try to do another before Irving. Ya’ll enjoy and best of luck.

 

Throw ‘em straight!