TCL League Championships - Friday's Events

Open Singles is loaded with exceptional talent here in Texas with several top level players. The past few years Grant Upchurch and Sammy Soto have arguebly been two of the best however each year there are other players vying for a chance to earn the title of State Champion. Grant and Sammy did what they had to do and both made it to the finals with each beating some really strong players. Grant battled his way to the king seat by beating Adrain Jackson, Austin Waskow and Mason Vega. The game against Vega was a good one as Grant outlasted Vega in a back and forth 24 round game that saw Upchurch throwing a 9.63 while Mason treked along at a 9.46 clip. After beating Vega, Grant defeated Nate Gallup and then faced Soto in the winners final. In that game Grant jumped out to a 5-0 lead maintaining said lead until the 15th round as Sammy slid ahead 14-13, however Upchurch went on to score the games final 8 points to get the win. Sammy defeated David Saenz, Zach Faulkner, Luke Anderson and Matt Martinez before losing to Upchurch. Once in the losers bracket Sammy got hot beating Luke Anderson 21-4 throwing a 10.71 ppr. Wowzer! That win put him in the finals and Upchurch just couldn't keep up with the hot throwing Soto. Grant threw well with a 9.72 ppr but Sammy was better at 10.44 in the first game as Sammy won 21-8. After spotting Grant a early 4-0 lead Sammy went on a 21-4 run to force a double dip game to decide the champ! Both players cooled off just a little but 11 straight rounds of throwing 10's Sammy came out on top winning 21-8 to earn a State Title. Luke Anderson finished third, Tye Thompson came in forth with Matt Martinez and Nate Gallup tying for 5th and if I'm correct, I believe this was the best finish for Martinez in a big TCL event. Jobu was playing at a high level all day and made a really nice run.

TCL League Championship - Recap of Thursdays Events.

In Shreveport, LA this past weekend there was a cornhole tournament. A big one. Texas Cornhole League held their League Championship Tournament and everything about this event was big. Being held in the Shreveport Convention Center the facility was plenty big with sets of boards lined up as far as you could see. The crowd even though the overall numbers of entrants may have been down, seemed big, loud and proud, in traditional TCL fashion. There were also big moments and big shots made by many outstanding players throughout the event. Things got ignited Thursday with the Youth Singles event and with a long list of exceptionally talented players the opportunity for some great matches were lined up from the get go! When the dust settled Mason Vega managed to hold off a determined Sammy Soto who had a double dip opportunity by winning the first game of the finals. Vega had earned the King seat by defeating Luke Anderson 21-7. While Mason waited to find out who his opponent would be, several really good players had some outstanding matches. Sammy who lost in the winners bracket to Luke Anderson, defeated Preston Isom in a very exciting game. Isom was down 12-5 before going on a 13 point run to take a 18-12 lead. The next two rounds Soto was able to score back to back 4 spots to retake a 20-18 lead before ending it on the next round to advance. Soto then beat Levi Haddock 21-0, Cayhill Isom 21-7 and Reef Woodson 21-5 to force a rematch with Anderson. In this game Sammy immediately jumped all over Luke taking a early 11-0 lead 2 rounds into the game. Sammy didn't miss another bag making 32 straight to take a 21-0 win putting him in the finals where Vega waited. The first game of the finals was a back and forth 21 round battle that had a few lead changes with Sammy eventually coming out on top forcing a deciding game. The final game was epic and definitely one for the books as these two warriors put on a tremendous exhibition of shot making and consistency. After 2 rounds of washes, Sammy holed all four of his bags for a 12 while Mason just missed a 12 throwing a 10. These two went back and forth trading 12's and 10's for several rounds with neither player being able to get ahead by more than 3 points. In round 15 Soto extended his lead by 5 going ahead 9-4 only to have Mason get 4 the next frame to make it 9-8.Mason got his first lead in round 21 going ahead 13-10. The back and forth scoring continued with both players throwing several 12's and trading lead changes until round 35 where they were tied at 19. Yep I said round 35. Two more rounds went by before Mason was able to get the win outlasting Soto in a draining 37 round battle. At certain points in this game both players were averaging well over a 10 ppr and ended up with Vega shooting a 9.89 and Soto with a 9.76. These guys threw a combined 35 12's making 75% of their shots. It was a awesome display of shot making and shows just how good these two are at putting a bag in the hole. Not many can do what these guys did Thursday. Rounding out the final 5 were Luke Anderson, Reef Woodson and Cayhill Isom. I'd say the future of TCL is in very good hands with all these youngsters coming up in the ranks.

When I think of an athlete being the class of the field I remember Secretariat and the dominate fashion he won the Triple Crown back in 1973. Others that come to mind are Tiger Woods, Serena Williams and Wayne Gretzky. In cornhole here of late we've seen Grant Upchurch and Sammy Soto doing a number on folks the past few years. In the Seniors Division a guy stepped up and put on a show and simply put, was dominate. Scott Beck, the former Police Officer from Marshall, TX went 6-0 defeating Chris Hobbs 21-12 to win his first Seniors State Championship. For the tournament Scott was red hot throwing at a 9.61 clip per round throughout the event and had but 1 close game. That was a 21-20 win against Donnie Greer in which Beck battled from behind most of the game. Taking his first lead in round 14 at 17-16 only to give it right back the next round as Greer made the score 20-17. Scott got 4 points over the next 3 rounds to advance to the winners bracket finals against Keith Ledwig. Beck won that game 21-12 putting him in the king seat while Ledwig had to face Chris Hobbs. Hobbs was on a little bit of a roll after falling to Ledwig in the winners bracket beating Talley Oneal and Donnie Greer to get to Ledwig. Chris was on fire shooting a 9.43 and smashed Ledwig 21-2 in just 7 rounds putting him in the finals against Beck. The first 9 rounds it was all Hobbs as he held what seemed like a comfortable 12-0 lead however over the next 5 rounds Beck was able to tie the score at 12. The onslaught continued for Scott as he went on to score the games last 21 points beating Hobbs 21-12 earning Beck the title. Rounding out the top 5 were Ledwig in third, Greer finished fourth and Jim Abdella came in fifth. 

Another event that was played Thursday was the Women's Singles and let me tell ya, there was some very good players in this field. Denise McEvoy defeated Caitlyn Allshouse to get the win but her road to victory included some tough competition. Her first game was against current TCL Women's Player of the Year Tracie Beeson who is also Denise's Women's Doubles Partner. In a hard fought 18 round game McEvoy came out on top advancing to the next round to face Haley Davidson. Denise was crazy good that game shooting a 10.27 over 11 rounds shutting Haley down 21-5. Denise didn't let up the next game as she shot a 10 ppr beating Autumn Walker 21-0 putting her in the winners bracket final against Christina Espinosa. In a close tense game Espinosa started out with a 8-1 lead after 5 rounds however after 9 rounds her lead was only 10-9 as McEvoy battled back to close the gap. Christina held the lead until round 17 when Denise was able to grab her first lead at 20-17 and went on to secure the comeback victory the next round winning 21-17. In the finals McEvoy faced Caitlyn Allshouse who had a double dip in mind. Caitlyn won the first game 21-14 forcing a do or die game to determine the champ. In a  back and forth 20 round game Denise was able to score the games final 7 points over 3 rounds to complete her mission and give her a hard earned Women's Singles Title. Espinosa and Delaney Pilliod finished 3rd and 4th while Haley Davidson and LeeAnna Saxon tied for 5th.

Women's Doubles was also played Thursday with April Black and Heather Mullins going unbeaten to get the win. To get to the finals Black and Mullins defeated Loralei Barrientes and Celeste Alday 2 games to none in the first round. In the 2nd round April and Heather defeated Kayleigh Logan and Ashley Hawpe in 2 games to advance to round 3. There they beat Misty Goode and Sabra Howell advancing to the winners final against Taylor Rose and Delaney Pilliod. Black and Mullins were able to get the win putting them into the finals where they would meet up against Tracie Beeson and Denise McEvoy. The first game all four ladies were filling it up all shooting right at or better than 9 ppr for the game which ended with Black and Mullins winning a nail biter 21-20. Beeson and McEvoy lost their second round game and had to win several loser bracket games to stay alive but couldn't pull off the double dip as April and Heather won 2 games to earn them the Women's Doubles Title. This game was played in front a pretty good crowd that was nestled in and around the championship courts and created an awesome atmosphere. Rounding out the top 5 were Taylor Rose and Delaney Pilliod in third, Haley Davidson and Christina Espinosa in fourth and tied for fifth were Misty Goode and Sabra Howell along with Stacey Paup and LeeAnna Saxon. TCL always puts on a great event and with all these fireworks being shot off on Thursday, I expected Friday and Saturday's events to continue the trend. They didn't disappoint! 

TCL League Championship - Open Doubles Preview

During the 1988 NBA All Star 3 point Shooting contest several of the games best shooters were assembled and before the event started Larry Bird walked into the dressing room full of the contestants and said "Who's playing for second". He then proceeded to perform the whole competition in his warm up jacket and outlasted Dale Ellis to win his 3rd straight 3 point competition. Needless to say the lore of Larry Legend continued. This Saturday in Shreveport the Texas Cornhole League will be finishing up it's League Championship with Doubles play and the final match to be played will be the highly anticipated Open Doubles. Like almost every Signature Event and League Championship, a lot rides on this event and it is usually the one that draws the largest crowds. The excitement will be electric and loud with upbeat music being played and a buzz filtering around as the games get started. The teams of two will be plenty and the talent will be unmatched at this level as many of the top players in and around Texas as well as a few surrounding states will battle and test their skills against each other. One of the teams is Grant Upchurch and Sammy Soto who are two of the best to have ever thrown bags in TCL. Both have won at high levels and I see them arguably one of the favorites to win it all Saturday. Grant who not only will be going for a three peat in Singles but will also being trying to win his third straight Doubles Title. He has won with Josh Murdock and last year with Justin Fowler and adding a little bit of irony, he and Fowler beat Sammy and Mason Vega last year. Sammy and Grant have won big events across the country and if they are on their games, they will be tough to beat. There are several other duos who are playing this weekend that must be considered as well including Mason Vega and Levi Lechner, Preston and Cayhill Ison and Tye Thompson and Dillon Randle. Vega has been here before and if Levi gets hot maybe Mason will get over the hump to get the title. He lost to Grant and Murdock while teamed up with Ernest Herrera a couple of years ago and lost last year to Upchurch and Fowler. Dude is due! Tye and Dillon are a tough team to deal with also and I can see these guys making a run if they get hot. Chase Lester one of the hottest players here of late is teamed up with Lane McManus and they pose a serious threat as well. Oscar Mairena and Aaron Aspeitia are another pair that are solid on the boards. These guys continue to make their way up the ladder and definitely have the potential to win it all. Ernest Herrera and Kevin Meza along with Fletcher Jonson and Scott Beck are extremely talented players and all are throwing well right now. They have big game experience and will be forces to be reckoned with. Luke Anderson and Rylann Claver are a talented team and have what it takes to be there in the end. Man there are some really good teams that I haven't mentioned yet, glad I don't have to face these guys!! Ty Trevino and Dylan Cernero, Matt Longoria and Anthony Delgado also should will be hard outs along with Alex Ibarra and Noah Alborado. Kale Harrell and Kobey Alley from Oklahoma can be menaces on the boards so don't sleep on these guys or else you'll become a spectator in a hurry! A few other teams that may be need to be mentioned are Jim Abdella and Zeb Smith and Terry Swinney and Matthew Morris. Both of these teams have a lot of talent and are hard to beat. I talked with Jim last night and he informed me that he had played earlier in the week and played on boards that weren't set up at the right distance and his sense of depth was way off. Hopefully he will get that righted and be the usual consistent thrower he typically has been.

I know there are others who I may not mention and I get picked on from time to time but trust me I don't mean any harm. I just kinda go with what I know and what I've seen. I'm not taking any bets however if you ask me who I think will win, well you'll may just have to come up to me in Shreveport and find out! Y'all have fun and enjoy this event.

Throw 'em straight!

TCL League Championship - Open Singles Preview

Growing up in Shreveport I had a lot of great memories, more than I have time to write about at this time. Having a love of sports and competition, I enjoyed being able to attend various sporting events including my little league ball games at the Baptist Ball Park. The smell of french fries, corn dogs and popcorn on a hot summer evening always meant it was game time! In high school, most Friday nights meant I was attending a Woodlawn High football or basketball game. Since both teams were really good, the games were always packed with excitement and big game intensity. Good times y'all. I can remember vividly some great moments I witnessed and as I drive by Independence Stadium I will once again think back to some of those special times. The bands playing, the crowds cheering, the lights and atmosphere will always remind me of a some memorable moments. One in particular was my Senior year our football team was playing a school from Lake Charles and with just a minute or so left in the game, we had just given up a touchdown and found ourselves behind on the scoreboard. On the verge of losing our 4th straight game, things were looking rather dim on our side of the field. As the other team kicked off to us, little did we know things were about to change. Rusty Funk, one of our Senior running backs, fielded the kick at around the 11 yard line. He headed towards the middle of the field and then as the wall formed he veered to his left and stampeded his way past our sideline all the way to the end zone scoring the winning touchdown. Something about winning that game energized our team and we went on a win streak and finished the season tied for the District title. More importantly it assured us a playoff spot and we were able to win a few games losing in the state semi finals to the team that won the state championship the next week. Man, what memories. Just think, in 20 to 30 years someone from this upcoming weekend may be telling a similar story about how they won a big match in Shreveport. Possibly leading them to a state championship! The Friday night lights will be on full display this weekend as Texas Cornhole League will be having their League Championship at the Shreveport Convention Center. Who will reign as the Champ in Open Singles? Will one of the young stars be able to withstand the pressure of winning it all on the big stage. Will someone else step up and surprise people coming out of nowhere to win it all? Will Grant Upchurch win his third straight Singles title? A lot of questions will soon be answered this Friday and I can't wait!

The aforementioned Upchurch typically is considered a favorite at just about any event he is involved in. Dude is just a monster on the boards and has been for several years. No one questions his ability as he has proven time and time again he is capable of hitting a variety of clutch shots. Grant beat Logan Chamberlain in Singles last year and the idea of winning three straight titles has to be one of his goals. I'm not saying he is a lock to win it this year but I ain't betting against him! Sammy Soto is another player who I expect to be in the mix as he always seems to find a way to finish either at the top or right there at it. Sammy more often than not finds the hole with his smooth throw using several types of shots to get the job done. As I scroll down the list of entrants in Open Singles, I can't believe how many talented players are in this event. Man, this division is loaded! The usual contenders include the likes of Chase Lester, Cayhill Isom, Dillon Randle, Ernest Herrera, Fletcher Jonson and Jaun Pantoya. The list continues with Luke Anderson, Mason Vega, Matt Longoria, Matthew Morris, Noah Albarado, Scott Beck and Tye Thompson, just to name a few. Zach Faulkner, Zach Harris and Zeb Smith lead all the guys with names starting with the letter Z who could win it all. Then there are the names of guys like Aaron Aspeitia, David Saenz, Dylan Cernero, Dylan Newland, Jacob Whatley, Lane McManus and Matt Longoria. See, there truly are several that are capable of winning this event and trying to include all is pretty difficult. I haven't even mentioned names of players who aren't the usual TCL guys like Alec Budd, Kale Harrell, Nate Gallup, Austin Waskow and Kobey Alley. Another guy who has been throwing well lately is Kevin Meza as well as Levi Lechner and Oscar Mariena. Might as well include Stuart Foster who has been working hard to get back to his usual level of throwing and is one to keep your eye on. OG players like Jeremy O'Connell, Jeremy and Tracie Beeson, Jim Abdella and Christina Espinosa can make runs and can be problematic on the boards. I didn't mention the Legendary Brandon Gregor because as I wrote this he mentioned a arm injury that he isn't for sure how it will effect his play. Hate to not have him in the mix but I'm certain he will be back soon. There are around 75 players entered in this event and I'd say a large percentage are all able to have some success. It could come down to the pool play and how players are matched up but when the dust is settled and the pictures are being taken, who stands last is anybody's guess. All I know is I can't wait and I will have a front row seat, probably eating some popcorn and washing it down with a cold bottle of coca cola! I look forward to seeing everyone this weekend. Have safe travels and best of luck on the boards!

  

TCL League Championship - Shreveport, LA....Thursday Events Preview Let's Geaux!!

Shreveport, LA, Home of NFL Legends Terry Bradshaw and Joe Ferguson along with NBA great Robert Parrish. Shreveport is also home of the Louisiana Hayride where back in 1954 a young 19 year old Elvis Presley made his Hayride debut singing "That's Alright Mama" to a raucous standing room only crowd. This weekend I'm certain the crowd will be large, loud and enthusiastic as Texas Cornhole League will be hosting their League Championship at the Shreveport Convention Center. This venue has become a favorite for many cornhole enthusiasts as it provides plenty of room for the what seems like a gazillion sets of boards accommodating a hundreds of bag chunking cornhole players. It also is located in close proximity to some casinos for those needing a little gambling fix. The opportunity for some late night club action is available if you choose that option with the infamous Sand Bar. Yea, this place is definitely a hot spot for those who like to stay out late/early and enjoy the night life. Word on the street says the Pizza is pretty tasty however the sources provided may have been under some type of alcohol and/or hallucinogenic influence! I myself haven't made the scene but oh how the stories, pictures and videos have provided evidence of some good times had by plenty! Blackjack, Poker, Slots, dancing, drinking and partying are all expected to be on the list of things to do this weekend but the main attraction will be the action on the cornhole boards! Viewing the list of names entered I can tell you this event will be loaded with star studded talent from top to bottom and there are several players who could walk away late Saturday night with the title of League Champion!

As I write these stories it is always challenging for me to include everyone but I try and go with who I anticipate doing well. There are the usual names that are expected to be fighting it out however there are always others that show up and make deep runs. You really never know for sure who those folks will be until the bags get to flying!

Thursday there will be a few events starting at 4 pm including Youth Singles, Senior Singles and Womens Singles followed at 7 pm with Womens Doubles, a couple of Crew Cup events and a Random Draw tourney.

The Youth Singles event is loaded with players who all are not only capable of winning the Youth event but the Open Singles as well. Sammy Soto is an obvious choice right off the top of my head simply because for the last couple of years he has either won several big events or been close. Tye Thompson, the Cowboy hat wearing, Livestock showing, bag throwing youngster from Farmerville is another player who has had his picture taken a lot at the end of several tournaments. Cayhill Isom from Lampasas has gotten really good really fast within the past year or so and is certainly someone who could be in the mix. Other names most will recognize include Mason Vega, Luke Anderson, and Noah Albarado. All three of these guys can light it up and be a problem to deal with! Someone who hasn't played a lot of TCL events here in Texas is Kobey Alley. Kobey, from Choctaw, OK typically plays in Ok and has been throwing really well here of late. Several others who could be tough outs include Preston Isom, Zane Thompson, Reef Woodson, Adrian Jackson, Klaydon Powell, Ryker Jackson and Ryder Smith. Keep your eyes on all these fellas as this event will be a good one.

Senior Singles...ah, the old guys! When I look at the list of names entered for this event several stand out to me including Scott Beck, Jim Abdella, Donnie Greer and Frank Stockton. Besides Beck, all these guys have been involved with TCL for several years and have always been very good players. Beck who has only been playing for a couple of years has definitely etched his name in the list of contenders as he has made several deep runs in Open Singles and consistently finishes near the top. The ex police officer has been tabbed "Robocop" due to him having moments where he seems robotic when he plays. His laser focus and consistent throw make him one of the favorites in my book! Jim Abdella has made the finals of this event in the past and if he gets hot he could be someone you don't want to matchup against. Same for Frank Stockton and Donnie Greer. Both of these guys have been around a while and are capable of winning this event. There are others who have creeped into the conversation the past year or so including Talley Oneal, Chris Hobbs and Keith Ludwig. All of these guys did well in Irving and can certainly hold their own. A couple of other guys I'd like to mention are Larry Benson and Randy Haltom. Benson from Shreveport hasn't played a lot of TCL events but don't hold that against him. Larry can play and should do well this weekend. Hammer Haltom from the Texarkana area has been playing for a little while and can sling a mean bag. Don't sleep on this fella! 

Womens Singles is always super competitive and I don't see this event being any different. Each year Christina Espinosa has been one of the most consistent players and is always someone most people fear when stepping up to play her. She is a multiple time Womens State Champ and Female Player of the Year so I can see why! The current TCL Female Player of the Year Tracie Beeson is also one of the top players in this event. Tracie has flat out wore folks out this year and should do well this Thursday. Haley Davidson is another one of those players who can put you in the truck in a hurry and is super competitive. Denise McEvoy has had a really good year and can also get on a run and win this event. Don't count out Caitlyn Allshouse either as she will be a difficult matchup as well. Shab Lyles, Misty Goode and LeeAnna Saxon are all capable of doing well also.

In the late session for Thursday, Womens Doubles is the highlighted event with a small but very competitive list of teams. Haley Davidson and Christina Espinosa along with Tracie Beeson and Denise McEvoy look like the favorites as I scan down the list of teams entered. There are always upsets and teams coming out of nowhere to make a surprise run and I kinda have a feeling this event could produce similar results...possibly. Taylor Rose and Delaney Pilliod are coming on as contenders and have the ability to win this event. Stacey Paup and LeeAnna Saxon, Misty Goode and Sabra Howell are two teams full of talent as well. There are a couple of other teams that I will bring up just because I know what they can do. Trish Trejo and Betty Seymour both have lots of experience and if they get hot could be hard to beat. Keep your eye on Ashlee Roehl and Andrea Floyd. These ladies play mostly in the East Texas area and have been throwing well here of late. If they can handle the environment and keep their focus they have some serious potential. Don't count out the West Texas duo Mandi Munoz and Joanna Barrientes. I haven't seen them play much but from what I've seen they both are really good shotmakers and can sho' nuff' bring it!

I will write another article on Open Singles and Doubles later on. Hope y'all enjoy these articles as much as I enjoy writing them!

Throw 'em straight!