Superbowl of Cornhole

Sunday prior to the Superbowl, Tempe’s Horse and Hound Sports Grill hosted the Superbowl of Cornhole, a new kind of cornhole tournament aimed at providing all players with a good time while still including some top competition. It was only a $10 entry fee and no prizes, but there was pizza and beer included in the entry fee. Most of the top players showed up and lots of novices taking advantage of the promised fun.

There were a number of hitches in the organization like issues with the availability of the promised beer and pizza. And there were some problems with the venue as well – it was held in the Clubhouse due to concerns of rain. Ceilings and obstacles were short of ideal and proved challenging for beginners. In the end though, most players seemed to have a good time and there was also some high level competitive play.

Going in John and David “Four Peaks” were the favorites with Doug and Vic “No Mercy” the most likely contenders. Last year’s champs Shay and Christine couldn’t be counted out, nor could Dave and Drew. Another dark horse candidate was former Phillys champ Big Mike who was playing with Ryan, the fastest rising beginner I’ve ever seen since my own partner. John and David were looking to regain the Horse and Hound title, one of the few they did not win due to a loss to Shay and Christine at last year’s Kentucky Derby event.

Short story there were no upsets. John and David won beating Vic and Doug in the finals. Shay and Christine got third, and 4/5 were Dave and Drew and the Huntley Bros (3rd at Kentucky Derby). Vic and Doug played great in the winner’s side finals, each consistently pounding out three and four baggers. But David showed up as the model of consistency wearing out Doug a few points at a time, while John and Vic had a more streaky match-up. In the end, John and David won and went on the beat Vic and Doug again in the finals which were not as close. Dave, Mike, Drew, Shay, and Christine all had flashes of brilliance, and some of the less experienced players went from square one to contenders over the course of the day’s play.