Competition hot in Decatur cornhole tournament
DECATUR — Among the many activities for residents to enjoy at the 68th annual Decatur Barbecue on Saturday was this year’s cornhole tournament. And, just like this year’s weather, the matches heated up and intensified as the tournament progressed.
The event was hosted by Bobbi Barnes and Kim Wilkins at Decatur City Hall.
Cornhole rules are simple. Two boards, each with one hole, will remain stationary with a 27-foot gap between them. Two players in a team will face an opposing team with equal players. Both compete to sink their four bags into the hole, each alternating between turns. Points are scored by counting the bags on the board and in the hole. Bags on the board are one point, and bags tossed into the hole are three points. If an opponent’s bags stay on the board, points are deducted from the player. The challengers with 21 points win and move on to the next round.
The first cornhole tournament in 2019 had about 20 teams. This year, 14 teams competed. Many were returning competitors, but some were firsttime players.
Zac Luker (19) and Bryson Funk (19) were among the first-time players. Although they practiced working on their technique, they agree cornhole is both a mental and physical game.
“The hardest part,” said Funk. “Is controlling your thoughts and getting out of your head.”
In the first round, Team Luker/Funk lost the match, but they won in the second round, 21-3. Funk tossed the bag using a slow underhanded throw, giving his toss a lighter touch and high arc to plant the bag in an ideal spot. The difference between the first and second rounds came from an unlikely solution — changing and using their own bags.
“It’s like having a homefield advantage using your own bags,” Luker said. “It’s a game changer.”
Returning competitors were Howard Gritts and Bobby Ballou. In the first round, team Howard Gritts and Bobby Ballou won by a landslide, ending the match 21-0.
Bobby Ballou had won at a previous Decatur Barbecue Festival cornhole tournament a few years back and now returns with his family. All of them take the game seriously and practice “four to five hours per day.” Many compete in national tournaments.
Winning cornhole demands strategy and good hand-eye coordination. The game’s simplicity is what makes it challenging, as it leaves plenty of room for error. While scoring points is the aim of the game, teams must strike a balance between scoring and defending. What separates novices from the professionals comes down to who can achieve better board placement while preventing the other team from scoring.
Nevaeh Ketcher (17) is related to Howard Gritts and Bobby Ballou. She is aggressive in her throws, using the “slide-shot” throw from her repertoire. She flicks her wrist to give the bag a fast trajectory with an almost horizontal glide through the air like a frisbee. Nevaeh Ketcher is working toward becoming a professional and plans to compete in a “world tournament” soon.
This year, she teamed up with her cousin, Kaylee Ballou (16), who scored the best shot of the competition. She placed her three bags on the board to encircle the hole. She tossed her fourth bag with a huge arc and landed on the three bags dropping them into the hole like a basketball, scoring 12 points with one toss.
The crowd erupted and cheered at the incredible shot. “It’s called an airmail shot,” said Kaylee Ballou.
As the tournament progressed, teams dwindled down until only two teams were left, each fighting for the first-place spot. This was a faceoff match between two families. Father and daughter team Amos Ketcher and Tanessa Ketcher versus Howard Gritts and Bobby Ballou.
The two teams battled each other, and it was a neck-and-neck match from start to finish. Each team would frequently pause and study the board like a chess game, commenting on a different strategy and board placement to achieve the desired outcome.
In the end, team Howard Gritts and Bobby Ballou came out on top and won the tournament with a score of 21 to 18. This year’s winning team for first place won $145, while the second-place team walked away with $65.
All the teams that played in the tournament conducted themselves as good sports competitors, each accommodating one another for a good game.
When asked what they plan to do next, Howard Gritts commented the family would plan to “go to the Oklahoma cornhole championship in Shawnee” from Aug. 12 to the 14.
For Howard Gritts and his other family members, the love for the game started with do-it-yourself equipment like “Walmart cornhole bags” and “just having fun with the family.” Now, it’s blossomed into a “family of cornhole competitors” who compete in qualifying for world tournaments.
Will the winners return next year to the 69th Decatur Barbecue Festival to compete again? Will there be a rematch between former teams? We’ll have to wait and see.