ACO Back in Indianapolis

American Cornhole is pleased to announce another great addition to the ACO Team. Adam Stables is a product from the great state of Indiana, once a pro golfer, now a cornhole die hard wanting to get the game to the masses. He's young, energetic, creative and ready to get it going in the Indianapolis market for the ACO. We are pumped to have him join us and want to share a few words from Adam on Adam.

The first time I was introduced to the game of cornhole was on the 2004 Sunday night Cincinnati Bengals home opener. Another diehard Dolphins fan and I had front row goaline tickets in “The Jungle” for this game. We went down and tailgated before kickoff and saw so many fans playing this board game with bean bags. The object of the game looked so simple; just get in the hole, so we called next game against this group of Bengal fans. We thought it would be a symbolized preview to the game with the Dolphins winning. In all actuality it was a preview to the game. I scored on my first possession of the bags and then we proceeded to get beat, just as the Dolphins did later that night. The sport hooked me at that moment because I didn’t want to lose again.
In the 5 years since then, the sport has inched its way through the Indiana mainstream. It has started to get recognition in various media outlets. I have seen it in about every local newspaper to a few local news programs on TV. More business establishments are using cornhole as a way to attract new patrons and I have noticed a plethora of people building and selling the boards as a source of revenue.

So to speak, the light bulb went off in my head! I wanted to be a part of this cultural phenomenon. I wanted to use the Marketing degree I received from Ferris State University to help promote and grow this sport into what I believed could be the next big thing in the professional sporting arena. So I started looking around to find out if there was anybody or anyone that had the same vision of an organized cornhole sport. With the help of Google, I found the American Cornhole Organization. They claimed to be the governing body of the sport of cornhole. With some further research and a trip down to the 1st ever HoleHeadz festival in Carrollton, Kentucky, I realized they were. The level of play I witnessed was amazing, and the actuality of a professional sport being created was already in place.

I then had a little meet and greet with Frank Geers about coming on board with ACO Indiana. I saw that we both had the passion of getting this sport recognized in the mainstream sporting world. I thought it was funny when he chuckled about me guaranteeing the best cornholers will come from Indiana.

This is a statement of fact in my opinion: “The Best Cornholers Will Come from Indiana!”

Why do I believe this statement? Indiana is and will be the birthplace of the Team Sport of Cornhole. What does Indiana have lots of? Corn and Basketball courts! So why not take cornhole to the basketball courts? Envision this: 13 players on a team, 8 courts positioned on a basketball court, with the gut wrenching, sudden death ending “Cloud Nine” court in the middle. Details of the game to come after this press release, but I’ll take my chances on Team Indiana coming out on top! Anybody want to prove me wrong?

Who’ll Score? Al Score

Adam Stables

PMIA 317

765.465.0759

al.score@americancornhole.com

Cornhole Players Ranking - CornyForty

UPDATED RANKINGS AS OF 9/14/09

Rank Player Name Gender State Skill Challenge SCR Score Total CFP YTD Earnings Potential

1 Matt Guy M KY 130.67 264.67 $1,322.00
2 Steve Vanderver M OH 118 263 $969.00
3 Jack Stagge M OH 113 231 $793.00
4 Randy Atha M OH 119.33 223.33 $734.00
5 Justin Cook M NC 112.67 193.67 $676.00
6 Charles True M KY 113.33 192.33 $617.00
7 Eric Hinerman M KY 116.67 185.67 $558.00
8 Paul Stewart M OH 117 183 $382.00
9 Noel True M KY 124.67 182.67 $499.00
10 Jason Schwab M SC 108.33 172.33 $441.00
11 Damon Tucker M NC 114 171 $323.00
12 Dale Smith M KY 119.33 164.33 $264.00
13 Chris Hobbs M OH 115.67 161.67 $206.00
14 Dave Sutton M IL 118.67 156.67 $147.00
15 Kyle Marks M NC 108.33 151.33 $147.00
16 Darin Hill M OH 120.33 151.33 $147.00
17 Kevin Pinkerton M OH 112 151 $147.00
18 Mike Schaffer M OH 114.67 150.67 $147.00
19 Mark Allen M OH 114.33 147.33 $147.00
20 Matt Strzala M OH 124.67 145.67 $147.00
21 Charlie Lilly M NC 115 145 $147.00
22 David Weiser M OH 114 145 $147.00
23 Stuart Baird M IN 123.67 141.67 $147.00
24 Danny Seals M IN 109.67 139.67 $147.00
25 Kevin Warner M IN 104.33 136.33 $147.00
26 Mark Lambert M WV 99.33 135.33 $147.00
27 Justin Cole M NC 104.67 128.67 $147.00
28 Phillip Harmon M KY 119 128 $147.00
29 Aaron Robinson M IN 103 127 $147.00
30 Heath Colburn M OH 112 127 $147.00
31 Jason Robinson M IN 101.67 126.67 $147.00
32 Dyana Tolliver F WV 100.67 125.67 $147.00
33 Robert Merkel M IL 108.33 125.33 $147.00
34 Tom Bobo M OH 109.33 124.33 $147.00
35 David Shoemaker M OH 108.67 122.67 $147.00
36 Kyle Treadway M KY 122 122 $147.00
37 Gregory Vajda M VA 103 119 $147.00
38 Kipper Melmige M NC 100.67 118.67 $147.00
39 Zack Wellsand M IN 96.67 115.67 $147.00
40 Eric Beckley M IN 107.67 113.67 $147.00
41 Nick Taylor M OH 104.67 113.67 $0
42 Kier Egley M NC 106.33 113.33 $0
43 Rick Suttle M OH 112.33 112.33 $0
44 Nathan Cozart M OH 103 112 $0
45 Joseph Reed M OH 102.33 111.33 $0
46 Mike Hill M NC 95 111 $0
47 Craig Tolliver M WV 100.67 109.67 $0
48 Andrew Brooks M OH 109 109 $0
49 Eddie Beckner M WV 98.33 107.33 $0
50 Bobby Brooks M KY 95.33 105.33 $0
51 Shaun Lehman M IN 98.33 105.33 $0
52 Charlie Fletcher M KY 90.33 103.33 $0
53 Chris Meek M OH 99 99 $0
54 Matt Merkel M IL 87.67 97.67 $0
55 Albert Hazlett M KY 89.67 96.67 $0
56 Daniel J. Freshour M OH 95.67 95.67 $0
57 Shannon Edds M KY 94.33 94.33 $0
58 Philip Costanzo M OH 93.67 93.67 $0
59 Mike Schaffer Jr. M OH 84.33 93.33 $0
60 Jim Cahill M OH 93.33 93.33 $0
61 Chuck McDonald M IN 93 93 $0
62 Gary Raley M IN 92 92 $0
63 Stephen Adams M OH 90.33 90.33 $0
64 Todd Atha M OH 86 86 $0
65 Stacy Ritter F IN 85.33 85.33 $0
66 Matt Grimes M KY 84 84 $0
67 John Cole M NC 67.33 67.33 $0
68 Derek Ruble M IN 55.67 55.67 $0
69 Sean Short M OH none 31 $0
70 Sheri Eggleton F IN none 19 $0
71 Geno Randazzo M IL none 16 $0
72 Mark Steinke M IL none 10 $0
73 Eric Egley M NC none 10 $0
74 Eric Ortopan M OH none 10 $0
75 Troy Simon M OH none 7 $0
76 Jonathan Hill M IN none 0 $0
77 Mike Oehler M IN none 0 $0
78 Frank Stokes M IN none 0 $0
79 Mike Payne M KY none 0 $0
80 Shane Gascho M MI none 0 $0
81 Jason Haller M MI none 0 $0
82 Chris Bolton M NC none 0 $0
83 Kenny Barrows M OH none 0 $0
84 David Greene M OH none 0 $0
85 Robert Meier M OH none 0 $0
86 Michael Strunk M OH none 0 $0
87 Ted Dillion M WV none 0 $0
88 Greg Weathers M OH none 0 $0
89 Keith Blair M KY none 0 $0
90 Dennis Kouts M OH none 0
91 Mark Rice M KY none 0
92 Joey Hollstegge M IN none 0

Stagge Stuns Cornhole World

Hands Matt Guy first loss in three years
By Matt Gray with http://www.holemagazine.com/

Jack Stagge knew he would have to take down Matt Guy. Every player expects Matt Guy in the final match. But defeat Guy and Steve Vanderver, ranked #1 and #2 respectively in the CornyForty? Not gonna happen on a normal day. But this wasn't your normal day.

Although no one could see his trademark wife beater t-shirt underneath his ACO Pro shirt, the Stagge spirit was on full display at the ACO Monster World Cornhole Championships. This was not the same player who, despite the leg cast, had a disappointing performance at last season's King of Cornhole. This was a player on a seven month mission to make a statement to the cornhole world.

Everyone has their own reason for a tournament victory. Money. Ego. Pride. For Randy Atha, it is the validation of being considered the best. For Steve Vanderver, it is another chance to step outside the shadow of always being number two. For Matt Guy, it is his statement to show everyone why he is King of Cornhole, the best player in the world. But for Jack Stagge, it was about more.

With his mother in a wheelchair at courtside, Jack Swagge dedicated his performance in honor of the passing of his sister eight years ago.

"This is for my sister," Stagge said. "She died eight years ago of a rare disease. Today's her birthday and I wanted this more for her than anything."

After the final bag landed in the semifinals, Matt Guy congratulated Stagge and graciously walked through the crowd of Stagge supporters celebrating the rare victory over the reigning king. Tears were shed. Hugs were given. Stagge kissed his mother and hugged his wife.

"I'm on top of the world," Stagge said in a post match interview. "How do you upset the number one player in the world? The only way to do it is to practice your ass off."

And practice he did. Stagge practiced for weeks, playing five to six hours a day preparing for what would become the most emotional victory in ACO history against CornyForty #2 ranked Steve Vanderver.

Vanderver, the ACO's version of Phil Mickelson, was runner-up to Matt Guy at last year's World Cornhole Championships. He finished second to Matt Guy at last season's King of Cornhole.

"Matt and I are good friends," Vanderver said before the event. "He is an individual that drives me."

What better way to prepare for Matt Guy than by playing him for the last few weeks before the World Cornhole Championships.

"Matt and I practice quite a bit."

Vanderver had an opportunity no player has had since 2006. It was a Matt Guy-less final. One can only wonder the thoughts in the heads of CornyForty #3 ranked Randy Atha and CornyForty #4 ranked Eric Hinerman. Both men were ousted in earlier rounds. And now a Stagge victory over Guy opened the path for Vanderver to claim the World Cornhole Championship title.

"Steve Vanderver is awesome," Stagge said humbly before his championship match. "With the wind conditions today, maybe I got a chance."

Up 18-12 in game three of three, Stagge had one in the hole and three on the board. Vandever had three bags on, one desperately hanging on top of the hole. Vanderver threw a bag stick side down. It landed on the top of the American Cornhole star logo. The impact dislodged the hanging bag for a much needed cornhole to keep the match alive.

In the final frame, Stagge pitched a bag too far right, missed the cornhole and didn't put Vanderver away for good. Vanderver needed a cornhole to remain alive. His bag slid up the board, went to the left side of the hole and spun around the backside. But like those matches against Matt Guy, the bag didn't go in. Vanderver was number two. Again.

"He's one of the best hole shooters around," Stagge said about Vanderver. "He has kicked my butt the last two weeks."

Stagge's final game against Guy was 21-3. His final game against Vanderver was 21-12. It's safe to say the man known as the Wild Man was the one who kicked ass at the World Cornhole Championship.

"You got a dream, you got to live it!"