Auroraadvocate.com - Tossed Salad: Cornhole tourney No. 1 was fun-filled evening

by Brent Hovey

Reporter

When the residents of Four Seasons say they are going to throw a party, one can rest assured it will be an awesome affair.

Centerville Mills Park on Crackel Road was jamming Saturday night thanks to some of the fun-loving residents of Four Seasons, who sponsored their first indoor cornhole tournament.

If the turnout for the first year is any indication, the event will be around for quite some time. Fifty-four teams (108 people) participated in the double-elimination competition.

When I heard about the event, I had to be a part of it. After all, my nickname around the office is "Cornhole," thanks to the creative mind of the King of Nicknames Ken (Duke) Lahmers.

He came up with that name because of my fondness for the game, which is played by throwing small "bean bags" at a slanted board with a hole in the middle.

From spending time with the same group of neighbors during one of its Friday night bocce games last summer, I knew I should expect a good time. What I didn"t expect was how much fun, laughs, food and beverages there would be.

From the moment I walk-ed into the shelter I was greeted by friendly faces. I knew a handful of people, but others came up and made me feel welcome.

Getting the night going

Each team was randomly drawn from a jar full of names; one male and one female made up each team. Cindy Baldwin was my partner. I mingled, checked out the competition and help-ed myself to more beverages.

There were six courts going at once, leaving little room for people standing on the side. The most crowded area was around a huge cardboard poster with the brackets on it.

I was getting impatient waiting for my game until two sheet pizzas from Gionino"s arrived. I helped myself to two pieces and then heard the announcement that my team was up on court 4.

That court used boards with the University of Michigan logo on them. Perfect for a fan of the Maize and Blue. I thought playing on that court was an omen. After a quick pep talk with Baldwin we took our spots at opposite ends of the floor.

Things were looking good; I was on my game and Cindy did enough to help us out to an 8-2 lead. Then the tide turned as quickly as the pizza was devoured. It became 8-6, then 8-8, then 8-10 and soon we lost 15-8.

We lost to Mike Monaste-ro and Kelli Palcisco. Their names will come up later.

Our team was moved over to the losers" bracket. One thing got me over the loss -- more pizza and drink. We had to wait about two hours to play our next game.

Meanwhile, tray after tray of hot dogs, hamburgers, fried chicken and salad were served, and there was more fierce competition to get to the front of the food line than there was at the boards.

Finally, it was time for game No. 2. We needed a strong run to contend for the championship.

Game 2 was exactly the way I like to play, as we cruised to a 15-4 victory. Cindy hit the winning shot.

Afterward, I learned Cindy was a fellow Ohio University grad. No wonder we were getting along so well. I knew we were in for a run at the title -- two OU grads playing a southern Ohio game; it was meant to be.

Game 3 was much like Game 2, an easy victory. The competition didn"t stand a chance.

One of the unfortunate people who played against us was Jon Stratton, but even the loss couldn"t ruin his good time.

"I"m absolutely having a good time," he said. "I lost, but I love these one-handed sports."

In Game 4, Team OU ran into a bump in the road. It was a back and forth game, but our Cinderella run came up short 15-11.

After a few minutes of crying in the corner, I regrouped and joined the party. Still feeling a little defeated, I took comfort in talking to Stratton. "I didn"t lose, I let you win," he claimed.

Summing up the night

The whole tournament was an overwhelming success. To see a neighborhood come together like that is something special. Although this was its first cornhole tourney, it was by no means its only get-together.

The residents play Friday night bocce in the summer, and on Feb. 10 will host a reverse raffle.

Bob Messner, Don Fariello and Jim McKenzie were the ringleaders of the event.

"We wanted to do something that would bring people out in the wintertime," said Messner. "We don"t see each other very often and wanted to change that."

Messner came up with the idea of a cornhole tournament two months ago and discussed it with Fariello and McKenzie. They wanted to see what the turnout would be.

"We never thought we"d have this many people," Messner said. "We had to cut off registration so we could play the whole thing in one night.

"This just shows how strong of a neighborhood Four Seasons is. We do a lot together and this is something special. I"m just happy to be here and be a part of this."

I asked Baldwin whether she was happy to be paired up with an "outsider."

"Absolutely," she said with a laugh, but I wasn"t sure if she was joking or a little giddy. "I can be shy sometimes, but these group activities make me feel comfortable. There"s a lot of camaraderie."

Whether it was playing cornhole, eating the delicious food or sharing a beverage and story with an acquaintance, there was no doubt everyone was having a good time.

Jackie Angermeier took advantage of the time to make an extra $10. She was dared to run through all six games at once. She did not get hit by a bag and made herself some extra cash.

The tournament was eventually won by Monastero and Palcisco -- the very team who beat Team OU in the first round. I don"t know if I should be happy we lost to the champions or more upset.

We had them beat, only to pull a New England Patriots like in Sunday"s AFC championship game and let them win. Who knows what would have happened if we"d have won that game?

Monastero and Palcisco won $ for their effort. Second place went to Brian Byard and Jenn Ticer ($100) and third were Rick Shina and Micky Haley ($50).

The event raised $1,540 for the Four Seasons Home Owners Association.

I want to thank the residents of Four Seasons, and especially Fariello, for inviting me, and Baldwin for playing with me. If there is -- and there should be -- a second cornhole tournament, count me in.

E-mail: bhovey@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3115