After a seven week hiatus, a new cornhole season is upon us! Hundreds of the best players in the world are heading back to South Carolina for a weekend full of intense action at the Duluth Trading Company Rock Hill Open.

I’m Jake Brannon, ACL commentator and long time knower of the sport, and we’re breaking down and examining each aspect of the impending ACL Open.

 

SEASON STRUCTURE CHANGES

One major change to the ACL event structure is the introduction of Shootout-format play in non-professional tournaments. Debuting this weekend, one-third of all ACL Open Series events will feature the Shootout structure. 

This format is similar to traditional play, but rather than playing the game to 21 points, the match ends after 12 rounds and the player with the most points walks away as the winner.

Some players struggle with a round-limited format, but others like Erick Davis and Alex Rawls excel in it. Since this is a new landscape that many players have not competed in before, I am interested to see how the new rookie ACL Pros, Elite players, and amateurs fare. Round-limited play requires a different type of mental game and not playing to 21 will create some exciting scenarios throughout the weekend.

 

2024 ROOKIE SHOWCASE

The Rookie Showcase was a new element introduced at the first ACL Open last season and gives first-year ACL Pros a chance to not just show off their talents, but also impress the captains prior to the 2025 ACL Pro Teams Draft.

The Rookie Showcase will consist of five different stations designed to demonstrate their talents. The skill tests will include airmails, pushes, placing blocks, playing blocks, and a deckaround.

While the first few activities are self-explanatory, a deckaround will have players throw 10 rounds alone with four bags per round. The round scores will accumulate to one final score with 120 being the highest mark a player can receive.

After the showcase concludes, all player scores will be compiled and the information will be distributed to each ACL Pro Team Captain to reference during the Draft.

Last season, Caden Allen, Sammy Soto, and Logan Hall had the top three Rookie Showcase scores while reigning Rookie of the Year and MVP Jeremiah Ellis had the 15th best overall score.

 

WOMEN’S DIVISION

In addition to the 2024 Rookie Showcase, the Women’s, Senior, and Junior events will also run concurrently on Friday.

When examining the Women’s Singles field, you can’t ignore the best of the best; the women who are always there at the end: Cheyenne Bubbenheim, Sarah Cassidy, Kaylee Hunter, and Miranda Coy. 

While Bubenheim has been a force for years, her recent switch to Titan Bags makes me wonder how she will perform this weekend. Changing bags can often be a tough adjustment, so I would not be surprised if she walked away with a finish below her normal level of excellence.

A newcomer to the Pro Division, Dia Lee is one I’ll also be watching this weekend. The last time she competed in the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, she walked away as the 2024 Women’s Singles World Champion. I would love to see her make another deep run in the division because it’s not often you see an amateur take down a whole field of pro-level players for the win.

On the Elite side, Caitlyn Allshouse is a true contender this season. Allshouse fared well in the 2024 ACL Pro Qualifier, but ran into a buzzsaw of Tristen Deese in the win-or-go-home bracket. She threw a 10.45 PPR over 20 rounds, but ultimately fell to Deese who threw an 11.00 PPR. If she can stay consistent this weekend, she will be tough to beat.

In the Women’s Doubles field, I love the new pairing of Cheyenne Bubbenheim and Gina Ramirez. Ramirez bursted on the scene last year and I think the Arizona native will only continue to improve.

One team that caught my eye is Kemberly Jenkins and Linda Ford. Just recently announced, I question how much chemistry has already been established between the two women. However, whatever they lack in chemistry can likely be made up in pure talent; enough to even make them a top-caliber team.

 

SENIOR DIVISION

In the Senior division, it seems like it’s Daymon Dennis and Frank Modlin’s tournament to lose on both the Singles and Doubles side.

Modlin and Dennis announced their new partnership in September, positioning themselves as an unstoppable force on the Senior Doubles side. When the #1 and #2 ranked Senior players decide the team up, you know you’re in for a good season.

However, not every tournament is a guaranteed win and the division is filled with some heavy hitters. I expect to see players like Phath Sem progress while heading into his sophomore year as an ACL Pro. Sem won Senior Singles at Bag Brawl #2 in Milwaukee and I think he will only improve from here.

Other players on my watchlist include Charles Agee, Dan Scholten, and Steve Schroeder, all of whom are looking to start the season with a bang.

 

JUNIOR DIVISION

Arguably the most competitive division of the league, the young bucks have filled their brackets with a disgusting amount of talent; so much that I genuinely cannot pick a favorite for Junior Singles.

Not even old enough to drive, the U18 division is responsible for producing so many of the best cornhole players in the world: Brayden Wilson, Sammy Soto, Ryan Traiteur, Jakob Gore, Jackson Gore, Eian Cripps, Gabriel Clauson, Logan Dupler–just to name a few.

The Junior Doubles sect is just as good. The Twin Terrors, Jakob and Jackson Gore, will be tough to beat so long as they can stay in sync and keep their cool.

On paper, the team of Sammy Soto and Ryan Traiteur is disgusting. It will also provide us with a first look at Traiteur’s new “no-step-over” mechanics. Many members of the cornhole community have expressed their curiosity for how he will adapt to the new rule change.

Brayden Wilson and Cash Chamness will be the team everyone walks around and roots for all day long. They undoubtedly have the talent to back it up too.

Advanced Singles World Champion Logan Dupler is throwing the bags back to Gabriel Clauson who was arguably one of the hottest players in the cornhole realm coming down the stretch last season.

 

ACL PRO & ELITE SINGLES

Friday evening will bring us ACL Pro & Elite Singles. Another new aspect of Opens, Pros and Elite players will only compete against each other, rather than in the same field as amateur players.

This is the first major Singles event since the 2024 ACL World Championships. Who will come out of the gates hot to set the tone for the season and who will fall short?

Last year, Alan Rawls beat Tony Smith in the Open Singles final with Ryan Weidenfield and Matt Guy both falling one game short of the Championship. 

When deciding who I thought was going to perform well, I asked myself, “who had the best performance at Opens last season, especially when not playing on television?”

One name stood out and has claimed my pick to win Singles outright: Devon Harbaugh.

A seasoned ACL Pro, Harbaugh claimed three Open Singles titles last year. Currently, four of his seven career titles are Open Singles titles. Best of all, the tournament will be featured on the livestream court rather than the television broadcast court. This has another Harbaugh win written all over it.

One competitor ready to start off the season on the right foot is Alex Rawls–literally.

Last season, Rawls was recovering from major foot surgery and was unable to practice for most of the offseason. 

This year, the foot is healed, he has had nothing but time to work on his game, and he’s ready to dominate. The only major obstacle in his way now is the round-limited format, and subsequently, the Shootout titan Erick Davis. Will Rawls overcome?

This weekend, I’ll be watching to see how our rookies fare. Gary Bearpaw brings a game full of slick bags, down-the-middle throws, and one of the best airmails in cornhole. I think he will make a solid run.

Tristen Deese and Matt Wilson are also on my radar, so I am curious to see how they will perform in their first big tournament as ACL Pros.

 

ACL PRO & ELITE DOUBLES

Friday will be long and strenuous, but Saturday morning will bring us all the Doubles action.

This is the first event where we will get a chance to look at the new “juggernaut” teams: Devon Harbaugh & Jeremiah Ellis, Jamie Graham & Jacob Trzcienski, Jakob Gore & Jackson Gore, and Jay Rubin & Ryan Traiteur. 

These four new pairings want to show the cornhole community that they are the best in the world. In my opinion, Graham and Trzcienski have the highest ceiling and the Gores have the lowest floor. 

I love the chemistry Graham and Trzcienski bring to the table. If they get hot, nobody will be able to touch them. 

Alternatively, the Gore twins feed off of each other's energy–good and bad. When one of them gets down or upset, it disrupts their momentum and hinders their performance. However, if they can keep their positive mindset, they will excel as a team.

While these new partner pairings are exciting to talk about, we cannot forget about some of the exceptional teams who elected to stay together this season, such as the defending World Champions Trey Burchfield and Adam Hissner. 

Nothing has truly changed for this team from August to now. These two won four Doubles titles last year, three of which were at the Open level, so I expect big things from them once again this season. 

Our 2024 Pro Doubles World Championship runner-ups, Alan Rawls and Chris Kingsbury, will also be a team to look out for. They are on the warpath after the heartbreaking loss in August. I would not want to be in their way. 

Keep an eye out for other top teams like Logan Chamberlain & Justin Burton Jr, Ryan Smith & Ryan Weidenfield, Mark Richards & Tony Smith, and Aj Sims & Brayden Wilson. 

 

AMATEUR DOUBLES

Amateur Doubles will be something compelling to watch all year. For the first time since the ACL's inception, there is a major tournament where Pros and Elite players will not compete in the same field. However, that doesn't mean the action won't be just as good or intense.

Heading into the weekend, teams like TJ Bowie & Adrian Ballard, Aaron George & Bayden Purser, and Andy Noyes & Charles Agee have caught my eye.

Ballard competed in the USA Forces Doubles World Championship in August and had an electric performance, so I’m looking for Ballard and Bowie to make a deep run.

Aaron George and Bayden Purser are a local team that I truly think have potential to make a splash all year long. Bayden, son of former ACL Pro Travis Purser, has a beautiful form, an even prettier bag, and has every single shot selection in his arsenal. These two are going to be a problem in the best way.

Andy Noyes and Charles Agee are both part of the Senior Pro Tour and have proved to have what it takes to win big tournaments.

With a slew of solid amateur Doubles teams competing this weekend, that’s what makes this division so fun to watch.

 

AMATEUR SINGLES

Last, but not least, let’s take a look at Amateur Singles. Topping off my watch list, I have Espn Jackson, Eli Porter, Travis Purser, and Tyler Poythress.

While not all names on this list are truly amateurs because of their previous ACL Pro status, each of these players have competed with the best of the best and have proved they have what it takes to win. I would be very surprised to not see these names in or near the winner circle at the very end of the tournament. 

Not playing Pros will likely be a huge benefit to amateurs, allowing them to make a name for themselves in their own field of play.

Players like Kyle Butler, Jordan Mitchell, and Michael Street have a legitimate chance to emerge as the best amateurs in the country and this weekend will undoubtedly allow them start off on the right foot.  

 

HOW TO WATCH

Overall, it is going to be an incredible first event of the season. Join us in person at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center or watch from the comfort of your home. The Duluth Trading Company Rock Hill Open will stream on ESPN+, ACL Cornhole TV, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok all weekend long.

 

JAKE’S TAKES

Women’s Singles: Dia Lee

Women’s Doubles: Cheyenne Bubbenheim & Gina Ramirez

Senior Singles: Phath Sem

Senior Doubles: Daymon Dennis & Frank Modlin

Junior Singles: Gabriel Clauson

Junior Doubles: Ryan Traiteur & Sammy Soto

Pro & Elite Singles: Devon Harbaugh

Pro & Elite Doubles: Jamie Graham & Jacob Trzcienski

Amateur Singles: Espn Jackson

Amateur Doubles: Aaron George & Bayden Purser