Located just 35 miles outside of Cincinnati resides the city of Hamilton, Ohio. Known for its rich history, Hamilton is the host city for the fourth ACL Open of the season, taking place once again at the Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill.
Last year, cornhole history was made when two amateur players beat out the entire ACL Pro division, taking their places in the Open Singles final. Jayden Ellis ultimately outlasted Landon Bass and secured the title win.
Will history continue to be written this weekend? Only time will tell.
WOMEN’S DIVISION
The Duluth Trading Hamilton Open will have a significantly higher turnout than the previous two events, meaning the big guns will be out in full force, yielding an unbelievably stacked field on all accounts.
Cheyenne Bubenheim will be making her first appearance since Rock Hill, ready to avenge her previous 5th place Women’s Singles finish. Additionally, Caitlyn Allshouse will present as a solid contender, chasing back-to-back wins.
Another player I have my eye on this weekend is Mailyn Dela Cruz Gigante. She has the second-highest PPR, only behind Bubenheim, and is coming off a Women’s Doubles title win with Dia Lee in Little Rock. Moreover, her husband, Donald Cupp, swept the Senior division at the last ACL Open, so there must be something in the Cupp household’s water.
On the Women’s Double’s side, Dia Lee and Mailyn Dela Cruz Gigante are an obvious choice. With ever-growing chemistry and an early onset of accumulating title wins, I expect big things from this team.
However, teams who are solid on paper like Cheyenne Bubenheim and Gina Ramirez could stand in their way. Alone, these two are some of the best in the country. The only two things that make me apprehensive to pick them is their lack of chemistry and differing bag selections. I expect them to be in it at the end, but I can’t guarantee a win.
Let the record show, I am NOT picking Elizabeth Tennyson and Samantha Finley to win Women’s Doubles in Hamilton, Ohio. I’ve recently caught some flack from Tennyson for supposedly jinxing her game at previous events. While I maintain my innocence, I must profess that I do not think Tennyson and Finley will win this one.
I repeat, Elizabeth Tennyson and Samantha Finley will not win Women’s Doubles in Hamilton, Ohio.
SENIOR DIVISION
Guess who’s back… Back again… Daymon Dennis and Frank Modlin are back. Tell a friend.
Two of the most dominant ACL Pros in the league are back and ready to make up for their lackluster performance in Rock Hill. I expect to see both of these players in the Senior Singles and Doubles finals.
While I have high expectations for these two, I worry about how they’ll do against Mr. Statue of Liberty, Donald Cupp. The Don walked through Senior Singles in Little Rock and I expect another big performance from him again this weekend.
Lee Tibbs is a hometown pick for me; I think he can hang with the big dogs. The best Senior player in the state of Maryland for the past three years in a row can run bags with just about anyone, so don’t consider him an easy out.
In my Rock Hill Open preview at the start of the season, I went all in on Daymon Dennis and Frank Modlin. I predicted they would not just win the tournament, but absolutely dominate in every game they played. Unfortunately, they didn’t even finish in the money and left me looking pretty foolish.
However, I believe this weekend will be different, so I am going all in again. Daymon Dennis and Frank Modlin will win Senior Doubles. No contest.
However, the second place finish is definitely worth further exploration.
Lee Tibbs and Robbie Davis are one of my favorite teams. These two can run with just about anyone and I know Robbie wants to prove that he is just as good as his kid, Erick, also known as The Magician of the ACL Pro division.
If the boards are slick, Ron Kugel and Chuckie Love will be an enjoyable team to watch and I expect them to have some of the highest PPRs in the bracket. However, if the boards are on the tacky side, these two will struggle, so it really comes down to board conditions. If that’s the case, Dan Scholten and Donald Cupp have my pick to take second place instead.
JUNIOR DIVISION
This division is and always will be my most favorite to watch, but my least favorite to predict. On any given day, there are easily over a dozen Junior players who have a legitimate chance to win and this weekend is no different.
The obvious pick for Junior Singles is Ryan Traiteur, but that’s predictable. I’m looking for players like Jackson Gore to make a splash. His performance last season was uninspiring, but he is off to a pretty hot start locally this season. This newfound confidence and charisma can help elevate his game to the next level. As long as he keeps his frustrations to a minimum, I expect a lot from him this weekend.
The last time Jayden Ellis was in this building, he was far and away the best player and I think he can keep that going. A win at the Spooky Nook this weekend would provide a huge confidence boost which could set off a string of good finishes.
Brayden Wilson is another kid on the hunt for a bounce-back performance after his finish in Rock Hill. With a new bag sponsor, I’m sure it won’t take him long to find the winner’s circle.
Junior Doubles is sure to be an entertaining feat. Lots of partner switch-ups really open the door for some new faces.
This season, we welcomed a second Traiteur kid to the ACL Junior Pro Tour. This weekend, 14-year-old Mason Traiteur has partnered up with Jayce Fleisher, a young stud out of Michigan.
The team should consider dubbing their duo as the “forgotten soldiers.” It seems like Mason is often outshined by his twin powerhouse brother, Ryan, and Jayce tends to take a backseat to fellow Michigan shooter, Jayden Ellis. These two have a lot of people to prove wrong this weekend in their quest to claim a seat at the table.
Additionally, Gabriel Clauson and Tony Forbes are a team I can get behind. If there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that these two are going to have fun on the boards. This could easily snowball into a dominating Junior Doubles win.
ACL PRO & ELITE DOUBLES
If I had to describe this division in one word, it would be “stacked.” By far the deepest and most competitive Doubles bracket since Rock Hill, a slew of cornhole stars are trekking to Hamilton to compete in this Open.
This weekend, we’ll get a second look at the new and fiery team of Jamie Graham and Jacob Trzcienski. This tournament is important to Graham given his recent title slump. The once #1 player in the world did not win a single ACL title in the 2023-2024 season and has not won one since the 2023 ACL World Championships.
Two weeks ago, Mark Richards overtook Graham for third place in all-time titles after his victory in Little Rock. A win this weekend means he could pull back even with Richards.
This year feels a little different, however. Trzcienski has that fire power and tenacity that helps bring the best out of his partners, so the real question isn’t if they win a title this season, its how many? I have loved this pairing from the start, and there’s a reason I have them picked as my number one ranked doubles team.
Noah Almanza and Landen Crabtree have caught my attention. Almanza has been red-hot over the past few events and he’s so close to getting over that hump. Paired with the methodical, slow-paced approach from Crabtree, this team has all the tools to frustrate the competition and walk away with a win.
Some honorable mentions on my watchlist are Ryan Traiteur and Gavin Cano, AJ Sims and Brayden Wilson, Cheyenne Bubenheim and Jordan Power, plus Ryan Windsor and Nico Mireles. The field is loaded with talent and this tournament is definitely a must-watch.
ACL PRO & ELITE SINGLES
Singles Sunday features another loaded slate led by… * checks notes * … Bobby Hunt?
Hunt has the highest PPR in the entire Singles division, sitting at a 10.8 for the season so far. He has been killing it locally and I would be unsurprised if he performs at a high level this weekend.
Mark Richards already bumped Jamie Graham out of third place for overall ACL titles, so naturally, he’s going to attempt to claim second place this weekend. However, this field is far more difficult than what he came up against in Little Rock. If he can be as consistent as he was two weekends ago, he will be tough to beat.
Gavin Cano has spent plenty of time on the podium, but has yet to claim the title win. This would be the perfect place to do it and in one of the most difficult tournaments of the season no less.
Will we see a familiar face in the Singles finals or will a new rising star make a splash? Tune in all weekend long to find out.
HOW TO WATCH
If you find yourself in the Hamilton area this weekend, head over to the Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill and check out all the action in person. For the homebound cornhole fans, tune in all weekend to watch the action on ESPN+, ACL Cornhole TV, Facebook, Youtube, and TikTok.
JAKE’S TAKES
Women’s Singles: Cheyenne Bubenheim
Women’s Doubles: Dia Lee & Mailyn Dela Cruz Gigante
Senior Singles: Daymon Dennis
Senior Doubles: Daymon Dennis & Frank Modlin
Junior Singles: Jayden Ellis
Junior Doubles: Gabriel Clauson & Tony Forbes
Pro & Elite Singles: Gavin Cano
Pro & Elite Doubles: Noah Almanza & Landen Crabtree
Amateur Singles: Eli Porter
Amateur Doubles: Donald Seekford & Joey Lam
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