The storm that was the first ACL Open of the season is behind us, which means it’s smooth sailing ahead as the American Cornhole League Open Series season kicks into full gear. From now until the middle of December, there will be an ACL Open every other week, which means more cornhole coverage than ever!
Today, however, our focus is on the now, which is the Overstock Des Moines Open, which will take place at the Jacobson Exhibition Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The biggest thing to keep in mind for this event; we are back to classic format. All games in all tournaments will be played to 21.
The first event of the weekend, bright and early Friday morning, is Women’s, Senior and Junior singles, followed by doubles.
WOMEN’S DIVISION
Good news for everyone in the Women’s division: Sarah Cassidy will not be in attendance. Cassidy strolled Women’s Singles at the first Open in Rock Hill, outscoring her opponents 144-37 in the seven games she played, which included wins over top Pros like Emily Downer, Cheyenne Bubbenheim and Miranda Coy twice.
With that said, this is a great opportunity for someone flying under the radar to make a name for herself. Someone who can get that first crucial, signature win. Players like Lexi Hugeback. She didn’t have to travel far from her home in Minnesota, and from what I’ve seen, is as locked in as ever. I look for her to make a deep run. Other players in the running, like Dia Lee, Payton Haynes, and Kamryn Belvin make this bracket completely wide open.
On the doubles side, I think Debra Odum and Isabella Suprenant are the team to beat. I love their chemistry, and were one of the top Women’s doubles teams last year, so I expect them to only improve.
On paper, the team of Dia Lee and Mailyn Dela Cruz Gigante look awesome. Gigante had a decent comeback season last year, and I feel like she will only improve, and when playing with the reigning Women’s Singles World Champion, there’s not many better people to have in your corner. These two finished 3rd in Rock Hill, so you know they have what it takes to play the long game.
Maddie McBride and Lexi Hugeback had a rocky start to their Women’s Doubles season, so as far as they’re concerned, they can only improve. Look for them at the very end as well.
SENIOR DIVISION
Everyone in the Senior division also can breathe a sigh of relief, as neither Frank Modlin nor Daymon Dennis will be in attendance. Those two have owned the division the past few seasons, so there’s another chance to see some fresh faces.
The first person I have my eye on is Steve Schroeder. Mr. Truck Driver himself had a breakout year last season, and looks to improve, and what better way to start than with a good Senior Singles run in Iowa. He is my frontrunner for sure.
Russel Tonkin is a name I recommend getting familiar with. I had the displeasure of playing him in the blind draw in Milwaukee last season, and he made sure I would never forget his name again, as he absolutely annihilated me on the boards. Look out for Tonkin in the bracket.
Senior Doubles, while the field may be small, is still mighty. Could this be the first time ever that a senior bracket finishes before Women’s and Juniors? With a team like Jerry Lockwood and Steve Schroeder, it might. That is a dominant team, and I can’t see a lot of other teams competing with them. Maybe Donald Cupp and Robert Olczak, maybe Travis Hagerdorn and Scott Bayless, but it's really looking like Lockwood and Schroeder’s tournament to lose.
JUNIOR DIVISION
I truly believe the junior division will be wide open all season long. As we saw in Rock Hill, players that weren’t even on people's radars shined, while kids we all thought would walk through the junior division fell flat. Gabriel Clauson clean swept, winning singles and doubles with Logan Dupler. Can he do it again? Honestly, I think there’s a chance. He has arguably been the best player on the planet since December of last year. He can run bags with the best of them, and have multiple games with over an 11.00 PPR, but he can also play the dirty game, with one of the best cut and roll shots in the game. I look for Clauson to make another deep run.
Another player I am looking forward to watching is Tony Forbes. He wasn’t able to make the first open, so this is everyone’s first look at Forbes at a big tournament this season. Forbes had a season for the ages in 2023-2024, and I look for the High School National Champion to continue his strong run. Would not be surprised if we see a Forbes/Clauson singles final.
Junior Doubles is STACKED. I’ll keep this short and sweet. Take a look at some of the names in this bracket:
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Alex Hicks/Mason Traiteur
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Anthony Eastridge/Jayden Ellis
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Eian Cripps/Zack Aiken
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Gabriel Clauson/Levi Haddock
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Sammy Soto/Ryan Traiteur
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Tony Forbes/Zayne Crots
An insane lineup, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.Make sure you tune into the ACL Livestreams at 6:30 CST to watch it all go down. This may be the best bracket of the entire weekend.
ACL PRO & ELITE DOUBLES
Saturday morning starts doubles day. After six rounds of rounders, teams are seeded into brackets. The team I am most curious about is Ethan Walker and Cody Henderson. It's a team you wouldn’t necessarily think would pair well together, especially when thinking about bag selection. Walker prefers a slow bag that he can cut and roll with, and Henderson likes a much faster bag he can run the hole with. If they can figure out a bag that works well for both of them, look out.
I hate to continue to beat the drum, but Gabriel Clauson and Devon Harbaugh may destroy everyone. They have played multiple tournaments in the Virginia area in the recent months, and nobody has come close to touching them. They are a top five team for sure.
This is also the first time this season we will get to see Ryan Squared, Ryan Smith and Ryan Wiedenfeld. These two have some of the best chemistry in the entire pro division, and are always a force to be reckoned with. I expect to see them in the end as well.
ACL PRO & ELITE SINGLES
Singles Sunday features another stacked event, and in my opinion, it is still Devon Harbaugh’s to lose. I haven’t seen anything out of him that makes me think he is beatable. A flawless singles performance in Rock Hill means it is going to take a lot to beat him. However, I am not saying it's impossible.
Gavin Cano wants to get his season started off on the right foot, and I think this weekend is the perfect chance. New pro partner, rejuvenated atmosphere, I think Cano kicks off an MVP like season this weekend.
If he can stay relaxed, keep his composure, and most importantly, keep his head in the game, this is a big opportunity for Spencer Fabionar to make a run. He has been killing it on the college Side at Winthrop, and I truly believe he has what it takes to win a big event like this.
AMATEUR DOUBLES AND SINGLES
Justin Lang and Alex McDonald lead an impressive field of amateurs in Iowa. McDonald missed becoming a pro by just a few points at the Pro-Qualifier, and looks to prove to the world that he deserves a spot in the pro division. Former ACL Pro Justin Lang wants to prove that he can also still hang with the top dogs, and I would be very surprised if this team isn’t in it at the end.
When looking through amateur Singles, not a ton of names stood out to me, however Lucas Piper did. Piper is a proven winner in the ACL, and he may be the pick to win amateur singles. Russel Tonkin, Dayton Will and Joe Krick are other names I am looking out for, but this bracket truly is wide open.
HOW TO WATCH
The second Open of the season is not going to disappoint, so make sure if you’re in the Des Moines, Iowa area this weekend to head over to the Jacobson Exhibition Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. If not, check out all of the coverage of the Overstock Des Moines Open on ESPN +, ACL Cornhole TV, Facebook, Youtube, and Tiktok all weekend long.
JAKE’S TAKES
Women’s Singles: Kamryn Belvin
Women’s Doubles: Debra Odum and Isabella Surprenant
Senior Singles: Steve Schroeder
Senior Doubles: Steve Schroeder and Jerry Lockwood
Junior Singles: Gabriel Clauson
Junior Doubles: Sammy Soto and Ryan Traiteur
Pro/Elite Doubles: Gabriel Clauson and Devon Harbaugh
Pro/Elite Singles: Gavin Cano
Amateur Doubles: Alex McDonald and Justin Lang
Amateur Singles: Justin Lang
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