Unprotected Sacks

First Place

Cornhole - Fridays (Spring '15)

Our Spring 2015 Friday Cornhole season came to a close with a lot of the regular characters showing up for Playoffs: Bag Em & Tag Em, The Hole Enchilada, Cornhorn Tossers...and Jon Gaskell. You may know Jon from many different teams over the last few seasons -- always qualifying for playoffs, but getting knocked out before the final round each time. Jon's determination was admirable, but as he realized he was going to have to play all playoff rounds alone...it seemed insurmountable.

However, the two teams that made it to the finals -- Bag Em & Tag Em again vs. Jon's Unprotected Sacks -- made quick work of the qualifiers: Bag Em defeated their quarterfinal and semifinal opponents 3-0 both times, where Jon surpassed his quarterfinal and semifinal opponents 3-1 each time. Bag Em & Tag Em -- held down by Dan Armstrong & Johnny Candelaria the entire night -- faced off against Jon in the final match...just three guys at the end of a 9 week stretch.

Bag Em & Tag Em pulled the first game win strong: Dan and Johnny widened the lead immensely with a 9-1 lead, then 12-2, 18-4...two or three cornholes each round. As Jon began to nail his target, Dan cornholed to win 21-7, Bag Em taking the first win. Was this the end of Jon? Was his pizza toss throw too exhausting to endure after 8 games in a row?

No, this couldn't be the end -- at least not with the help of "Showdown" by Electric Light Orchestra. As the band played on, Jon began the 2nd game with a fierceness that rivaled any teams this year -- one that can only be induced by his past playoff showdowns. Jon scored first with bags on the board, canceling Dan and Johnny -- getting up to 10 before Bag Em scored their first single. Jon managed to crowd the hole as much as possible when not nailing the hole, and with little time passing took the 2nd game, 21-4. Bag Em is tied with Jon 1-1!

Game 3 seemed to repeat the magic, as Jon relied on board points -- 3-0 before Bag Em scores a Cornhole. But as Dan and Johnny brought back their fire, Jon managed to extinguish or balance their cornholes with board points: 12-12 all, until Jon pulls through with a clutch round of dragging in two bags after he and Johnny canceled each other. Jon scores two bags in the hole to Dan's 1 to end the 3rd game -- Jon leads 2-1!

The 4th game was hard fought by both teams...but Jon needed this win. For Chris, for Joe, for Michael Jordan, for Megan and Colin -- for Electric Light Orchestra! Jon kept a strategy of crowding the hole so that his would get knocked in, dragged in, pushed in -- or would just nail it. 10-2 Jon and it seemed too good to be true...until Dan and Johnny came battling back. Their punishment was swift, painful, and it looked like it would push to a 5th game as Dan brought it to 15-15...crowding the board to get a single point...Jon bounces one in, crowds, brings it 19-15...Johnny gets 4 on the board to get it to 19-17, led by Jon...Jon pushes one of his own in, Dan cancels it, surely...

Dan and Jon face off. Bags are overshooting the hole, hanging barely on the back of the board, looking to fall off at any moment -- every point counts! And as if to answer..."Showdown" by Electric Light Orchestra comes on (yes, a second time)...and Jon scores the final Cornhole to win it all! 1 man, versus 3 teams, for 12 games -- Jon Gaskell wins it all! Love him or hate him...this is a guy you DO want on your side.

Congratulations to Unprotected Sacks and to all of the teams that competed in a great Cornhole season.