After an eventful, roller coaster of a season, Team Blueprint shines one final time in the Season 19 final rankings. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of our players for their hard work, determination, and the endless pursuit of their goals all season long. We believe the gentleman that follow are the best examples you will find in the ACO of classy competitors, devoted fathers/husbands/sons, and positive, encouraging friends. Thank you, Team Blueprint, for allowing us the privilege of following your journey this season. It was awesome, inspiring and totally worth it. We hope you feel the same. Let’s finish this thing strong!
Richard Jones Rolls His Way to the Top
Richard Jones, a fierce competitor who obtained Pro status in Season 18 by showing out at World’s (finishing in the Top 80), showed no signs of slowing down this season. With his effortless and consistent roll bag among the vast array of killer shots in his arsenal, Jones maxed out in Regionals by early February and landed some impressive Singles finishes at the Majors: 2nd in Peoria, IL; 3rd in Toledo, OH; 5th in Knoxville, TN, and 5th in Owensboro, KY.
While Jones is already guaranteed another year of Pro status by locking in that #28 Season 19 ranking, we expect that he will ride this momentum into Worlds where he’s sure to shake up the competition. No doubt, we’ll be alongside Deidre rooting for you from Center Court one last time before next season Richard! We wish you nothing but good luck and strong finishes as you continue your cornhole journey!! Let’s go!
Nate the Great Shines All Season
When Nate Stevens fearlessly left his reputation and all his credentials in the ACL to dive headfirst into the ACO world, only a select few knew what they were up against as the crocks came to Center Court in a Blueprint T-shirt. There was no flash, no advance warning from the commentators, no indication we were about to witness history – it just happened.
In a spectacular display of grit and sheer determination, Stevens took the long road in all of his early Major competitions, battling through pool play, fighting through the loser’s bracket, often times playing 12 or 13 games over 12-13 hours before claiming his victory – and there were plenty of victories to claim. Nate played in 4 Majors this season finishing 1st in Knoxville, TN; 1st in Clarksville, TN; 2nd in Branson, MO and 3rd in Toledo, OH.
On the Regional side, Stevens got a late start, attending his first regional on December 30 but he quickly stacked up seven consecutive 1st place finishes in Danville, KY, Williamsburg, KY and Maryville, TN. When he wasn’t doing that? He swung by Elizabethtown and became the Kentucky State Singles Champion!
With his focus, endurance and determination, we believe Nate to be one the strongest competitors in the ACO. Buckle up! It’s going to be a wild ride on the road to crown the next King of Cornhole. We will be there to cheer you on Nate! Let’s go!
Noah Dennis Proves Himself in Juniors
Another phenomenal player on this rise, Noah Dennis, is the 15 year old powerhouse who can hop from homework to a bass fishing tournament to a cornhole tournament on any given day. Noah battled his way to become our Kentucky State Junior Champion, earning his first ACO jersey, and is locked in as the No. 7 ranked player in the Junior division thanks to finishing in the Top 5 at 4 Majors this season (Clarksville, TN; Knoxville, TN: South Bend, IN; and Spooky Nook, OH).
Closer to home, in ACO Singles Regionals, Noah brought home seven 1st place finishes and one 2nd place finish which landed him in the final World Singles rankings at No. 109 with a Season PPR of 8.63. The only thing left for Noah to do is battle alongside Jody Thurman for a spot in the Top 64 at Worlds and he’ll be heading into Season 20 with a well-deserved title - Pro. Let’s go Noah!! We know you can do it!
Jody Thurman Continues to Climb
Jody Thurman - the man who does it all! This season, Jody continued to make the best bags in the business, run the most efficient (and ethical) tournaments in the league, and also remained an absolute beast on the boards. Jody started the season working hard at maxing his regionals and he came close with five 1st place finishes and three 2nd place finishes.
In Majors, Jody’s best finish of 5th place in Clarksville, TN helped him to end Season 19 with an impressive ranking of No. 99 - only 3 spots away from making Pro - and a jump of 28 spots over his ranking last year. With a Season PPR of 9.04 Jody is in a good position to cut through the herd at Worlds and roll his way into Pro Status by finishing in the Top 64. Team Blueprint will be there to cheer you on Jody Thurman, you got this!!
The Unsuspecting Beasts of the Bunch
One thing you can count on in Kentucky: there is always the potential to get ambushed on the boards by a player unknown amongst the ranks. With cheating rampant in the ACO and points having a decreasing amount of integrity behind them, many players choose to simply play the game - without chasing points - or traveling long distances to compete in Majors. Many times, these players become Pro by qualifying at Worlds. These are the unsuspecting beasts of the bunch:
Cody Brewer: Brewer is the first monster on the boards, securing his ACO Pro status the hard way – showing up to World’s Season 18 unranked and fighting through the brackets to finish in the Top 80. This season, Cody played 8 regionals in total and secured a Top 5 finish in all but 2. That, along with his Major finishes, landed Cody at a ranking of No. 292 in only half a season with a Season PPR of 8.78. But, just as rankings were not a factor for Brewer last year, we look for Cody to dominate when the moment calls for it and finish the season strong as always. Let’s go Cody! Team Blueprint is rooting for you!
Ron Wilson and Robert Hatfield: Absolute masters at the game and local legends in their own right, both Ron and Hatfield have been playing cornhole since corn bags. Their consistency and exceptional teamwork in Doubles is unmatched and they are a force to be reckoned with in Seniors as well. Ron and Hatfield are summed up perfectly by their Season PPRs of 9.37 and 9.58, respectively, because that’s just how they play on an average night at the local blind draw. This season, while they have no Major points, they ventured just far enough outside the backyard to qualify for Worlds through their Regionals. So, we can look for them to be making waves in the pools with their Blueprint Pros in hand. Whether you meet them in World Singles, World Doubles, Seniors or the blind draw - don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Lynn Swink: Mr. River Valley Cornhole himself, Lynn Swink is another local legend who regularly dominates one of the longest running weekly blind draws in the area. Traveling more this year than previous years, Lynn has made some notable gains by finishing in the Top Five in 5 of the 8 regionals he played this season. While better Major finishes would help Lynn’s points ranking, he’s a tough competitor with a solid Season PPR of 8.72, so Lynn is very capable of dominating the brackets and fighting through the pools. He’s sure to be a handful for any opponent at World’s this year. Let’s go Lynn!
Jacob Dennis: Here’s a kid with cornhole in his blood. With a full roster of ranked ACO players right in the family, Jacob Dennis has plenty of opportunities to put work into his cornhole game. With a consistent roll bag under his belt, and an impressive climb of 300 spots in the rankings over last season, Jacob is poised to bring home some wood in Tier 2 after his 4th place win in the Toledo Major. Let’s go Jacob!! Your time to shine is now!
Keith Horn and Dennis Wheeler: These two players have mastered the fastest bag in the game, one most players are afraid to touch, the Blueprint Lightning, Speed 10/6. With their high, consistent throws, Keith and Dennis can both sink airmails with little effort and run bags consistently down the middle until the competition runs out of gas. Dennis Wheeler, a local board maker, doesn’t have much time to play, but when he does – watch out! Likewise, Keith Horn is a beast on the boards and a big winner in local leagues. With Season PPRs of 8.83 (Keith) and 8.68 (Dennis), there’s no easy end when facing off with these two.
David Roundtree: Another local legend, Roundtree, can be found tearing up the boards in local leagues and blind draws. Roundtree started ACO Season 19 with the travel bug as he headed to Charleston, WV, Dalton, GA, and Panama City Beach where he continues to improve his major finishes over last season. Finishing this season out with a rank of No. 572 and Season PPR of 8.11, Roundtree is long overdue for that Tier 2 plaque he’s been inching his way toward. Let’s go Roundtree!
