Mike Pate
The Robson Ranch Texas Toss Cornhole League conducted its Spring playoffs in May in the Cimarron gym. Matches were highly competitive and intense with a bit of friendly banter and trash talking sprinkled in. When the resin dust settled, the top seed Air Mailers, captained by Mike Pate, repeated as Texas Toss World Champions, besting each of their Division A playoff opponents. In the B Division, fourth seed Sand Bag Sliders, captained by David “DJ” Ferneding, beat all comers, earning them the Division B championship.
All playoff matches featured a best-of-three game format. To reach the Division A finals, the Air Mailers eked past intra-division rival, eighth seed Toss This in a very tight, three-game quarterfinal match, and then overcame fourth seed Cornfused in an exciting semifinal matchup. In the finals, they squared off against third seed Corn Slingers, captained by Rusty Baker. In the quarterfinals, the Corn Slingers got pushed to three games before beating sixth seed Corn with the Wind. Corn Slingers then met second seed Big Texas Toss in their semifinal match, dismissing them in two games.
In the first game of the Division A finals, Air Mailers duo Linda Caron and Jose’ Raices prevailed over their Corn Slingers opponents 29-3. The Air Mailer aerial assault continued in the second game, as veterans Chris Walton and Tim Hughes were both red-hot, powering their team to a 26-1 win and the Division A title.
Afterward Pate remarked, “We’re very excited to repeat. And a tip of the cap to all the teams that made the playoffs. On any given day, any one of them is capable of running the table.” Corn Slingers captain Baker added, “Going from Division B last season to Division A this season was a big step for us. I’m proud of how far we’ve come but we’re not done yet.”
In Division B, the road to the finals was uphill all the way for eighth seed Wild Bunch, captained by Jill Hupp. Wild Bunch upset top seed Swishers in two games in the quarterfinals and careened past second seed Blind Squirrels in three games in the semifinals. In the finals, Wild Bunch faced fourth seed Sand Bag Sliders. In quarterfinal action, it took Sand Bag Sliders three games to defeat fifth seed Eight Bags to the Wind, and in the semifinals, they slid past third seed Mamas and Papas in two games.
In the Division B finals, Wild Bunch struck first, winning the first game 22-10. Sand Bag Sliders, however, came roaring back in the second game, winning it 27-10 on the hot hands of Aasha Jones and Scott Reid. The Slider’s momentum continued into the rubber game of the finals. Linda and Roger Tebbe jumped to an early commanding lead and never looked back, winning 27-13, sealing the Division B crown, and ending Wild Bunch’s Cinderella run.
Congratulations to all the Spring playoff teams for an excellent season!