Cornhole Event Brings the Game’s Elite to Centralia

Cornhole enthusiasts from all over the Northwest descended on Centralia this weekend to bring the game to Southwest Washington — and determine the best of the best in a series of tournaments. 

“It’s just exploded,” said Travis Gonia, who leads the new Twin Cities Cornhole League, which plays at Dick’s Brewing Company. “We really want to blow this up and make this a thing.”

In setting up the local league, Gonia enlisted the help of Len Hiatt, Northwest Conference Director for the American Cornhole League. Hiatt visited Centralia and determined the local chapter had a solid footing. 

“It just took off,” Hiatt said. “It’s been really cool to watch this league blow up.”

As the Centralia group grew, Gonia and Hiatt began discussing the possibility of hosting a major tournament in town. Gonia hoped to combine both the Washington state championship and the Northwest Conference tournament together at the same venue, bringing in players from all over for a long weekend.

“I’ve always wanted to do a state and conference tournament together like this, make it a three-day event,” Hiatt said.

After touring facilities in town, they opted to hold the event at Centralia College, noting that the NW Sports Hub could make a promising venue for future tournaments. Beginning Friday evening, the college’s TransAlta Commons echoed with the thump of bags hitting boards, and the sound of players cheering each other on. 

“It’s something new that we’ve never done before, so that makes it exciting,” said Centralia College President Dr. Robert Mohrbacher. “We’ve got people showing up, so people obviously want to participate. There’s some very good cornholers here tonight and especially tomorrow. … It’s drawing in people from all over the place, and we really want to be a hub for the community.”

The event began Friday with an unofficial charity tournament, open to the community but featuring plenty of veteran players as well. The tournament raised money for the college’s President’s Scholarship, with entry fees, food and a beer garden. 

To get in the spirit of the weekend, fellow reporter Cody Neuenschwander and I signed up to participate. Since the event was “crew cup” — or four-player — we were paired with another duo. Richard and Trevor Reser, a father-son team from Walla Walla, joined us in the competition. 

The Resers began playing together 4 or 5 years ago, after getting hooked at a charity tournament. After years of practice, they’ve joined the competitive circuit and regularly travel to events throughout the region. When they heard about the Centralia tournament, it was a no-brainer to make the trip.

“We said, ‘We’ve got to come, we’ve got to do it,’” Richard Reser said. “They’re calling it the state championship, so let’s go. Let’s be a part of that.”

Our partners were highly skilled, putting their bags in the hole more often than Cody and I even hit the board. Still, they were patient and understanding after we lost our first game 21-13 — almost entirely the result of our poor performance. 

“That’s what this thing is about, is a meet and greet,” Richard Reser said. “It’s just to get to know the other people.”

During a break between our games, the elder Reser competed in the Washington state senior championship tournament, a far more serious event. Playing by himself, he dropped bag after bag into the hole, making quick work of a few opponents. 

Eventually, we drew our next opponent, fully expecting to get beaten again and end our run in the double-elimination tournament. Instead, Cody and I started to find the board, contributing just enough to aid the Resers’ impressive shot-making. After a 21-1 win, we were starting to feel pretty good.

Our hot streak continued in the next game, as we took a 21-3 victory. During our break between games, Richard Reser returned to the senior tournament, where he was crowned the state champion. Unfortunately, even a championship-level teammate wasn’t enough to save Cody and I in the next game, as our opponents pulled off a 21-8 victory, knocking us out of the tournament. 

In all, 16 teams — or 64 players — participated in the informal Friday tournament, a surprising turnout. Many more hung around throughout the weekend to play in the competitive state and regional matches. Gonia encouraged locals, whether experienced or not, to come check out the local cornhole scene at Dick’s Brewing.

“It’s one of those sports that’s growing,” he said. “This is a sport that any Joe Schmoe, if they practice and work at it, they can be just as good as anyone else.”