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A New King Reigns in ACO Land
5 Time King of Cornhole Champion Matt Guy watches final match from the stands.
Several matches will stand the course of time in King of Cornhole history. The championship match between Eric Zocklein and Isidro Herrera will go down as one of those most remembered matches. Some have stated it has surpassed the epic championship match between Matt Guy and Steve Vanderver at King of Cornhole-III.
It was a day of new faces making it late in the cornhole tournament. Friday started with a buzz in the air when perpetual semifinalist Randy Atha and 2011 Tailgate Bash winner Matt Strzala were eliminated in the first round of the KOC Final 64 Bracket. They were joined by (23) Bret Guy who lost to (42) Chase Lackey and (17) “The Glove” Kevin Pinkerton who lost to last year’s King of Sling (48) Jay Dotson.
Then it happened.
The five-time reigning ACO world champion King of Cornhole Matt Guy lost to (33) Brandon Hill. It was a historic loss for Guy, whose five straight King of Cornhole titles will probably stand the test of time. Meanwhile, quietly across the room in the same round, a guy from from Louisville, Kentucky beat (4) Rick Mayes to advance to the sweet sixteen.
Zocklein had three highly world ranked players ahead of him in his chase for the crown. There was (13) Clinton Lucas in the Sweet 16, (5) Shane Andrews in the quarterfinals and (8) Derrick King in the semifinals. He battled through them all to earn a spot in the championship against his crewmate Isidro Herrera.
“I was just trying not to give him a chance,” said Herrera. Those chances were few and far between.
“He had me down,” said Zocklein. “Just grind it out and have fun.”
It was no doubt full of fun and competition. After three games and a match that will be talked about for years, Eric Zocklein was proclaimed the new King of Cornhole.
“This is what we all play cornhole for. That’s why we’re here,” said Zocklein. “Everyone is friends here and has a good time. Everyone wants to win, yes, but first of all I’m here for my fans and friends.”
The King of Cornhole is still from Kentucky, but he now reigns from Louisville.
About American Cornhole, LLC:
Established in 2005 and headquartered in Milford, Ohio. American Cornhole Organization, the ACO, is the governing body for the sport of cornhole. Offering official rules, sanctioned products, tournament listings, and comprehensive information about cornhole events.
