From The Coop

A blog is not for everyone, but I am going to give it a try to give a weekly update from my perch in the Pigeon Coop. My name is Kevin Bittman, and I have been playing Cornhole for a couple of years. I could be better, but I am trying to improve like everyone else. Cornhole, for me, is a fantastic community of people that, no matter your skill level, you can come out and have fun at the BackYard at the SCA.

The blog is how I see things and is my opinion only. It is meant to be a way to keep people engaged in what is going on at the Backyard and the SCA. I hope to continue growing the game in Regina and Saskatchewan. There may be times when some of my fellow pigeons will give their insight into their view of Cornhole in Saskatchewan.

The BackYard at the SCA is located at 2363 2nd Avenue in Regina. The venue has eight regulation cornhole lanes and a bar and kitchen. Each week, the BackYard hosts events for all skill levels, and I will attempt to highlight some of these events and give my perspective on the club and the players in Saskatchewan.

It was a great week of Cornhole at the BackYard. Events were in full swing, and like always, the week started with the Monday Fun drop-in Ladies’ night. The play was fun and exciting, and we saw Bonnie Day beat Sarah Polsom in the final. It was a great turnout as we saw 10 Ladies come out for fun while tossing bags. It is fantastic to watch this night grow in numbers and watch the women get better and better every week. This is evident by my power ranking as we see three ladies in the two rankings.

Tuesday Night singles night saw two tiers running at the same time. The social division is growing, and we saw 16 players compete for the social winner. This is an excellent addition to the league play because no matter your skill level, there is a division for you. Jason Stich, an OG Pigeon, won, but Bonnie Polsom did everything she could to try and stop him but came up short. Great tossing, and I look forward to seeing Stich in the top division next singles night.

The tier 3, or what we Pigeons call the Hawk Division, had a familiar face winning. Spilly has been playing great cornhole the past year, and he has started this season right where he left off last season with a win. Second place saw a run from Crystal Bittman. Hot off a Women’s Doubles National Championship, she continued her outstanding play but came up short, finishing second.

Friday night’s Grand Opening Switcholio had 59 people come out for the Backyard’s best and most fun event and the best Cornhole night in the country. We play a Switcholio format, which means you will play with a different partner for six round-robin games. After the round-robin, depending on your record, you will get teamed up with someone to play the double-elimination bracket to determine the nightly winners.

Friday’s Switcholio round-robin had four players going undefeated, 3 of whom were Ladies. This is a true testament to the Monday Night fun drop-in Ladies Night. Ultimately, in the end, it was a great bracket, and Crystal Bittman, who played with the Ghost (played by herself), ended up going undefeated to take first place.

Saturday’s grand opening was a great success as we had people visit and give Cornhole a try. Cornhole and darts were played throughout the afternoon and in the evening. It has been a long road for the Association, and I know there has been a lot of hard work to get the BackYard up and running. Thank you to everyone who helped, but we could not have done this without our great players in Regina. The players come out every week to enjoy the great game and venue, which has made this venture possible.

Pigeon Projections – The Coo from the coup
TIER 3

1ST – Spilly (Dylan Grane) – after his win Tuesday night in the League Elite Tier 3 singles and his PPR over the last year, Dylan has planted himself in the number one spot.
2ND – Newson – has been firing since we moved into the BackYard (must have a membership), but when Kevin is in his groove, he is tough to beat.
3RD –Sure Fire (Franco) – Franco has been working hard on his game with his new BackYard membership, which is showing.
4TH – Parker – Parker slipped to the number 4 spot because he has been unable to play with his arm injury.
5TH – Crystal Bittman – With her two great performances this week, Crystal is proving to be a formidable opponent and deserves to be in the top 5 rankings.

Players to watch: Caesar, Rick West, Glenny, Dean, and Louie, and if they ever show up, Jonathon and Tony.

Tier 4/5 the power ranking,

1ST – Stich – Jason Stich is sitting on top. Jason Dominated the Social League night with a 7.23 PPR and a DPR of 2.28. Stich is a Pigeon who will likely move up to tier 3 next night.
2nd – Bonnie Polsom – A Second Place finish in the Tuesday Social Division has Bonnie in the Second Spot
3rd – Bonnie Day – A big win in the Drop-in Fun Ladies night has Bonnie firmly planted in the Number 3 spot
4th – Ritzy OG – Ritzy has continued to improve, and I look forward to seeing him move up in the coming weeks
5th – Jason Duran – a relative newcomer, has been steady, and we will see if he can continue in the following weeks.

Players to watch: Lucas Bradley, Courtney Polsom, Ringo, Amber and Oopsidacey

Stay tuned every Sunday for a rundown of the week’s activities.