Every Tuesday night you can hear the light thump of weighted sacks hitting wooden platforms, often followed by a loud, “Nice bag!”
Wendy Bonilla started the Florida Keys Cornhole league in summer of 2013. When Bonilla was unable to organize the league this year, players Jessica Pritt and Billy Alch stepped up and took the league under their wing.
A modern twist on horse shoes, two or four-person teams try to toss a corn-filled bag approximately 27 feet through a six-inch hole on a slanted wooden board. If the bag gets in the hole: three points. If it hits the board and stays on: one point. The game is played to 21.
The league is comprised of eight teams with four people on each team. “Last year eight different companies sponsored the league and we had their logos printed on the boards,” said Pritt. “Each year the sponsors have the right to put together a team, and if they don’t, we find a team to play on the board.”
The overall vibe of the league is laid back, but that’s not to say there’s nothing on the line. All games count towards an end-of-year score for each team. Everyone throws in $5 a night to play, which gets divvied up to the winning teams at the end of the year.
“One team won $350 last year,” said Pritt.
But it’s not the cash prizes keeping the league popular. Pritt sums it up simply. “For me, the best thing about the league, hands down, is getting to know people in town other than the people I hang out with everyday.”
Of course, the league wouldn’t exist without a place to play. “The Community Park has been fabulous in accommodating our needs, helping us organize the details of this league and keeping the lights on for us,” said Pritt.
To show their appreciation, Pritt and Alch organized a fundraiser tournament for Saturday, Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. Fifty percent of the entry fees will be donated to Marathon Youth Football League and Cheerleaders. The money will go specifically toward practice equipment and uniforms.
“We’re trying to be more than just a group that meets once a week and uses the park, but give back to the community in any way that we can,” said Pritt.
The Florida Keys Cornhole league meets every Tuesday night from 7 to 9:30 p.m. by the amphitheater at Marathon Community Park. Information on playing, substituting, being notified about upcoming one-night tournaments or registration for next season, please contact the league’s Facebook page (Florida Keys Cornhole) or email floridakeyscornhole@yahoo.com.
Cornhole Terminology:
- 4 Bagger: 4 in the hole on one turn: you’re a macdaddy
- Air Mail: When the bag doesn’t touch and flies right in the hole
- That Bag Will Hunt: phrase used when your bag lands half in and half out of hole
- Thatta Girl: When your bag lands short of the board
- Operation Snake Bite: down by a lot and you’re going to make a comeback
- Washboard: each team gets same amount of points resulting in a “wash”
