Preseason Power Polls
Well, well, well…here we are. October 1st..the beginning of the 2021-2022 ACL season, is literally hours away. After an action packed off season filled with new pro arrivals, partner swaps, big money sponsorship deals and a little drama, this season has the potential to be the most exciting yet. The influx of new talent will make predicting the pro field, consisting of 256 individuals (even the 64 selected to participate in the Professional Development Cup), next to impossible. But when has that stopped us from guessing??
Below are preseason “power rankings” from Andrew Rideout (a frequent contributor to HDP), Dane Asp, Brendan Ahern and myself. We will update our rankings throughout the season. I think it’s important to note that this is for fun…and I, for one, will not only use the ACL points as a guide to where I see players ranked in my “power rankings”…the eye test and recent performances, among other intangibles, will all play a factor! With that being said….LET’S GO!!
Sean’s Singles:
1. Trey Burchfield: The King is the King until he is dethroned. Coming off an impressive 2020-2021 campaign, “The Robot” used the power of that Lucky Chain to propel himself amongst the top of his peers. Top 2 in every major statistical category, Trey is just as steady as they come. The scary part? The dude isn’t even 20 yet…..
2. Ryan Windsor: Last year’s runner-up in singles…that sounds familiar. Ryan Windsor just always seems to find himself in the mix by the end of the season. Last year, early on, he was battling an injury. He wisely took some time to rest and heal up. He was on a roll last year and I think is one of the smartest players in the game
3. Tanner Halbert: A former ACO world champion joining the pro ranks of the ACL…who already has an American Cornhole League National Championship under his belt…sign me up! Tanner Halbert “The KingSlayer” didn’t earn his title by being average. Widely regarded as one of the best in the World, I think Tanner is a lock of a top 10 finish in his “rookie season”. Why not have him ranked higher?? Listen, I think he could finish the year at number 1…but the ACL talent depth is no joke…so I feel comfortable placing him here…for now
4. Bret Guy: If I sat here last year and wrote this same article...I can all but guarantee you that it would have been a different “Guy” in the top 5. Bret silenced all critics this past year and showed he is a force to be reckon with. Big shot after big shot, he just isn’t a player you are confident lining up against right now
5. Josh Holland: I struggled with this one. Not struggled as in, should I put him in the Top 10? Rather how high should I rank him initially? Every time he plays in an ACL event, the dude just seems to be in the finals. Winning, perhaps, the best match of the year last year over Burchfield, Holland showed his full skill set. The dude just doesn’t seem to miss when he is locked in. I firmly believe he and Tanner will be the leaders of this ridiculously talented Rookie class when it is all said and done
6. Daymon Dennis: In Singles, Mr. Dennis, was an absolute nightmare last year. The ONLY player to finish top 5 in singles in all 4 National Events, he is just as steady as they come. He lulls his opponents to sleep with a slower than average pace of play and hits timely shots. The question remains…can he do it again?
7. Cody Henderson: I know…ok…Hissner just won the pro shootout, blah blah. The fact is, Cody is just too damn consistent at National events to keep him out of the top 10. He was the ONLY person to finish top 4 in both doubles and singles. He’s a former player of the year and has been knocking on the door each season. Ask yourself this: would you really be surprised if he won singles at a National event? Next!
8. Erick Davis: The kid had a decent rookie season. 2nd place in doubles with a top 10 finish in singles. The thing I liked about Davis is that he seemed to get better as the year went on. I think it took him a minute to adjust to the mental grind that is an ACL National event. Now that he is settled in….its scary. I’m still not sold on the fact he is a top 5 player…YET. As he matures and learns to control the emotions, the sky is the limit for this dude.
9. Devon Harbaugh: This is where is started to get tough for me to decide who makes the list. It’s a “preseason” type power poll, so take it as it is. Devon showed he is a contender last year as he was one of 9 players to finish Top 5 in singles in at least two national events. The talent has always been there, but now he seems more polished. He’s the type of player who could crack the top 5 or fall outside the top 20….but for now, I like him at the 9 spot
10. Eddie Grinderslev: Steady Eddie quietly had an excellent singles season. He, like Harbaugh, were among those 9 players who finished top 5 in at least two national events. A former number 1 ACL ranked player, it wouldn’t shock me to see Eddie win a National this season
Honorable Mention: These players were considered for my top 10 and when it is all said and done, could very well be there in the end
-Matt Guy: Is it blasphemous that I left the GOAT off the list? It kind of feels like it. I could absolutely be off on this, but Matt seemed to fade at the end of last year. He finished top 25, which is still an excellent finish…I would be shocked if he didn’t improve on that this season. But top 10, right now? The answer is no
-Matthew Stout: I’ve been a big fan of his game for a few years now. I think he has the ability to crack this list without question…and he did finish 9th last season (trivia type question for a few years from now). With the influx of talent this year, I left him out of the mix. Let’s see if he proves me wrong
-Jay Rubin: I think most people would have him on their list. I wouldn’t blame them one bit. Coming off a season where he finished 6th in the rankings, he had an excellent season. I just want to see him finish. Can’t adopt the “Air Rubin” title and not finish. I guess Jordan didn’t win his first few seasons either…maybe this is the year?
-Duncan Clemmer: Mr Stovepipe, ended the season on an excellent run. Those familiar with his game would have told you it was only a matter of time. He seemed to find his game and get comfortable again. Talent isn’t an issue with this dude
Andrew’s Singles:
1. Trey Burchfield – The Robot. Finished number one last season and I’m not even sure if he broke a smile once. The good thing is, no one else did either. He’s here until someone makes him human.
2. Ryan Windsor – Towards the end of the season, he was electric. Throwing absolute gas. Averaging two points a round. Let me say that again, every round he threw against the best competition the ACL had – he was gaining two points. Enough said.
3. Daymon Dennis – as clutch as they come, and considering he throws a slick side gamechanger no matter what, I’m doubly impressed. Finishing top five in all the national events, his pace of play is something people have to account for.
4. Erick Davis – the accuracy with his push and flop shots make him one of the most dangerous players in the league, singles or doubles. Easy to forget last year was his rookie season and (hot take) I expect a BIG year out of him in singles.
5. Adam Hissner – He just won the pro shootout and you might be saying, “Andrew, wtf, he only led at the final score?” and to that I say, listen my dude, a win’s a win, whether it’s by an inch or a mile. I may also have a soft spot for a guy who will travel to Maine and compete in the same place I play/drink at every Thursday, so.
6. Bret Guy – Had to double check to make sure I had the right Guy here, but he’s pegged by me to have a big year. He’s not afraid of the spotlight and considering he’s grown up practicing against the GOAT, I will certainly be making money off him on DraftKings.
7. Cody Henderson – We could list his accolades and accomplishments here all day long, fact is, Cody has won in the past and he isn’t done.
8. Josh Holland – Is this a little low? His performance in San Diego is the stuff of legend against Burchfield but one game doesn’t put you as number one. I’ll be happy to put him higher when, not if, he convinces me to.
9. Eddie Grinderslev – He was knocking on the doorstep a couple times last year, finishing in the top five twice in national events.
10. Jason Rubin – Finished last year in sixth. Every time I saw him play, I didn’t expect him to beat whoever he was playing, boy did he make me feel stupid. I think he CAN win a big one this year, but will he?
Honorable Mentions:
Matt Guy. He’s one of the players I’ve idolized and watched hours of YouTube footage of and it feels WEIRD to say he’s out of the top 10. But for right now, he just is. Last year, he felt way more beatable in singles than he should have as the season went on. I will be rooting for him to force me to change my vote from honorable mention to full blown inclusion.
Tanner Halbert. Rookie season, we’ll see where he ends up but he deserves to be in this conversation.
Jamie Graham. He wasn’t on anyone’s list (eyes.emoji) but he’s on mine. He didn’t have the same type of fire power (ha, see what I did there) as he did last year in singles, but I’m betting he’s coming into this season with a chip on his shoulder.
Dane’s Singles:
1. Trey Burchfield
2. Ryan Windsor
3. Erick Davis
4. Adam Hissner
5. Tanner Halbert
6. Cody Henderson
7. Jamie Graham
8. Josh Holland
9. Brett Guy
10. Jordan Power
Brendan’s Singles:
1. Tanner Halber
2. Trey Burchfield
3. Bret Guy
4. Erick Davis
5. Matt Guy
6. Jay Rubin
7. Adam Hissner
8. Cody Henderson
9. Daymon Dennis
10. Jamie Graham
Honorable mentions:
-Noah Wooten
-Eric Anderson
-Ryan Smith
-Matt Guy
Combined Singles Rankings
Sean’s Doubles:
1. Bret Guy/Erick Davis: the unanimous number 1 in my books. After the dismantling of Graham/Guy in the pro shootout, they gained that edge (yeah yeah I know it was round limited). A quirky pair…they just work.
2. Matt Guy/Jamie Graham: The number 1 rankled ACL team for the 2021-2022 season. They had a business type mentality and it showed. They had targets on their back all season and dodged the proverbial bullets better than Neo in the Matrix.
3. Adam Hissner/Cody Henderson: As consistent as they come, these two just find themselves in the mix at nearly every National event. Weird to think that the top 3 teams all throw bags that don’t go for $500…
4. Burchfield/Alex Rawls: In a Lebron type fashion, Burchfield announced his playing partner as Alex Rawls. If you are not familiar with the name…learn it now. If they win a National in doubles, I wonder if Rawls gets a fancy necklace too (just kidding Trey…but seriously)
5. Steven Bernacet/Tom Gustafson: These two dudes had an outstanding rookie season. I don’t want to say they came out of nowhere…but let’s just say you wouldn’t have found them on many Top 10 doubles lists last year. They have chemistry and beat every other team last year that didn’t have Guy blood involved. Will they repeat? I honestly don’t know..new bags…tougher competition..but until they start losing, they belong among the top
6. Eric Anderson/Ryan Smith: The powerhouse BG duo showed flashes of how good they can be as a team at several events last season, including the Erie Open event. Anderson, who found success on the singles stage last year, looks to rebound in doubles with one of the most consistent, cerebral players in the game
7. Jay Rubin/Jordan Power: I have been on the Jordan power bandwagon since early last season. I love the mentality and his game is improving every week. You pair that talent with Rubin (also crazy talented), a veteran who has been to the big stage in doubles before….this team will be trouble on the boards.
8. Kaleb Batson/ Eddie Grinderslev: Kaleb Batson is coming off a solid rookie season. He is still young and I think learning how to play the smarter game, but he is undoubtedly one of the most talented players in the game. Eddie Grinderslev offers that big brother type presence for the young gun and they just seem to mesh well on the boards
9. Ryan Windsor/Isidro Herrera: I know….it’s a boring pick. I found myself at this point with about 12 other teams and really struggled to decide who I wanted to have in the Top 10. When I really sat there and thought about it…it would be dumb not to have these two on the list. They have chemistry and they’ve been successful as a duo every year. Would I be shocked if they fell outside the top 10? No. Would I be shocked if they were at number 1 when all is said and done? No
10. Frank Modlin/Austin Schlobolm: I love this pairing. Personality wise it just makes sense to me. People might remember Austin from his time on the ACL college broadcasts..thats cute. In his off time he was slowly slaughtering opponents in the ACO. A crazy talented, but very cerebral player, he is the perfect jelly to Frank’s peanut butter. I think before the end of the year we see this time climb the rankings a few more spots
Honrable Mentions:
-these were teams that I strongly considered for the Top 10, but just want to see more out of them. Teams like Halbert/Zocklein and Renner/Baldwin will have tons of pressure on them to perform. Can they do it? Of course, but I will give the nod to some other teams who have the ability to play stress free at this point. Duncan Clemmer/Brandon Jones are really intriguing. They ended the year hot and with a year under their belts...sky could be the limit. Sometimes new partnerships are an unknown. You pair that with new bags for each player..makes it difficult to predict. I felt teams like Jimmy Youmans/Tyler Cobb and Jay Corley/Matthew Stout fell into this category. Lucas Jr/Dinges are perhaps the most underrate team in the game. These two just put on the boots and got to work. They consistently get results. Josh Groce/AJ Sims had a quietly solid season last year. A few really tough draws gave them trouble early, but it wouldn’t shock me to see them back in the Top 10 again. Then we have Tony Smith/Noah Wooten….Honestly, I have no clue. Pound for pound talent wise, they are in there, but I just want to see results first
Andrew’s Doubles:
Bret Guy / Erick Davis – easy, easy, easy number one. They’re on fire like their sponsor. Like NBA Jam. Erick just won $45k in 30 days from CORNHOLE. They gave Matt and Jamie the business on national television and looked unbeatable. Erick looks like he can hit ANY shot and every shot you don’t expect to be possible and Bret has been clutch. Great combo.
Matt Guy / Jamie Graham – they ended the season as the number one duo. It also feels blasphemous to not have them as number one here just like leaving Matt off the singles top 10. They were labeled as the super team and were getting everyone’s best shot every time they stepped foot next to the 4x2. Hard to argue with their results.
Cody Henderson / Adam Hissner – Finishing fourth last year in this pool of players? Don’t doubt this duo, they will muddy their way to a dub and shit talk you the entire time. Personally, I can’t wait for the season to start and see them face off against the Fire squads above them following the bit of beef shown.
Steven Bernacet / Tom Gustafson – As far as rookie seasons go, I’d say theirs was highly successful. Like Sean has said, they only were losing to teams that had a Guy family member on it. They have plenty to build off of after a rookie season and I’m anticipating they went home this offseason aiming to take home a win against the Guy family.
Eric Anderson / Ryan Smith – Two great singles players in their own rights may be finding the right match. Ryan Smith is one of the more exciting and fun players to watch, I think these two go big into multiple national finals this year.
Kaleb Batson / Eddie Grinderslev – Make way for Kaleb and Eddie in the national discussion. These boys are too talented not to win a national
Frank Modlin / Austin Schlobolm – I have these two a bit low here, but they’re like the 12th round sleeper pick you know will outplay their ADP. I think a lot of people are sleeping on Austin, but get used to how to spell his name now because it’s going to be around a lot.
Cheyenne Renner / James Baldwin – Hey, girls throw too, and she throws it in the hole. A lot. Cheyenne and James are a great mix of different play style and the spotlight will be on them because of the co-ed pairing as a storyline, but they will have top five finishes. Book it.
Ryan Windsor / Isidro Herrera – With how much gas Windsor was throwing at the end of the season, I can’t justify placing him outside the top 10 on either list, that’s how good it was. I don’t know if they’ll win any nationals this year, but they’ll always have a chance with Windsor.
Noah Wooten / Tony Smith – Hot take. I think this is one of the more interesting pairings who could end up easily discussed in the top 5. They can make life tough for you and then flop or cut around it. I think Noah will recapture the 2020 magic for this season.
Dane’s Doubles:
1. Guy/Davis
2. Burchfield/Rawls
3. Hissner/Henderson
4. Guy/Graham
5. Wooten/Smith
6. Batson/ Grinderslev
7. Anderson/Smith
8. Halbert/Zocklein
9. Groce/Sims
10. Cobb/Youmans
Honorable Mentions:
-Windsor/Herrera
-Power/Rubin
-Bernacet/Gustafson
-Allen/Reynolds
Brendan’s Doubles:
1. Guy/Davis
2. Hissner/Henderson
3. Guy/Graham
4. Renner/Baldwin
5. Bernacet/Gustafson
6. Batson/ Grinderslev
7. Rubin/Power
8. Wooten/Smith
9. Windsor/Herrera
10. Hogg/Trzcienski
Combined Doubles rankings
Well there you have it! These rankings will be updated throughout the year. It will be interesting to see who rises and falls, also which team will come out of nowhere to claim a top 10 spot?? Seems to happen every year!!! Feel free to share your rankings or let us know who you think we are sleeping on in the comments below!!
As always, I hope you throw it straight and it’s nothing but 4 baggers from here on out!
-Sean
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