The 9th Annual Mockingbird Elementary Dad’s Club Cornhole Tournament took place on December 2, 2023. Mockingbird parents Alan and Penny Marshall graciously hosted at their home, which is where the cornhole tournament started back in 2016. This was actually the second tournament in 2023 because the event normally takes place in December, but we got off schedule due to COVID a few years back.    

 

We were blessed with perfect weather and a turnout of 20 teams and several spectators made up of current MES dads and Mockingbird Dad’s Club Alumni. Several former Mockingbird Elementary (the Stonewall Jackson Elementary) students who are current Woodrow Wilson High School Students also participated and performed well. Greenland Hills residents Wes Butler, Taber Wetz, Ryan Leecock, and Derek Rabe participated in the tournament. Food from the Hamburger Man and some great college football games on the big screen made the event extra special.  

 

Reigning champs Steve Taylor (a Greenland Hills resident) and Scott Delaney were a late scratch due to family obligations. Perhaps they would have repeated, but the world will never know.  

 

With the Taylor/Delaney team not participating, past champions and Dad’s Club alumni Keith King and CJ Arnold were the favorites to take home the trophy--at least according to Keith King. However, there were several other strong teams in the mix. Woodrow Wilson HS students Andrew Redmon and Cooper Thomas showed off their athletic prowess, making it all the way to the semi-finals, quickly dispatching the team of Taber Wetz and Bo Bocell along the way.  

 

It appeared that the King/Arnold team would cruise to another title after beating Wes Butler and Matt Barger in the first game of the championship round. However, since it was a double-elimination tournament, Butler/Barger would get another chance. King/Arnold started the second game off well and were within a few points of clinching the trophy when Matt Barger hit a shot that may forever be known as the “airmail heard round the world.” Although it only netted one point for Butler/Barger, it completely changed the momentum of the match. Butler/Barger came back to win that game and then completely dominated the final game by a score of 21-2. A scream of “Lets Go!” was likely heard throughout East Dallas around 10:02 p.m. on Saturday night and in Keith King’s head as he lay in bed later that night unable to sleep.  

 

The fast rise of Matt Barger in the East Dallas cornhole scene is a story for the ages. A relative newcomer to the sport, Matt did not even own a set of cornhole bags a few years ago. Keith King took Matt under his wing and gifted him a set of red Game Changer cornhole bags. Keith’s mentorship and trash-talking pushed Matt to become the best. The circle is now complete, as Butler/Barger defeated King/Arnold using the very same bags Keith gifted to Matt. As Darth Vader said to Obi-Wan, “When I left you I was but the learner. Now I am the master!”

 

Huge thanks to the Marshalls for hosting and to Keith King and Taber Wetz for helping organize the event. For those who are unfamiliar with the Mockingbird Dad's Club, it was officially organized as a non-profit in 2018 (but was around several years prior) to help enhance the lives of the students at Mockingbird Elementary by providing a hands-on approach to support many aspects of the school including school staff and PTA projects, sports, studying skills and more. The Dad’s Club name encompasses more than just dads as the members include uncles, stepdads, godfathers, granddads and any other father figures that stand out in a child's life to lead them through the adventure of life. The "dads" believe in these kids, and they look to help each other become better guides for those kids who look up to them. More info can be found at Dallasdads.com.