Regional rivalry: the Dunkirk native will play for the cornhole title on Sunday | News, Sports, Jobs

Submitted Photo Pictured left to right: Hunter Meyette, Ken “Mamba” Marx, Jennifer Depasquale and Mike “Junior” Rabenhorst, Jr., are members of the Buffalo Brawlers professional cornhole team.

A little over a year ago, the professional cornhole team Buffalo Brawlers was born. The team had Dunkirk native Jennifer DePasquale on its roster, in a league stretching from New Jersey to Kansas.

Since then, ownership issues have led the Brawlers down a different path, and it certainly seems to have paid off. The Brawlers will play in the Lake Erie Regional Finals of the North American Cornhole Association Pro Series Sunday afternoon in Buffalo.

The North American Cornhole Association (NACA) is made up of 18 teams, divided into three regions of six teams each. The Brawlers are part of the Lake Erie region, which also includes the Hamburg Vipers, Lockport Storm, Springville Griffins, Tonawanda Boltz and a team based in DePasquale’s hometown, the Dunkirk Chillerz.

On Sunday afternoon, DePasquale will have the chance to play for a title, as the Brawlers have put together a perfect season to date through 10 games. As a result, the Brawlers await the winner of the semi-final between the Lockport Storm and the Dunkirk Chillerz. The semi-final will take place on Sunday at 1 p.m., followed by the championship. The title winner takes home the $10,000 prize, then advances to the next round.

“It’s a huge match this Sunday” » said DePasquale. “Going 10-0 means absolutely nothing now, because if we don’t win, it’s over.”

Because the Brawlers have the best record among the 18 teams in the North American Cornhole Association, if the Brawlers win on Sunday, they will play for the overall NACA championship the following Saturday, June 29, which will come with a prize of $30,000 on top of the title. .

A former standout multi-sport athlete at Dunkirk High School, DePasquale played softball and basketball collegiately at Alfred State, then concluded her softball career at Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania, where she also played rugby . She also coached at Gowanda and Fredonia State.

But it was Cornhole that gave DePasquale the honor of winning the title of professional athlete. She discovered her passion for sports during the pandemic, often traveling across Chautauqua County, from Falconer to Sheridan, and even to her hometown of Dunkirk, at 314 Central Avenue in Dunkirk, with Blazin Bags Cornhole to hone her skills .

“It’s cool to say I’m a professional athlete” » said DePasquale. “Not many people can say that. I did a lot of training and time away from family and work to be a part of this team.

Once the Buffalo Brawlers were formed, DePasquale made the initial 14-man roster after a tryout. Even after leaving Major League Cornhole, DePasquale remained one of four members of the new Brawlers of the North American Cornhole Association.

“It was really stressful because we obviously didn’t know if it was going to happen again,” DePasquale spoke about the process of leaving the initial league to form the NACA. She credits the property with remaining dedicated to the sport as it continues to grow.

Most of the new teams this year were filled through a draft after a tryout process, but the Brawlers kept four players from last year’s team: Hunter Meyette, Ken. “Mamba” Marx, Mike “Junior” Rabenhorst, Jr. and DePasquale. The Brawlers were one of three teams – one in each region – that retained their name and a core of players from the previous league.

“I really think it’s something very successful here. Cornhole has grown so much, even since I started, in the last three to five years. There are so many good players here. » » said DePasquale. “…I just want to see this succeed and grow.”

DePasquale noted that she knows players on Dunkirk’s roster and is happy her hometown has its own team, but she’s happy with where she is. “I am truly a Buffalo Brawler. I started there and that’s where I want to end up. » said DePasquale.

The regional championship will be played at the Aloft Buffalo Hotel, known as the 500 Pearl. The semifinal and championship games can be viewed live on YouTube on the Sports Fan Base Network channel. More information is available online at go-naca.com or on Facebook at the Buffalo Brawlers Facebook page.

The Dunkirk team consists of Charles Hazeltine, Wil Kendall, Michael Lee and Scott Schaffer.