VEACH, PREWITT IN IT TO WIN IT

 Williamsburg residents Kenny Veach and Jason Prewitt battle their way to a $350 cash prize in the Third Annual News Journal Corn Hole Tournament Friday during NIBROC ’11.

This year’s winners had to settle for third place the first two years of the tournament, but held off the team of Wayne and Mike Rice of Saul, Ky. in Perry County to take home the first place check.

“They should be proud of what they accomplished,” said News Journal Editor Trent Knuckles, one of the tournament’s main organizers. “This is a tough tournament featuring some of the area’s best players. If you win this one, you’ve earned your money.”

Knuckles noted the tournament has grown into one of the largest and most prestigious in southeast Kentucky. Twenty-five teams played in this year’s tournament.

Veach and Prewitt opened play in the 25-team tournament with a win over Lonnie and Evan Johnson then defeated a team from Irvine in Estill County, Bill and Damon Walters, 21-16, 21-8.

In the quarterfinals, the eventual winners took on Lee Davison and Chad Faulkner and won 21-5, 21-6 in straight sets. It was on to the semifinals where Veach-Prewitt sent the Rice brothers to the loser’s bracket with a hard fought 21-17, 21-16 victory.

That set up the winner’s bracket finals where two local teams met. Nate Stevens and Bert Farris had rolled past three teams to reach the winner’s bracket final. It took three games before Veach and Prewitt claimed a 21-12, 10-21, 21-16 win and right to move on to the championship game.

The Rice brothers eliminated Sid Strunk and his partner, Carl Prewitt then edged out Billy and Bill Burnette of Hinkle to reach the third place match against Stevens-Farris. It was Rice and Rice knocking out Stevens and Farris in two games for the honor to do battle against Veach and Prewitt.

This wasn’t the first time the teams had met. They had played each other in both the inaugural tournament in 2009 and again last year.

The championship game went the distance three games with Veach and Prewitt taking game one, 21-16 in a come-from-behind effort. The Rice brothers won game two, 21-13, but it was the hometown boys winning the third and final match, 21-16 when Veach tossed all four bags in the hole.

Stevens and Farris finished third while the Burnette’s took fourth.