The steady thump and reverberation of bags hitting boards echoes through the Ellsworth Recreation Center and floats out the open door.

Inside, about 10 players gather March 19 for a friendly game of cornhole.

“It came about because some of us [had] an interest,” organizer Cliff Martin said. “Salina had a league. We would go over there before we got the league here. I was going over there almost weekly during the school year.”

The league started about six years ago at the Ellsworth Golf Course. Over time, it’s grown.

Cornhole, which started as a backyard game, has evolved and become more competitive. The American Cornhole Organization was established in 2005 in Ohio and The American Cornhole League was founded in 2015.

Martin said he picked up the game in adulthood.

“It was starting in the backyard on July Fourth or Memorial Day weekend when you have a cookout outside,” he said. “We’d set up the cornhole and found out there’s a lot more to it. We evolved and got better and got better equipment.”

The game involves two wooden boards placed 27 feet apart. A team consists of two players. Each player tosses four beanbags. They earn points for hitting the board and also for going into the hole on the upper portion of the board.

“Cornhole can be sophisticated and can be expensive,” Martin said. “The bags come in different grades of material so they slide or stick. There’s a lot involved in it.”

He said a set of four bags can range from $100-$200.

“The first ones were all corn. Now they have synthetic beans in them,” Martin said. “There really is a lot of science in them as far as the material, what’s in them. There are set sizes and weight for them to be regulation to compete.”

On Tuesday evenings, players trickle into the rec center:Austin Pruitt. Wednesday Julian. Travis Warta. Brandon Cantrell. Diana Zouzas.

Most bring their own bags. Pruitt arrives with his own set of boards.

“I built them and my girlfriend (Taylor Jimison) painted those,” he said. “I kinda like DIY projects. I’ve built a couple sets. I’ve gotten a lot better at making them.

“Trying to get the angles right on the legs is the harest part. Everything else is pretty simple. The angle and where to put the legs on the frame is what I had to learn.”

Like many in the Tuesday evening league, he is fairly new to the sport. He started playing in November 2022.

“It gives you something to do on a Tuesday night,” Pruitt said. “In the winter, there’s not a whole lot to do.”

While a novice at first, Pruitt said his game has improved.

“Over the last year, it’s been night and day. I’ve gotten a lot better,” he said. “My accuracy is a lot better. I’m getting better at getting the bag to do what I want when it hits the board.”

The players greet one another, toss some bags to warm up and draw cards to select partners for the evening.

“It was starting in the backyard on July Fourth or Memorial Day weekend when you have a cookout outside. We’d set up the cornhole and found out there’s a lot more to it. We evolved and got better and got better equipment.”

Cliff Martin

Cornhole Organizer “I play every Tuesday if I’m in town,” Zouzas said.

She works with Martin, and at his encouragement, picked the game up about three years ago.

“I enjoy the people, the companionship,” Zouzas said, “and I like to play games.

“I enjoy different generations. There’s some people my age, but there’s a lot of 30-year-olds. I just like to play games.”

The group doesn’t divide by age.

“I’ve won about equally with them,” Zouzas said of opponents in their 30s. “It’s all in your throw. Just good hand-eye coordination, I guess.” Wednesday Julian and her spouse Brandon Cantrell are regulars.

“Our daughter usually hangs out and practices soccer. It’s nice to be able to have something like that for us to do, kids included if need be,” she said.

Similar to Martin, Julian said the interest started as a backyard game during holiday cookouts.

“After throwing for a few weeks, you notice the improvements. After hitting a few good shots, you want to keep going,” she said. “ Our Christmas splurge was picking out cornhole bags last year.”

Martin said cornhole is less physically demanding than other sports.

“Getting older, there are certain things you gotta let go,” he said. “Cornhole was something I could pick up and still use my competitiveness at. You don’t have to be the tallest or biggest or fastest like some other sports.”

Beginners are always welcome, and others help them grow.

“I kept doing it, and (Martin) would say ‘aim higher,’” Zouzas said. “It took me awhile, but I got better.

“Don’t worry about it, we just have fun.”

Julian said the group consists of Ellsworth residents, but also draws visitors from both Salina and Russell.

“It’s a fun group. We’re all really laid back,” she said. “If you just want to come watch, we have a few people do that.”

“It’s an open, down-toearth group. It doesn’t matter how good you are or how bad you are.”

All skill levels are welcome Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at the rec center. The group’s league typically runs from October through March and costs $10 per evening to play.

The league will culminate with a tournament at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 20 at the rec center. Entry fee for a team of two is $40 or $20 for a single entrant.

Those who are interested can find additional information on the Cowtown Cornhole Facebook page.