Gabriel Clauson and Ethan Farias Make History in Rhode Island at American Cornhole League Open #11
Gabriel Clauson and Ethan Farias Become First Pro Partners in 2025-26 American Cornhole League Season to Finish 1st and 2nd Overall in Open Singles at Open #11
By Brenden Fisher | May 21, 2026
This past weekend at the Longplex Family & Sports Center in Tiverton, Rhode Island, Team FAAFO Cornhole’s Gabriel Clauson (Chesapeake, Virginia) and Ethan Farias (Yucaipa, California) continued to put the cornhole world on notice. Both players secured their best overall finishes of the season at an American Cornhole League (ACL) Open, both individually and as a team. The two Junior Pros, each just 16 years old, pulled off a historic milestone on Sunday, becoming the first Pro Doubles partners this season to finish first and second respectively in Open Singles at the same event.
Gabriel Clauson
Following last season’s World Championships, Clauson primed himself for an even bigger 2025-26 campaign, a promise he has fully delivered on through 11 Opens thus far.
By finishing last year as a top-40 player, Clauson qualified for the World Championships to battle it out for the title of 2025 Pro Singles World Champion. With the field split into four separate brackets, Clauson reigned supreme in his group, double-dipping Jay Rubin, the 2024-25 season's No. 4 ranked player, in the bracket championship. Upon advancing to the Final 4, he was narrowly defeated 22-15 in the semifinals. This secured him a tied-for-third finish alongside Ethan Walker (who finished 2024-25 ranked No. 19), placing just behind finalist Logan Chamberlain (No. 7 last season) and eventual world champion Jamie Graham (No. 1 last season).
Clauson’s success from last season has rapidly translated into dominant results this year. He currently finds himself inside the top 12 in both Pro Singles (No. 9) and Pro Doubles (No. 12) alongside partner Farias.
Open Singles
Coming into Open #11, Clauson had spent the entire season agonizingly close to capturing his second career Open Singles title, frequently finding himself a single point or a single match away from the crown. At ACL Open #3 in Richmond, Virginia, he won his bracket before falling in the Final 4 semifinals to finish tied for third overall. He followed that up at ACL Open #4 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by winning his bracket for the second straight event and advancing to the finals against Mark Richards (the current season's No. 2 ranked player and the all-time career titles leader), where he lost in dramatic fashion, 21-20, in a tight 37-round contest.
The near-misses kept accumulating as he took second in his bracket to finish tied for fifth overall at ACL Open #5 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and placed third in his bracket to tie for ninth overall at ACL Open #8 in Kansas City, Kansas. Momentum built again at ACL Open #9 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he won his bracket but fell in another 21-20 nail-biter to Jayce Fleisher (No. 10 in Pro Junior Singles and No. 28 in Pro Singles), with both players averaging near an 11 Points Per Round (PPR) over 41 rounds. He captured yet another bracket victory at Open #10 in Cleveland, Ohio, only to be stopped in the semifinals by Colin Hodet (No. 1) in a 21-15 duel where both players threw over an 11.2 PPR.
This trail of close calls was a stark contrast to his first career title, which came just over a year ago in April of 2025 at Open #12 of the 2024-25 season in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Competing in a round-limited format, Clauson left no doubt. After dropping his second match, he rattled off nine consecutive wins to take his bracket before picking up back-to-back convincing victories, including a shutout over last year’s No. 2 ranked player, Tony Smith (No. 10), in the championship to earn his first-ever Open Singles and Pro Singles title.
It would be in Tiverton, Rhode Island, where all of this season's lingering frustration would finally vanish. Everything came together perfectly for Clauson as he captured his second career singles title at an ACL Open. This time, he left absolutely no room for drama, refusing to drop a single match throughout the tournament and emerging as the only player among the 143 competitors to go completely undefeated in Open Singles.
After earning a first-round bye in Bracket B, Clauson won his next match without conceding a single point. His path grew tougher against Gavin Cano (No. 18), but Clauson won handily by a score of 21-3. That victory set up a high-stakes matchup with Cano’s Pro Doubles partner, Chamberlain, whom Clauson defeated 22-20 in a grueling 38-round battle.
While he kept winning, the difficulty of his opponents did not ease up. Clauson found himself in a high-stakes rematch of Open #10’s Final 4 semifinal against the newly crowned top player in the world, Hodet. Avenging his loss from less than a month prior, Clauson pulled out the win by a score of 22-18 in 37 rounds. Now in the match to determine who would advance to the bracket championship, he faced off against Smith, whom he beat 25-2. After Hodet defeated Smith in the third-place match, Clauson capitalized on his second chance at Hodet, defeating him 21-14 to clinch his bracket victory.
Advancing to the Final 4, Clauson baffled Bracket C winner Sammy Soto (No. 16). Having never competed against each other at an Open in singles competition before this matchup, it was unclear how the match would play out. In the end, Clauson controlled the matchup, defeating Soto by a score of 22-7 to punch his ticket to the overall finals.
Here, Clauson made history, not only by winning his first Open Singles title of the season, but by doing it against none other than his Pro Doubles partner, Farias.
“It felt amazing to see that it was Ethan who I would end up facing off with in the finals for an Open,” Clauson shared. “It was a big step forward for him, but I also didn’t like that he was the one I had to beat to win the tournament. He impressed me with how he stayed in the zone mentally throughout the day and never gave up on himself.”
The sentiment was completely mutual. For Farias, sharing the biggest stage of his singles career with one of his best friends took away the typical pressure of a championship match.
“The finals against my partner and one of my best friends was awesome because it felt like a win-win situation,” Farias reflected. “If I won, I would’ve got my first title, but if Gabe won, then he would win his second and that he did!”
In an 18-round bout, Clauson emerged on top, mounting a comeback after trailing 9-3 early on, and pulling away in the final three rounds after the score stood tied at 11-11. Clauson secured the crown by a final score of 22-11.
L to R: Clauson and Farias celebrate their 1st and 2nd place finishes in the Open Singles this past Sunday in Tiverton, RI. (Photo - American Cornhole League).
“I was so happy for Gabe,” said Joe Jacobson, founder of FAAFO Cornhole. “He’s put in a ton of work and stayed consistent all season. We have seen him come so close, so it was only a matter of time before he got the win. To see him break through and get his first title of the season was awesome because I know how much it meant to him personally. I think it’s also a sign of what’s still ahead for him this season.”
Across 162 rounds of bracket and Final 4 play, Clauson averaged a remarkable 10.71 PPR while maintaining a 0.64 Differential Per Round (DPR).
Junior Singles
Clauson shifted his dominant momentum into the Junior Singles division, where he went on to not only win the event, but in doing so captured an unbelievable ninth Junior Singles title across 11 Opens this season. Competing against the best players aged 17 and under, Clauson continued to prove why he is one of the most feared players in not just the Junior Pro division, but in the entire world.
On Friday morning, the top-ranked Junior player won his first three singles contests, highlighted by a convincing win over Cameron Dambrosio (No. 12 in Pro Junior Singles and No. 144 in Pro Singles). He then ran into none other than Farias in his fourth matchup, where Ethan gained the upper hand for the first time this season and took down Clauson 22-17. Prior to this matchup, Clauson had been victorious in all four contests between the two players this season.
Falling to the loser’s side of the draw, Clauson picked up three straight clutch victories over Madden Franco (No. 4 in Pro Junior Singles and No. 22 in Pro Singles), Jack McKinney (No. 6 in Pro Junior Singles and No. 82 in Pro Singles), and Fleisher. Finding himself back in the championship for a rematch against Farias, Clauson pulled off a first-match win of 22-4, before completing the double-dip with a hard-fought 22-14 victory to earn the title.
Clauson controlled the pace of the Junior Singles event, accounting for a stellar 10.0 PPR and a 0.68 DPR throughout his 150 rounds on the boards.
While they are tough competitors when facing off with each other, the bond between Clauson and Farias runs deep, dating back to a partnership that began during the very beginning of their Junior Pro careers.
“The first time I played with Ethan was in Rock Hill, South Carolina at the first Open of the 2024-25 season,” Clauson mentioned. “We won High School Doubles together that day and I felt confident with him on the other end of the boards. He never gave up on me, and still hasn’t to this day.”
Ethan Farias
Although Clauson walked away with the top hardware on Sunday, his partner Farias put together a masterful, career-defining weekend of his own in singles. Ranked No. 64 at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season in Pro Singles, Farias climbed the ladder this year to sit at No. 61 in the world rankings. He completely flipped the script in Rhode Island, attributing his breakout to crucial mechanical tune-ups made right before the tournament.
“I feel like I had a lot more confidence going into this weekend,” Farias revealed. “I tried to fix a few issues with my throw and tempo, and I felt a lot more comfortable.”
Open Singles
Placed into Bracket D on Sunday, Farias received a first-round bye before taking home wins in his first three matches. He then faced off against Walker, pulling off a 25-12 win over the veteran in their first-ever head-to-head singles match at an Open. With this win, Farias advanced to the match to determine who would move on to the bracket final, matching up against Open #9 Singles Champion Fleisher. Prior to this contest, the two had faced off three times in singles at an Open over the last two seasons, with Farias winning every bout. It would be more of the same from Farias here, who pulled out a 22-18 win.
Sitting in the championship match of the bracket, Farias faced Walker once more, who had gone on to defeat Fleisher in the third-place matchup. In the championship of the bracket, Farias got the best of Walker yet again, this time by a score of 22-15, earning Farias his first-ever bracket win at an Open in singles.
Farias' path through the Open Singles field carried massive historical weight for the West Coast. Prior to this event, his best singles finish at an Open came when he took fourth in his bracket and tied for 13th overall at ACL Open #1 in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Winning his bracket meant everything to Farias after knocking on the door for so long.
“Winning my bracket meant a lot because I have gotten close multiple times, and finally getting that win was a huge success for me,” Farias said. “After I won my first three games and was throwing with confidence, I felt like nobody could stop me from winning my bracket.”
Farias lit up Bracket D by registering a 10.42 PPR alongside a 0.63 DPR through 113 rounds of play. In doing so, he became the only California-born player to win an Open Singles bracket this season.
“I think this win is huge for the SoCal Cornhole community,” Jacobson added. “A lot of the local players know they have to bring their very best every week when Ethan’s signed up at a tournament. It’s fun to go up against the best, and this win proves he is the best player in SoCal. There’s a ton of talent out here, and I think sometimes SoCal players get overlooked compared to some other regions. Seeing him break through and win an Open Singles bracket shows that SoCal players can compete with anyone.”
To punch his ticket to the final match against Clauson, Farias first had to survive the overall Final 4 against Richards. Slaying that giant was no small task, as Farias entered the match 0-2 lifetime and on the season against him. Farias completely broke that streak by putting on an absolute clinic, becoming the only player over the entire weekend to out-throw Richards in a singles match, executing a thrilling 21-19 victory.
Trailing 17-8 in round 25, it looked as though Farias’s historic run would come to a close, with Richards typically being the type of player who, once given a lead, does not let up. Farias, however, was not like most of his opponents. He rallied back with a three-spot in round 26, making the score 17-11. After a wash in round 27, Farias scored three more points in round 28, bringing the tally to 17-14. In the next round, Farias scored again, this time with a crucial four-point round as Richards’ push shot could not get any bags to fall, moving the score to 18-17 in favor of Farias.
Richards evened up the score at 18-18 in round 30, before Farias scored two more in round 31 to lead 20-18. A wash in round 32 left the score as was, setting up dramatics in round 33. With Richards holding the final bag of the round and Farias already with one off the board, Richards took his time to make a decision. With the round score at 7-7, Richards’ bag on the front of the hole, and Farias blocking behind, Richards decided to forego a backside airmail, opting instead for a heavy push of the two bags on the board and the one in his hand for the win. After the shot hit the board, both his and Farias’ bags on the board fell in, but the bag in his hand remained on the board for a score of 10-9 in the round. This left the overall score at 20-19 in Farias’ favor.
Washing out the score in the next round, Farias hit an unbelievable collect on his final shot to keep himself alive. In round 35, it continued to be a matter of who would make the first mistake. This time, that happened to be Richards, who missed his first airmail deep off the back of the board, meaning Farias only had to lay his bag on the board for a 6-5 round. That shot secured the final point he needed for his first-ever win over Richards and his first-ever trip to the overall finals of an Open.
“It meant a lot beating one of the best players in the world in Mark Richards because it was my first time ever beating him in singles,” Farias emphasized.
In the overall finals, Farias was defeated by Clauson with a score of 22-11. The match remained highly competitive and close for the majority, ultimately slipping out of Farias’ reach in the final three rounds. Farias' Final 4 performance was backed by a 9.83 PPR and a -0.17 DPR throughout those 53 rounds.
Junior Singles
The No. 7 ranked Pro Junior singles player, Farias came into the event with high hopes, having yet to make a deep run this season. It would be this Friday where he would have his strongest performance yet.
After receiving a first-round bye, he was victorious in his first two matches, before running into Jakob Gore (No. 17 Pro Junior Singles and No. 162 in Pro Singles). Here, he defeated Gore in a tight match, 22-15. Moving on, he faced off against his own partner, defeating the top-ranked Clauson for the first time this season by a final of 22-17. The win moved Farias along to the match before the championship, facing off against Fleisher, where he took down the pro by a score of 24-7 to advance to the finals.
While sitting in the king seat, Farias fell to Clauson in back-to-back matches, ending the event with a second-place finish. This marks his best finish in Junior Singles thus far this season, eclipsing his previous benchmark at Open #2 in Winter Haven, Florida, where he took third place. Farias punctuated his stellar play by securing a 9.83 PPR and a 0.27 DPR over the course of 115 rounds.
Competing Alongside One Another
Entering the weekend ranked No. 12 in the world in Pro Doubles, Clauson and Farias proved that their individual singles brilliance is only strengthened when they play as a team.
Junior Doubles
Following the conclusion of Junior Singles on Friday, the focus shifted to Junior Doubles, where the tandem looked to keep their strong play alive. Having opted to skip the division at recent Signature Opens, including Open #10, they stepped onto the courts in Rhode Island looking to pick up right where they left off at Open #9 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where they had previously been victorious.
They did exactly that. Clauson and Farias rolled through the tournament, opening with a dominant 21-0 shutout. In their next round, they dismantled the reigning Open #9 Junior Doubles champions, McKinney and Fleisher, by a score of 25-8. The wins continued as they defeated Jakob Gore and Brayden Barry 25-4, followed by a 22-2 triumph over Brecken Olin and Brayden Olin to march into the finals.
Faced with a championship rematch against McKinney and Fleisher, the duo once again took control, winning 22-14 to cap off an undefeated run. The victory secured their third Junior Doubles title of the season, adding to their previous crown at ACL Open #3 in Richmond, Virginia.
L to R: Clauson and Farias, after capturing their third Junior Doubles title of the season in Tiverton, RI, on Friday. (Photo - American Cornhole League)
The tandem was locked in from a scoring perspective. Clauson powered through the bracket with a 10.79 PPR and a 1.0 DPR, while Farias spearheaded the field by unleashing an outstanding 11.14 PPR and a 1.02 DPR over their 43 joint rounds.
Open Doubles
On Saturday, Clauson and Farias stepped into a highly competitive Open Doubles field, starting the day with a strong 5-1 showing across their six games of rounders. During the round-robin stretch, Clauson sustained a 10.44 PPR and a 1.24 DPR across 34 rounds, whereas Farias finished with a 10.25 PPR and a 0.97 DPR through 36 rounds.
After earning a bye in bracket play, the pair rattled off two straight wins before being halted 22-16 by the eventual tournament champions, Hodet and Gage Landis (No. 15 in Pro Doubles). Falling to the loser's side of the bracket, they picked up two bounce-back wins before being eliminated in a tight battle by Jackson Gore and Zack Aiken, finishing tied for fifth within their bracket and tied for ninth overall. Inside bracket play, Clauson kept the pressure on with a 10.8 PPR and a 0.8 DPR over 49 rounds, while Farias held strong by maintaining a 10.26 PPR and a 0.38 DPR across 47 rounds.
By The Numbers
Over the course of the entire weekend, Clauson powered through a 21-4 overall match record while maintaining an unbelievable 10.46 PPR and a 0.75 DPR across 438 total rounds on the boards. Not far behind, Farias showcased elite consistency of his own by navigating 407 rounds to finish with a highly impressive 21-6 match record, an outstanding 10.22 PPR, and a 0.47 DPR.
FAAFO Cornhole
The weekend in Rhode Island was a massive milestone for the FAAFO Cornhole brand. Founder and sponsor Joe Jacobson was following the action intensely from afar, celebrating both as a sponsor and a close friend of the players.
“Honestly, it really meant a lot,” Jacobson emphasized. “As a friend, it’s rewarding to see all the hard work they both put in finally pay off on a big stage. Gabe has been so close a couple of times and I know Ethan has the skill. He just needed to be patient and the bracket win would come. Seeing both of them succeed at that level was something I was really proud of.”
The absolute highlight of the weekend came when the two teammates faced off in the overall Open Singles final, a moment Jacobson had to witness under unique circumstances.
“It was amazing! I was trying to keep up while I was out of town on a golf trip, discussed Jacobson. “I was literally watching the match while walking down the fairway. Even the guys in the group were checking in and seeing how the match was going. No matter who won, it was a huge moment for both of them and for the FAAFO team.”
Reflections and What’s Next
Across the entire weekend, Clauson and Farias proved exactly why they are one of the most exciting young duos in the game today. While they are the ones delivering results on the boards, Clauson is quick to credit the team supporting them behind the scenes.
“Joe Jacobson with FAAFO Cornhole is an amazing sponsor of mine that had confidence in me and my partner Ethan to represent his company well, and I cannot thank him enough for the support he has shown us both,” Clauson stated.
Clauson and Farias, along with the rest of Team FAAFO, will look to carry this success down south to Fort Worth, Texas, for Open #12 (Signature Open #5), running from June 5 through June 7.
“This win makes me even more confident in myself to prove once again in Texas that I am a top player in the world,” Clauson added.
For Jacobson, bringing Gabe into the fold this season and retaining Ethan for his second consecutive season was a no-brainer, driven by character just as much as talent.
“For me, sponsorship is about more than just results. Obviously, both of them are great players, but they also represent themselves and the community the right way,” shared Jacobson. “They’re competitive, supportive of other players, and genuinely good people to be around. When I met Gabe at last year's Spencer Makenzie’s Throwdown, I knew after talking to him for just a short amount of time that he was a fit for the team. Knowing I was going to have this super talented doubles team was the highlight of that weekend for me. Bringing Ethan back for a second season was easy because of the relationship we already built and the way he represents the brand.”
The incredible morals and dedication shown by Clauson and Farias mirror the core values that define the FAAFO Cornhole brand.
“I’m very thankful for all the love and support FAAFO Cornhole has received,” Jacobson commented. “Those that really know what this brand is about and the efforts of growing this sport and lifting those in this community up when they need it is what we're all about. Ethan and Gabe are a huge part of that. They’ve both helped grow the brand and the culture around it, and I’m excited to see what they accomplish moving forward. I think this past weekend was just a preview of what others are going to see from these guys for years to come.”
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