UTICA — It wasn't that long ago that Dustin Arnold put together a couple of homemade cornhole boards for his buddies, so that they could all enjoy the popular backyard game. 

Not only has that since blossomed into a cornhole event and equipment business — called Empire Cornhole — but Arnold is also the New York State director for the American Cornhole League (ACL). And as both state and regional director for the Utica area, Arnold hosts a monthly cornhole tournament for both amateurs and professionals. 

"The ACL's motto is 'anybody can play and anybody can win,' and that really is true," said Arnold, from Edmeston in Otsego County. He started Empire Cornhole in 2015 and became a regional director for the ACL four years ago. 

"I've got teenagers up to 70-year-olds playing at the same time," Arnold said. "The top guys are of any age. It brings a lot of people together and is a lot of fun."

The latest tournament was held on Saturday at the newly rechristened Utica University Nexus Center. More than 100 cornholers and spectators filled one of the rinks on Saturday for the March tournament. 

Cornhole is a backyard game where players throw bean bags onto sloped, slippery boards. The goal is to get the bean bag into the board's solo hole for the most points, or at least get the bag to stay on the board for some points. 

Saturday's event was the second tournament held in Utica, Arnold said, with the Nexus Center set to host throughout the rest of the year. Arnold said he used to hold his tournaments in Binghamton, but Utica "is going to be our new home."

The tournaments were for both singles and doubles players, open to both amateurs and professionals. There was a cash prize for the champions, with the real goal being to gain points in the state, regional and national ACL leaderboards. 

The higher your ranking, the bigger the tournament you can participate in, Arnold explained. 

"The community is great. I tell this to a lot of people. I personally know pretty much everybody here from over the years from playing. The community has just grown," Arnold stated. 

"There is a competitive nature, it's not just in the backyard, going to throw some bags. But everybody always has such great attitudes, having a lot of fun, while being competitive at the same time."

Anyone is welcome to join future tournaments, Arnold said. All that is required is a free account with the ACL at the website www.IPLayCornhole.com and an entry fee. Many players have custom-printed jerseys and T-shirts, and travel from other counties and states.

"I've met so many great people. Some of my best friends have come from playing cornhole. It's been amazing. The events are great," said Evan Davis, who drove in from South New Berlin to play alongside his father. He said he started in the ACL about four years ago. 

"The atmosphere is amazing. Nobody gets upset, everybody's great. I'm not too bad. I haven't played as much this year as I normally do. I've got a couple of kids now. But I'm not too bad; better than I could be."

Davis said he's traveled as far as Pennsylvania and Ohio to participate in tournaments. Arnold said professional players travel to tournaments several weekends a month, and there are four big national events every year, along with some international cornhole tournaments. 

To help get people started, Arnold said the key to a good cornhole throw is "repetition and consistency. Being able to throw the same bag, how flat they are, and just being able to score," he stated.

"That's the top thing, being able to score."