Recapping the inaugural CoCo event in Rome, GA

This weekend brought the inaugural Romega Classic, a 2-day event in Rome, GA, and it's safe to say we witnessed a weekend of firsts all around.

For starters, it was the first CoCo tournament ever held in the state of Georgia. For that matter, the first in that whole region of the country! CoCo territory prior to this weekend had never really extended east of New Orleans or south of central Virginia. But there's always been a healthy contingent of CSW enthusiasts around Georgia, Tennessee, and the surrounding areas, and they all came together in Rome to duke it out over the boards.

Another first: It was also the directorial debut for Guy Ingram, who stepped up and volunteered to run a new event in Rome, his hometown. Guy owns his own business in Rome, and he came to us way back in July 2024 with the idea to run Scrabble tournaments in his office space. We spent a few months going back and forth, figuring out the details, and eventually the Romega Classic was born! Guy arranged for the tournament venue, recruited players, and even hosted some of them at his house for the weekend. Thanks to his efforts, the tournament was a success.

More firsts: We welcomed three new players into the CoCo fold for the first time! Brett Haughney, making his triumphant return to tournament Scrabble after almost 8 years away, jumped into the field, and two other players - Adelaide Drennen and Richard Ganguet - took the plunge and played Collins for the first time. A hearty welcome to Brett, Adelaide, and Richard.

One last first: As for Brett, it wasn't only his first time playing a CoCo event. It was also his first time winning one, and he did so in rather dominant fashion. Brett finished a dazzling 11-1 for the weekend - he won his first five games, dropped an absolute nailbiter to Jeremy Jeffers by a margin of 461-458, then rallied to win six more. In other words, he came within just a few points of an undefeated weekend.

Emily Brodeur won 6.5 of her 12 games to take second place; Jeremy Jeffers, who had a 385-385 tie with Emily early in the tournament, ended up with 5.5 wins to finish third.

Congrats to Brett and everyone else who performed strong in Rome! And welcome to all three of our CoCo newbies. And many thanks to Guy for stepping up and becoming our newest CoCo director. Cheers all around.