Last updated 2018-05-27
In the spring of 2003, several friends spent several hours of several days grilling several sausages, drinking several beers, and learning to throw several bocce balls. This was the conception of a summertime institution in Oxford, Ohio. These friends quickly learned the value of trust, camaraderie and quality pork. Activities changed with the seasons, and Higgy’s balls were soon packed for winter hibernation.
Along with the melting snows of winter, came dreams of beverages cold as mountain streams. And, as everyone knows, cold beer and sunshine lead to visions of green grass and air bound balls. Visions became reality, and friends became competitors. On a warm and sunny April fifth, in the year 2004, several friends gathered at the house of Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle to watch the Cincinnati Reds face off against the dastardly Cubs of Chicago on opening day. The conversation, however, was not about baseball. There are few left who remember when Higgyball could have been a season long league. Many ideas were erected in harmony and challenged with discord. In the end, though, the idea to hold a loosely choreographed, round robin style tournament on one day was born.
The first Higgyball Tournament was hosted by Mark Higgins and his wife Susan Paulson, the Saturday prior to Memorial Day in 2004. It involved ten teams, several cases of cheap beer, sunshine, grilled sausage, a poster board score sheet and a trophy made from two foam balls and an athletic cup.
Although the event has more than doubled in size, involves proper medals and trophies, a large digitally designed and printed scoreboard and a website that you can read this on, the tradition of excellence, and spirit of the Higgyball Memorial Bocce Ball Tournament remains the same today.
PAST CHAMPIONS
Higgyball 1 (2004)
1st Place: Higgybear and the Holding Co. — Mark Higgins and Matt Williams
2nd Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
3rd Place: ???
Higgyball 2 (2005)
1st Place: Higgybear and the Holding Co. — Mark Higgins and Matt Williams
2nd Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
3rd Place: Higgins Elders
Higgyball 3 (2006)
1st Place: Higgybear and the Holding Co. — Mark Higgins and Matt Williams
2nd Place: Susan & Dan
3rd Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
Higgyball 4 (2007)
1st Place: Balls of Steele — Chris Neal and Kevin Withee
2nd Place: Mary and Billy
3rd Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
Higgyball 5 (2008)
1st Place: Brooke and Dusty
2nd Place: Dethklok — Alex Allegree and Chuck Allegree
3rd Place: Gun Show — Matt Aerni and Nate Silberstein
Female MVP:
Male MVP:
Higgyball 6 (2009)
1st Place: Gun Show — Matt Aerni and Nate Silberstein
2nd Place: Free Ballin’ — Brooke and Dusty
3rd Place: Dethklok — Alex Allegree and Chuck Allegree
4th Place: Odadvgine — Egon Kraan and David Marado
Female MVP:
Male MVP:
Higgyball 7 (2010)
1st Place: Rockin’ and Rollin’ — Wayne Proffitt and Casey Wells
2nd Place: A Fistful of Dice — Mike Bomholt and Chris Neal
3rd Place: Gun Show — Matt Aerni and Nate Silberstein
4th Place: 509 Girls — Angie Bashore and Lori Oberlitner
Female MVP:
Male MVP:
Higgyball 8 (2011)
1st Place: Wedding Jeans — PJ Hile and Mark Walker
2nd Place: Gun Show — Matt Aerni and Nate Silberstein
3rd Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
4th Place: A Fistful of Dice — Chris Neal and Mike Bomholt
Female MVP:
Male MVP: Nate Silberstein
Higgyball 9 (2012)
1st Place: Northern Foes — Peter Jamieson and Duane Lundy
2nd Place: Dethklok — Alex Allegree and Chuck Allegree
3rd Place: Big Black Dutchican — Egon Kraan and Dale Waller
4th Place: Electric Dream Machine — Pat Hawk and Stacy Lagaly
Female MVP:
Male MVP:
Higgyball 10 (2013)
1st Place: 509 Girls — Angie Bashore and Lori Oberlitner
2nd Place: Northern Foes — Peter Jamieson, Duane Lundy
3rd Place: Wedding Jeans — PJ Hile and Mark Walker
4th Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
Female MVP:
Male MVP:
Higgyball 11 (2014)
1st Place: Gun Show — Matt Aerni and Nate Silberstein
2nd Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
3rd Place: The Shockers — Derek Thomson and Marc Tincher
4th Place: Corner Boys — Justin Montavon and Jared Sacre
Female MVP: Lori Oberlitner
Male MVP: Mark Walker
Higgyball 12 (2015)
1st Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
2nd Place: Flavor Savors — Nelson Broomfield and Dan Troxel
3rd Place: Gun Show — Matt Aerni and Nate Silberstein
4th Place: 509 Girls — Angie Bashore and Lori Oberlitner
Female MVP: Betsy Walker
Male MVP: Andy Bomholt
Higgyball 13 (2016)
1st Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
2nd Place: Brews and Balls — Amanda Tharp and Jesse Tharp
3rd Place: Celtic Thunder — Heath Kelly and Wayne Proffitt
4th Place: Absolutely Fabulous — Lexi Jamieson Marsh and Amber Franklin
Female MVP: Alison Bridge/Lexi Jamieson Marsh
Male MVP: Andy Bomholt
Higgyball 14 (2017)
1st Place: Flavor Savers — Nelson Broomfield and Dan Troxel
2nd Place: Corner Boys — Justin Montavon and Jared Sacre
3rd Place: Charging Rhino — Karsten Maurer and Ben Chuha
4th Place: Pornstache – Marc Tincher and Nate Silberstein
Female MVP: Amanda Tharp
Male MVP: Wayne Proffitt
Higgyball 15 (2018)
1st Place: Cougar Bait — Marc Tincher and Egon Kraan
2nd Place: 509 Girls — Angie Bashore and Lori Oberlitner
3rd Place: Cheese — Christie Lear and Joel Lear
4th Place: Pinkley Ford – Jimmy Allen and David Warholak
Female MVP: Jennifer Robb
Male MVP: Marc Tincher
Higgyball 16 (2019)
1st Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
2nd Place: Flavor Savers — Nelson Broomfield and Dan Troxel
3rd Place: Wedding Jeans — PJ Hile and Mark Walker
4th Place: Higgy Brothers — Mark Higgins and Peter Higgins
Female MVP: Emily Silberstein
Male MVP: PJ Hile
Higgyball 2020
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Higgyball 17 (2021)
1st Place: The COVID Task Force — Jenny Fisher and Thomas Fisher
2nd Place: Bocce Balboa — Mark Higgins and Nate Silberstein
3rd Place: Kelly Thunder — Matt Green and Heath Kelly
4th Place: 509 Girls — Angie Bashore and Lori Oberlitner
Female MVP: Jenny Fisher
Male MVP: Marc Tincher
Higgyball 18 (2022)
1st Place: A Fistful of Dice — Michael Bomholt and Chris Neal
2nd Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
3rd Place: Cougar Bait — Marc Tincher and Egon Kraan
4th Place: The Jack Rabbits — Dana LaCoste and Jake Calvert
Female MVP: Dana LaCoste
Male MVP: Liam Walker
Higgyball 19 (2023)
1st Place: Delta House Variants — Dan Troxel and Peter Jamieson
2nd Place: Wedding Jeans — PJ Hile and Mark Walker
3rd Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
4th Place: Captain Morgan — Becky Morgan and Luke Morgan
Female MVP: Jen Robb
Male MVP: Liam Walker
Higgyball 20 (2024)
1st Place: 509 Girlz — Ang Bashore and Lori Oberlitner
2nd Place: Cougarbait — Marc Tincher and Egon Kraan
3rd Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
4th Place: Hilluth Billuth — Dallas Josey and Wally Kelly
Female MVP: Danielle Mann
Male MVP: Marc Tincher
Higgyball 21 (2025)
1st Place: Hilluth Billuth — Dallas Josey and Wally Kelly
2nd Place: House Team — Andy Bomholt and Patrick Lytle
3rd Place: Brothers From Different Mothers — Chris Goff and Heath Kelly
4th Place: Captain Morgan — Becky Morgan and Luke Morgan
Female MVP: Maeva Sarno
Male MVP: PJ Hile
