Breakthrough at Game Preserve: Witherspoon Captures First Career Win

SCPL TGP NASA Supplemental Training Week 3

Sixty-one ranked tournaments. Countless plunges, bad bounces, heartbreaks, and near-misses on the local competitive pinball circuit. For Troy Witherspoon, the grind has been relentless and, at times, entirely unforgiving. But on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, the dedication finally yielded the ultimate reward. Entering the SCPL TGP NASA: Supplemental Training Week 3 tournament, Witherspoon, currently ranked #5,625 by the International Flipper Pinball Association (IFPA), had competed in eight events over the past six months without tasting victory. But 61 events deep, IFPA #5,625 claimed their breakthrough victory, capturing the top podium spot in an intimate, highly competitive field in Webster, Texas. It was a monumental first tournament win for a ranked IFPA competitor who has been putting in the work week after week.

A Community Staple in Webster

The dramatic evening of flipper mastery unfolded at The Game Preserve arcade, a massive retro haven that stands as an absolute staple of the local Texas pinball community. Holding an impressive 4.6-star rating across hundreds of reviews, the venue is widely celebrated for its immersive atmosphere, characterized by custom wall murals and beautiful, detailed artwork that brings the golden age of gaming to life. Patrons frequently highlight the sheer scale and variety of the collection, which seamlessly bridges the gap between meticulously preserved vintage classics and the latest modern releases. It is a passionately maintained space that clearly reflects the immense effort poured into its presentation, making it the perfect competitive backdrop where local players feel instantly at home.

Outside the arcade doors, it was a quintessential, sweltering Texas afternoon with scattered clouds, 89°F temperatures that felt like a punishing 101°F, and a heavy 72% humidity. Inside the air-conditioned refuge, however, the competition was generating its own brand of intense heat.

A Small Field, A Massive Fight

While the tournament featured a small, eight-player field, the competitive context of the event was incredibly fierce. In such a tight bracket, individual matchups carry significantly more weight than broad field statistics, creating an intimate competitive setting where every single drained ball hurts just a bit more. Every participant in the building was an IFPA-ranked competitor, yielding an average national rank of #6,308. Furthermore, the field was entirely comprised of state-ranked Texas NACS participants, boasting an impressive average state rank of #225 out of a massive regional pool of 1,026 ranked players.

The tournament kicked off with a BestGame format qualifier round. In BestGame tournaments, players are not paired together for match play-style matches. Instead, they play single-player games. The tournament organizer assembles a bank of arenas, and each player plays each arena one or more times. Their “best game” is compared against the best game of the other participants in the tournament, and they are awarded points based on how well their best game ranks.

The machine lineup for the evening heavily favored the late 1970s, exclusively featuring 1978 releases from two unique manufacturers. The highlighted arenas included Williams’ Disco Fever and Stern Electronics’ classic Stars. Stars in particular demanded precise tactical execution. Seasoned players knew the golden rule on the playfield: shoot the five star targets to increase the right spinner value by 200 points per star, and then hit that spinner all day for massive points.

Qualifier Results & A Cinderella Story

Through the grueling BestGame gauntlet, Shelly Wylie (IFPA #11,380) emerged as the dominant early force. Wylie locked in the coveted number one seed, proving her mastery over the vintage tables. Meanwhile, Witherspoon showcased his steady, practiced hand, safely advancing into the bracket as the fourth seed.

However, the defining narrative of the qualifying round belonged without a doubt to Erin Anthony (IFPA #4,374). Coming into the event as the ultimate underdog, Anthony, the eighth overall seed in the qualifier, battled her way through the standings to finish third in qualifying. This incredible surge set the stage for a Cinderella run from the very back of the pack.

The qualifier also saw some shocking eliminations, most notably Erich Stinson (IFPA #1,821). Stinson was the highest-ranked player in the room and the #116 player in Texas. Despite his impressive 15 years of active play and 30 wins in the last three years, he failed to advance past the qualifying stage, proving the volatility and sheer talent of the eight-player field.

The Finals Climax

With the top four safely locked in, the format shifted gears to Group Matchplay for a high-stakes, single-game, single-round final. In this format, points are awarded purely by finishing position within the four-player group. The battleground of choice was Disco Fever, the 1978 Williams machine that had already proven to be the most-played machine of the entire qualifying round.

This top-finishers faceoff featured a compelling mix of Houston-area talent: top-seeded Shelly Wylie, the surging Erin Anthony, the veteran heavyweight John Syers (IFPA #4,191), and Troy Witherspoon. Syers entered the finals as the strongest ranked player remaining. With 182 total tournaments under his belt, seven years of active play, and an average career finish of 13th place, Syers was undeniably a statistical favorite to take the crown.

But pinball is played on the playfield, not on paper. On the infamous curved flippers of Disco Fever, Witherspoon found his rhythm precisely when it mattered most. In a stunning, legacy-defining performance, Witherspoon executed a massive upset over Syers. Overcoming a daunting rank gap of 1,434 spots in the four-player game, Witherspoon entirely outplayed the veteran to claim first place in the group, earning 7.00 points and securing the tournament victory. Syers stumbled under the pressure, finishing fourth on the machine with just 1.00 point.

Right behind Witherspoon, Erin Anthony continued her incredible Cinderella story. Translating her third-seed finals entry into a brilliant second-place finish in the group, she earned 5.00 points to secure the runner-up spot for the entire tournament. Anthony has been a highly active force this season, amassing 25.76 WPPR points across seven events to hold the #162 spot in the state of Texas. Shelly Wylie, despite her dominant qualifying run, rounded out the final podium in third place with 3.00 points.

The Long Road to Victory

When the final bonus tallied and the classic chimes of Disco Fever quieted, the night truly belonged to Troy Witherspoon. Earning his first-ever tournament win is a massive milestone, snapping a 61-event streak and validating countless hours of practice. The victory bolsters an already active 2026 season resume; he now holds 27.47 WPPR points over 17 events this year, firmly anchoring him at #144 in the highly competitive Texas NACS standings.

In a sport where experience and muscle memory often dictate the podium, Witherspoon’s incredible breakthrough at the SCPL TGP NASA Supplemental Training Week 3 proves that perseverance is the ultimate multiball. After 61 events of waiting in the wings and battling through the ranks, Troy Witherspoon has finally stepped out of the shadows, conquered the vintage flippers, and planted himself squarely into the winner’s circle.