The 12-player group knockout field at District 82 in De Pere, Wisconsin, provided an extraordinarily intimate yet fiercely contested battleground on Friday night. While national statistics might highlight a modest field average, the regional reality was a heavy-hitting floor of 12 state-ranked competitors, including some of Wisconsin’s sharpest flipper talent. But by the time the flippers cooled after ten grueling rounds, one competitor stood entirely in a league of his own. Matt McCarty orchestrated a masterclass in floor management, putting up the top group score on five of the ten machines he played to comfortably secure the tournament crown.
McCarty entered the night with a surging year-over-year rating, sitting at IFPA #519 and holding down the #9 spot in the competitive Wisconsin NACS rankings. Rather than playing cautiously to merely survive the elimination strikes, he imposed his will on the lineup from the opening plunge. His dominant performance sent a clear message to the rest of the room that the path to the podium would have to go directly through him.
Pristine Cabinets and Early Authority
Competitors stepping into District 82 are greeted by an absolute pinball sanctuary. Regular patrons consistently praise the venue for maintaining a massive, pristine fleet of classic and modern cabinets, complete with stellar lighting and an authentic arcade atmosphere. Fueled by the establishment’s complimentary water and coffee, the 12-player field settled in for a prolonged, high-focus war of attrition.
McCarty wasted zero time establishing his authority in Round 1 on Stern’s The Mandalorian (Pro). Navigating the dangerous layout, he locked in a brilliant first-place finish to open his evening. Brandon Peltier, fighting upward from his #104 state ranking, secured a hard-fought second place in the group, while Gerald Morrison took third and Mike Carlson absorbed a fourth-place strike.
Across the floor, other contenders immediately began staking their own claims. Jordan Cappaert opened his tournament with a commanding victory on Fish Tales, outslugging Rick Petit and Joe DeCleene. DeCleene, boasting a steady rating increase over the past year to reach IFPA #926, took an early third-place finish but remained dangerously poised to strike back. Elsewhere in the opening round, Ryan Cappaert made an immediate splash by taking the top spot on Corvette, outrunning Eddie Smith, Rowan Walters-Giblin, and Peter Goeben.
Stacking Wins on Infinity Quest
As the rounds progressed, the knockout format forced players to constantly adapt to wildly different eras and rule sets. McCarty’s momentum only accelerated in Round 3 when his group stepped up to Stern’s Avengers: Infinity Quest (Pro). Facing off against Jordan Cappaert, Eddie Smith, and Brandon Peltier, McCarty put together a mesmerizing run. He cleanly outpaced Cappaert to take the top group score, leaving Smith in third and Peltier with a fourth-place finish.
That matchup carried heavy historical weight for the two front-runners. By finishing ahead of Cappaert, McCarty extended his commanding lifetime lead in their rivalry, having now bested him in 55 of their 91 shared tournaments, alongside two career ties. Across the room, Joe DeCleene found his own mid-round groove on Cactus Canyon (Remake Special), earning a crucial first-place finish over Rowan Walters-Giblin and Gerald Morrison. The shifting tides of the tournament were fully on display during the subsequent round, where Mike Carlson mastered the retro angles of Sky Kings to earn a slick first-place finish over Smith and Petit.
A 13-Minute Roadblock on Taxi
No pinball tournament lacks its moments of sudden, humbling adversity, and McCarty found his in Round 6. He ran squarely into an immovable roadblock on Williams’ 1988 classic, Taxi, facing off against Eddie Smith, Jordan Cappaert, and Rick Petit. In a tense, 13-minute four-player marathon, the ball simply refused to bounce McCarty’s way, resulting in an uncharacteristic fourth-place group finish.
Instead, it was Eddie Smith who seized the spotlight with a brilliant tactical display. To maintain high scoring on Taxi, a competitor must continuously pick up passengers after multiball ends to relight the right saucer for a lock, ensuring an endless loop of multiball opportunities. Smith executed this strategy flawlessly to capture first place, forcing Cappaert into second and Petit into third.
Smith’s triumph on the cab did more than just hand McCarty his worst finish of the night. It also helped Smith gain valuable historical ground on Joe DeCleene. Despite the narrowed margin, DeCleene still maintains the overall career advantage, finishing ahead of Smith in 26 of their 50 shared tournament appearances.
Untouchable Floor General to the End
True champions are defined by how rapidly they correct course, and McCarty’s response was immediate and absolute. In Round 7, he stepped up to the intimidating layout of Funhouse and posted a decisive first-place victory, leaving Joe DeCleene to settle for second and Jordan Cappaert in third. This crucial win reinforced McCarty’s upper hand over DeCleene, marking the 49th time he has finished ahead of him across 74 shared events. McCarty ultimately capped off his spectacular evening in Round 10, dispatching Smith on John Wick (Pro) to seal the overall tournament win.
When the final tallies were confirmed, McCarty’s floor dominance—putting up the top score on half of the ten machines he faced—stood as an unassailable achievement. Beyond the hardware, the victory serves as a deeply human testament to McCarty’s enduring dedication to the sport. Watching a skilled local player steadily climb back toward his career peak proves that endless hours of practice and floor discipline still yield the sweetest triumphs.
- 1st Place: Matt McCarty
- 2nd Place: Eddie Smith
- 3rd Place: Joe DeCleene
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