West Hartford Eagle Scout Makes Major Contribution To Special Cornhole League

Sedgwick Middle School's first Unified Cornhole season ended with a tournament and recognition for a local Eagle Scout.

By Michael Lemanski, Patch Staff

Jun 7, 2026 12:00 pm EDT

Sedgwick Middle School, last month, hosted a culminating tournament of the new Unified Cornhole team there, where students of all abilities unite for a shared activity promoting friendship and inclusion. (Courtesy of Patrick McGloin)

WEST HARTFORD, CT — Corhone may be a popular bean bag game that features prominently during tailgates and family picnics.

But in West Hartford Public Schools, it's more than a game.

And thanks to one local Eagle Scout, it is a pastime that unifies those of all abilities in the spirit of friendship and inclusion.

The district hosted its inaugural Unified Cornhole season, which concluded May 27 with a tournament at Sedgwick Middle School that brought together middle school participants and members of Conard High School's Unified Cornhole team.

The season-ending event marked the first year of the program, which is part of the Unified Sports initiative that pairs students with and without disabilities on the same teams to promote inclusion, teamwork and friendship.

A highlight of the season was the debut of custom cornhole boards built by former Sedgwick student Desmond McGloin, now a ninth-grader at Conard High School.

McGloin, a member of West Hartford Scout Troop 146, created six pairs of handcrafted cornhole boards as his Eagle Scout service project.

Community donations funded the building materials, and fellow scouts and friends assisted with construction.

McGloin's connection to the Unified program began in sixth grade when he joined Unified Basketball as a partner.

He remained involved throughout middle school and became known for encouraging inclusion and supporting fellow students.

Because of the impact the Unified program had on him, McGloin chose to support future participants by creating equipment for the new cornhole league.

The boards were completed in time for the team's first spring season.

The team also celebrated its accomplishments with an end-of-season pizza party on May 26 at Sedgwick.

During the event, coaches Denise Brezinski, Victoria Bates, Colin Bowie and Steve Garneau presented McGloin with a commemorative plaque recognizing his contributions to the program.

McGloin also presented a donation to the Unified program to help fund future improvements and enhancements.

School officials, coaches and families expressed gratitude to McGloin and Scout Troop 146 for helping launch the program and supporting opportunities for student-athletes to participate in Unified Sports.

With its first season complete, Sedgwick's Unified Cornhole program is expected to continue growing in the years ahead.

Former Sedgwick student Desmond McGloin, now a ninth-grader at Conard High School and current Eagle Scout, left, receives a plaque from Sedgwick physical education teacher Steven Garneau for McGloin's scout project that provided handmade cornhole boards. (Courtesy of Patrick McGloin)