Fuller, Tesch claim 72nd state champion straight domino title

  • Kevin Tesch and Gary Fuller claimed the state title after defeating Ade Agbogun and Louis Kolos with play ending around 12:45 a.m. early Monday morning.
    Kevin Tesch and Gary Fuller claimed the state title after defeating Ade Agbogun and Louis Kolos with play ending around 12:45 a.m. early Monday morning.
  • Ade Agbogun (left) and Louis Kolos finished in second place at the 72nd annual Texas State Championship Domino tournament played Sunday at the Hallettsville KC Hall. Agbogun and Kolos were defeated by Kevin Tesch and Gary Fuller in the finals that ended after midnight. The domino partners also placed second in last year’s tournament. In addition, Kolos had teamed with L.J. Judd in 1998 to win the championship. Photo by Joey Henke
    Ade Agbogun (left) and Louis Kolos finished in second place at the 72nd annual Texas State Championship Domino tournament played Sunday at the Hallettsville KC Hall. Agbogun and Kolos were defeated by Kevin Tesch and Gary Fuller in the finals that ended after midnight. The domino partners also placed second in last year’s tournament. In addition, Kolos had teamed with L.J. Judd in 1998 to win the championship. Photo by Joey Henke

    After all the shuffling and domino playing ended early Monday morning, Gary Fuller of Hallettsville and Kevin Tesch of Moulton came away as this year’s Texas State Domino champions in the 72nd annual event.

    The final two teams finished tournament play at 12:45 a.m. Monday morning and Fuller and Tesch defeated Louis Kolos of Hallettsville and Ade Agbogun of Houston to win the tournament title.

    It was the second win for Tesch, who teamed with Bobby Stratmann in 2000 to win the domino championship. Kolos and Agbogun were the runner-up in 2023 as well.

    Last year’s champions, Al North and Darrell Hardway, both of El Campo, placed third, while John Flannery of New Boston and Larry Jackson of Bokchito, Oklahoma finished in fourth place.

    Sylvester Martinez and Mark Padierna, both of Victoria, placed fifth. Martinez won the 2011 championship with partner, Gene Migura.

    Jeremy Judd and Harvey Woytek, both of Hallettsville, captured the consolation tournament by defeating the Wink Bludau, of Hallettsville and Marty Patek, of Sweet Home.

    Third place, in the consolation tournament, went to Ronnie Klekar of Hallettsville and Tommy Neskora of Moulton.

    According to tournament co-chairman, Glen Bludau, there were 68 teams competing, which was 29 less teams than the previous year.

    Bludau said the lower turnout was due mainly to the inclement weather that hit the area early Sunday morning. He said out of the 136 players in this year’s tournament, they came from throughout Texas as well as Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma to compete in the tournament.

    Prior to the start of tournament, ceremonies were held with Hallettsville’s John Munson and Kenneth Curtis of Wharton inducted into the Texas State Championship Domino Tournament Hall of Fame.