POINT HURON, Mich. (Major League Fishing) — Late in Friday’s Championship Round at the B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup Presented by 5-hour ENERGY®, the father-son duo representing Team 7Brew Coffee once again found themselves in second place. This time, though, they rallied by boating four scorable smallmouth in the final 30 minutes to edge Adrian Avena and Dustin Connell of Team YETI and take the trophies in a thriller.
With the entire St. Clair River open to the four Championship Round contenders, the Joneses landed 26 scorable smallmouth totaling 62 pounds, 1 ounce. That topped Avena and Connell by just 2-12. Team O’Reilly Auto Parts – comprised of Ron Nelson and Martin Villa – caught a mixed bag of both largemouth and smallmouth and led early before fading to third with 23 bass for 40-8, while Gary Klein and Mark Davis of Team B&W Trailer Hitches capped off a strong week with a fourth-place showing, ending the day with a total of 14 bass for 26-13.
Watch the Winning Moment: Joneses Rally in Final Minutes to take the Challenge Cup 2025
A Long-Awaited Victory for the Father-and-Son Fishing Duo
“Neither of us has ever won a Cup before,” the elder Jones said. “To finally do it here, under these circumstances, is big. This week goes to my dad, Junior’s granddad, and our whole family. It’s been emotional, but it’s also been a blessing. At my age, after 36 years in this sport, this one means everything.”
The father-son duo’s victory delivered a long-awaited first Team Series trophy for both anglers and marked a career-defining moment for the Texas natives.
A year ago, when Major League Fishing revamped the Fishing Clash Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops, Alton Jones Jr. teamed up with his father, Alton Jones, and the pair finished second at the Heritage Cup, falling just a few pounds short of Ott DeFoe and Andy Montgomery. That was one of two runner-up finishes for the younger Jones in Team Series competition in 2024 and one of three career second-place finishes in MLF Cup events.
