Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
52 | October 11, 2018 | The Mokena Messenger sports<br />
mokenamessenger.com<br />
Boys golf<br />
LW West tops Central, East in regional championship<br />
Knights qualify five<br />
individuals for sectional<br />
meet<br />
RANDY WHALEN, Freelance Reporter<br />
Donna Thompson wasn’t going<br />
to leave Lincoln-Way West without<br />
putting up a couple of numbers on<br />
the boys golf banner.<br />
The longtime coach, who is retiring<br />
following this school year, has<br />
been the only boys golf coach and<br />
also badminton coach that West<br />
has ever had in its 10 years of being<br />
a school.<br />
The Warriors followed up their<br />
first ever Red Division of the<br />
SouthWest Suburban Conference<br />
title the previous week by winning<br />
the Class 3A Joliet Central Regional<br />
on Oct. 2 at Inwood Golf Course<br />
in Joliet.<br />
Led by a 74 each from brothers<br />
Collin and Zack Phelps, West<br />
shot a 302 total to edge Lockport<br />
Township (306) and Homewood-<br />
Flossmoor (307) to claim its first<br />
regional championship in program<br />
history. Lincoln-Way Central<br />
(309), which made it to state as a<br />
team last year, took fourth but had<br />
five individual qualifiers.<br />
The Top Three teams and the<br />
Top 10 individuals qualified for<br />
the Edwardsville Sectional, which<br />
was scheduled to be held on Monday,<br />
Oct. 8, at Sunset Hills Country<br />
Club in Edwardsville.<br />
Providence (317), Lincoln-Way<br />
East (327), Joliet Central (331),<br />
Thornton Fractional South (400)<br />
and Romeoville (428) rounded out<br />
the nine team field.<br />
Last year Central won a sectional<br />
championship for the first time<br />
since 1984 and advanced to state<br />
for the first time in 20 years. But<br />
some high scores down the stretch<br />
cost the Knights in last week’s regional.<br />
“It’s just one of those things,”<br />
Central coach Ryan Pohlmann<br />
said. “We knew it would be a competitive<br />
field and we just had some<br />
untimely high scores. We had two<br />
or three guys get some bad scores<br />
with some bogies on the middle<br />
holes or so. Outside of that, we<br />
shot well. But it’s going to make<br />
them better in the long run.”<br />
The Knights still had the five<br />
guys advance to the sectional and<br />
have an opportunity as individuals<br />
to get to state. They are sophomore<br />
Sean Curran (73), senior Brian<br />
Sterling (77), freshman Juney Bai<br />
(79), junior TJ Edmier (80), and<br />
sophomore Nick Tingley (80). Senior<br />
Jon Soldan (83) wasn’t far behind<br />
for the Knights.<br />
While Curran paced Central,<br />
he’s the first to admit he was disappointed.<br />
After capturing the individual<br />
title at the SWSC Red meet<br />
the week before, he was 4-under<br />
par through 13 holes. Then disaster<br />
struck.<br />
“I had a double [bogey] on the<br />
14th hole and a [quadruple bogey]<br />
on the 15,” Curran said. “So<br />
it was rough. Our goal was to win<br />
the sectional again. Sure it’s good<br />
to get through as an individual, but<br />
it’s much more fun to go as a team.<br />
That’s what brings out the energy.”<br />
East only advanced one player<br />
to the sectional: sophomore Matt<br />
Kelley, who shot a 1-over-par 72<br />
to finish a stroke behind medalist<br />
Perry Hoag, a senior from Homewood-Flossmoor.<br />
“Personally I think this is one of<br />
the hardest regionals in the state,”<br />
Kelley said. “I had an eagle, my<br />
second of the season, on 14. I<br />
tracked it and saw it roll right in. I<br />
really did phenomenal off the tee.<br />
“It’s nice to go to the sectional,<br />
but we had Scott [Schipiour] in the<br />
playoff and I really wanted him to<br />
make it, too.”<br />
Senior Zack Jurgens (85), junior<br />
TJ DeVries (89), Jack Bertolani<br />
(95) and Nick Meiners (96) were<br />
the other Griffin scores.<br />
“Our team finished up 7-6 on the<br />
year and 2-2 in the SWSC Red,”<br />
East coach Jim Nair said of the<br />
season. “We had a big win against<br />
Sandburg at Silver Lake and almost<br />
beat H-F at Coyote Run 153-156.<br />
Matt [Kelly] shot a 35 to help us<br />
almost beat H-F. Two of our losses<br />
came to Lincoln-Way West, who<br />
Lincoln-Way Central No. 4 golfer T.J. Edmier, of Mokena, hits a short-iron shot Oct. 2 during the Joliet Central<br />
Regional at Inwood Golf Course in Joliet. Photos by James Sanchez/22nd Century Media<br />
Brian Sterling, of Mokena, marks his par putt after hitting a chip up close for his up and down.<br />
is having a awesome year under<br />
coach Thompson.<br />
“We were very competitive and<br />
expect to be even better next year<br />
with Matt leading the way. Matt<br />
coming in second at regional was<br />
not surprising, even though there<br />
were a ton of great kids there, because<br />
he has been solid all year. He<br />
is one of the most talented sophomores<br />
in the area. It was good to<br />
see him clicking on all aspects of<br />
his game. He works very hard on<br />
his game in the summer and winter<br />
with [The Players Service].”
Change language