Posted: June 1, 2009 |(0) Comments

There was a tie for the second state team berth in the WIAA Eau Claire Memorial boys golf sectional today and the Janesville and Sparta events each saw just a one stroke deficit between the happy runner-up and the distraught third place finisher.

So why should it be a surprise that Homestead coach Steve O'Brien says that he finds himself "floating a couple of feet off the ground" Monday night after his North Shore Conference champion Highlanders edged league rival Nicolet by a 315-316 count for their 23rd trip to the WIAA State Tournament in the last 26 years in the sectional at Germantown's Blackstone Creek?

"They're all special," O'Brien said of the state trips, "but yes indeed, this one will have a special place in my heart. Especially for the way we had to do it. Our character and team unity were both in full form today."

With the finish, the Highlanders, along with the Knights' Aaron Sandock and Whitefish Bay's 2007 state individual champion Jack Schultz, will advance to the WIAA State Tournament at University Ridge in Verona on June 8 and 9. Greater Metro Conference champion Marquette won the sectional with a 300 mark.

The state tournament berth was in doubt until the final grouping, when O'Brien calculated that the Highlanders were down five shots to the Knights.

But with Homestead senior Casey Barnes shooting an 18-hole total of 76 and the Knights lone senior Mike Kerns carding an 82, Homestead slipped past Nicolet.

"I'm sure the kids in that group had no idea of how things stood," O'Brien said, "but when we added it up, well you know how Casey is, all there was was this typical Barnesy grin, a huge sigh and a gasp of relief." Freshman Jordan Niebrugge remained steady for the Highlanders with a 73.

Nicolet coach Ted Wachs said his team was hugely disappointed: "The van was like a tomb going home," he said. "I just laughed and said 'It would have been much more fun going with a big group as opposed to someone being stuck with the old guy (himself) by himself for a couple of days.'"

Still, he said, it would be great experience for the sophomore Sandock, who came in with a score of 73, and he was happy for Homestead whom he thought was a deserving state participant. "They're all nice kids and good people," Wachs said of the Highlanders.

Schultz, who has been playing well of late, led a struggling Bay team to a disappointing fifth place total of 328. He suffered a little bad luck on the second hole, carding a seven, but bounced back to tie for the second individual slot with a 74.

"Flukey things were happening to Jack," Wachs said, "but he has good mental discipline and worked hard for that state berth. I wouldn't be surprised if shoots very low next week (at state)."

Menomonee Falls coach Tony Pritchard was happy for O'Brien and the Highlanders too, noting that Germantown coach Gary Anderson and the staff of Blackstone worked hard to get the course ready despite some winter kill and water damage to the course.

"Hats off to them, they really rolled out the red carpet for us," he said. "It (Blackstone) was ready for us and that wasn't the case a month ago." Pritchard's Indians ended their season with a sixth place score of 329.

And as for the tight battles that marked sectional play throughout the state this day, all Pritchard could say was:

"The parity out there is just amazing."

Yes, it is.

 

WIAA Sectional Golf

Blackstone Creek, Germantown

Team scores: Marquette 300, Homestead 315, Nicolet 316, Cedarburg 324, Whitefish Bay 328, Menomonee Falls 329, Wisconsin Lutheran 349, Pius XI 358

Other area individual scores

Homestead--Stephen Sullivan 85, Joe Borawski 92, Dylan Drozdowicz 81.

Nicolet--Ben Schlossmann 82, Robbie Bamberger 79, Noah Hersch 86.

Bay--Andrew Beischel 78, Joey Poehlmann 86, Danny Umland 90, Sam Richtman 95.

Menomonee Falls--Adam Rubatt 81, Ricky Hock 84, Jake Stadler 91, Jake Higgins 80, Dave Weber 84.

Germantown--Alex Burkhart 79 and Scott Loftus 82.