www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=328428Sectional's no obstacle for Waubonsie ValleyBy Kevin McGavin | Daily Herald
The game of golf will never suffer from a shortage of nuances.
Waubonsie Valley junior Thomas O'Bryan came to a front-nine par-4 at St. Andrews Golf and Country Club trying to maintain his sizzling start at the Class 3A St. Charles East boys golf sectional on Monday morning.
"My tee shot hit a cart path and then a tree, which kept it from going out of bounds," said the Warriors' top gun, the lone player to shoot level par in the cold yet thankfully calm conditions. "If it weren't for that (out-of-bounds is a stroke and distance penalty), we shoot 304 (as a team), and who knows what happens?"
But the fortuitous bounce enabled O'Bryan to tame the inward nine in 2-under-par 33, and his anchor-score 71 in West Chicago was the cornerstone of the Warriors' shocking victory.
"I can't believe we won the whole thing," Waubonsie Valley coach Dave Owles said of the Warriors' 302-304 victory over the host Saints and seven other teams. "We certainly did not expect this. We've never won a sectional before."
The Warriors eked out the third and final slot at West Aurora last week, and the team was awarded with its first downstate appearance in six years behind its senior-less lineup. Alex Koulos, the individual champion at Orchard Valley last week, continued his superlative play; the sophomore augmented the O'Bryan gem with a 75. Alec Meyer and Dylan Despot also eclipsed 80 with respective rounds of 77 and 79 as the Warriors stunned pre-tournament favorites Hinsdale Central, the reigning state runner-up, and undefeated conference champion Neuqua Valley.
"I just putted a lot better than I did at (the) conference (tournament, held on the same course)," said O'Bryan, who denied Hinsdale Central senior Theo Lederhausen and St. Charles senior Wes Apple by a stroke for medalist. "We played great as a team. Koulos has got hot at the right time."
The Warriors' sophomore attended Neuqua Valley last year, but the opening of Metea Valley ushered in a change of address.
"We came out of nowhere," said Koulos. "I birdied 18 after three straight bogeys. That really helped. We were able to give (O'Bryan) consistent help."
Hinsdale Central had dominated the sectional in recent years; the Devils were seeking their eighth trip to the state finals in Bloomington this decade. But the Devils were left on the sidelines as a team this weekend after falling by a single stroke, 304-305, to St. Charles East.
"I really don't have any motivation to play (as an at-large contender this weekend)," said a disconsolate Lederhausen, the Harvard-bound Devils' top gun. "We just didn't play well enough (as a team). It was just a tough sectional. The IHSA needs to do some kind of restructuring."
Wheaton Warrenville South ended its season with a fourth-place finish, but sophomore Tee-K Kelly was one of 13 players to make the individual cut, which fell at 76.
"Every drive I hit was going straight left," said Kelly, one of 10 players to shoot 76. "I was putting very well."
Neuqua Valley was fifth at 317, and the Wildcats did have two qualifiers in Austin Mitchell (74) and Kentucky-bound senior Stephen Powers (76). Jake Wilms' 76 led seventh-place York, and Hinsdale South was shut out of qualifiers in placing eighth. Naperville North freshman Raymond Knoll fired a 73 to earn state inclusion.
"My ball-striking carried me throughout my round," said Knoll.
Downers Grove South junior Mike Bubenicek, Glenbard West sophomore Kyle Kochevar, Downers Grove North senior Brian Barry and Benet senior John Callahan all hit the qualifying standard on the number.
Apple made the turn at level-par 35 for St. Charles East, and the returning state qualifier had no illusions as his inward-nine unfolded.
"I knew my score was going to be crucial for us to get downstate as a team," Apple said.
Apple birdied two of his first four holes on the back nine and solidified his 1-over-par 72 with a deft save at the home hole. On an afternoon in which every stoke proved to matter for the second state-qualifying team, Apple was quick to spot the ultimate difference.
"We were able to get up-and-down," Apple said. "It may not have been pretty, but we got the ball in the hole."
Apple capitalized on a fortunate bounce off the cart path for a tap-in birdie at No.10, and the senior added another birdie at 13 to negate back-to-back miscues at 11 and 12. Jordan Wetsch, the Saints' other leader, was in the red on his inward nine to post a sterling 73 for St. Charles East.
Nate Esler and Kyle Cook then dethroned the three-time reigning sectional champion Devils with their respective rounds of 79 and 80.
"This is our redemption," said Wetsch of razor-thin losses to Hinsdale Central and Neuqua Valley throughout the fall. "I'm happy with my finish."
The Saints will make their third appearance and first in three years this weekend at the Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington for the Class 3A title.
"They had us on the fifth card," St. Charles East coach John Stock said of the Devils' twin potential tiebreakers. "Today for us it was a team victory."
The results could not have been more pleasing to longtime conference coaches Tim Jones and Rob Prentiss.
"I said at the start of the year that our league is a good league," St. Charles North coach Prentiss said of the five league representatives and twin state qualifiers in the nine-team field. "We have great kids, veteran coaches. I'm proud to be a part of it."
"I couldn't agree more," said Jones, the coach at Larkin, who had one of two Elgin-area state qualifiers in senior Ryan Smith. "It's a great testament to our conference. It just tells you how good our conference is."
South Elgin and Bartlett rounded out the league members in contention for a state berth. But of the dozen players who competed for the sister schools, South Elgin leader Xavier Owens (76) was the sole member to make the state cut. In addition to Owens' 5-over-par total, the Storm counted an 82 from Andrew Buddle, an 84 from Ryan Pondel and an 87 by John Kuzelka for an a seventh-place 329.
"A little disappointing as a team," said South Elgin coach Jay Bartholomew. "The kids play out here all the time in the summer and during the year. I thought we would get more scores in the 70s."
Owens' chip-in birdie on his final hole, the ninth, offered consolation for the team.
"He's the first state qualifier we've had in our five years or so," said Bartholomew.
St. Andrews' wicked pin positions and massive greens exacted a toll on Bartlett. The squad had a disastrous 347 to finish ninth as Anthony Burdi was the lone player to have a sub-40 nine-hole round. The Streamwood regional champion ended his career with an 83, which Mike Marciniak bettered by one to lead the Hawks. Smith and Scott Harm carried the Larkin program in recent years, but the latter bowed out with an 85. But Smith found his bearing to join the large cast at 76.
"I was just happy to sneak in there," said Smith, who was fearful after bogey at the last. "I was really hoping 75 wasn't going to be the cut. I played real well on the front."