Defending state champs Garaway, Strasburg punch tickets to Districts
A larger, reconstructed Division III field at the Willandale Golf Club Sectional left the top teams wondering how things would shake out, with 16 teams competing for the three top positions to advance to next week’s District play at Cumberland Trails.It turned out that the top two favorites, Strasburg and two-time defending champion Garaway, had little to worry about, and were joined by Toronto as the third team to advance.
What did surprise some was the way the tournament shaped up. All season long, a deep and talented Strasburg team has dominated Garaway, besting them at both the preseason and post-season conference tournaments in the Inter-Valley Conference, and twice head-to-head.
But it was two-time defending state champion Garaway that claimed the sectional title with a solid 318 in conditions that were less than special. Brutal winds, cold temperatures and rain dotted the day, driving scores up on the whole.
“I thought that our success today stemmed not from the shots we hit, but from how we responded when we didn’t hit good shots,” said Rick Taggert, Garaway coach. “I am awfully proud of these kids. They showed a great deal of composure. They stayed focused and continued the maturation process which has been taking place all season. The conditions were brutal today, and it’s just a matter of trying to hang on and play in the moment. It was a test of preparation and character, and I thought our kids handled the weather adversity very well.”
Garaway All-Ohioan Ryan Troyer overcame a front-side 39 by carding a 35 on the back side to post the day’s low score at 74. He got solid help from teammates Greg Moomaw (80), Kolt Andreas (81) and Donny Beachy (81). Strasburg was led by senior Tyler Bell’s 76, which was second low on the day. Tiger teammates Conor Eckhardt (80), Ryan Bell (81) and Chase Willis (the 2008 state-qualifier survived a 10 on a hole in which he hit the wrong ball, posting an 87) got the Tigers to District play.
Hiland, which had hopes of sneaking in as the third team, struggled on the front end, and was led by four-man Daniel Beachy’s 90. Drew Stutzman (91), B.J. Yoder and Caleb Schlabach (92) rounded out the Hawks’ eighth-place finish in the 16-team field.
“We’ve just been too inconsistent all season,” lamented Hiland coach Austin Kaufman. “We haven’t been able to sustain any kind of low numbers on a regular basis, but even so, I felt with the weather the way it was, it gave us a fighting chance to sneak in.”
That was not the case, as Hiland’s season ended.
It goes on, however, for the Tigers and Pirates.
“I asked the kids what they felt the most important things were that happened today,” said Taggert. “They said keeping our composure when things didn’t go our way; doing our job and consistency. I told them the most important thing was that we were still playing next week. We did what we had to do to get to that next level.”
“Considering the conditions, and the expanded field, today was about surviving and moving on,” agreed Strasburg coach Gary Spinnell. “Yes, we wanted to win, but Garaway played well and deserved it. We’re happy to be one of the three teams moving on, because at this time of the year, that’s the name of the game.”
Both Garaway and Strasburg have high expectations heading into District play. Garaway has a huge edge considering several team members have already had State experience.
Strasburg boasts four solid seniors, and Spinnell said this is the year that they felt making the school’s first ever State appearance was within reach.
“This is nothing new for either of these teams,” said Spinnell. “We’re both pretty battle tested, and we know Cumberland Trails. Our kids tend to root for each other when they aren’t playing each other, and we both have a very healthy respect for the other team. It’s going to be fun.”
Following the three advancing teams, Zanesville Rosecrans shot 348, which was followed immediately by a closely contested group in the middle, which included Newcomerstown (356), Malvern (359), Ridgewood (360), Shadyside (363), Hiland (365), Canton Central Catholic (366), River (367) and Tuscarawas Central Catholic (368). Barnesville (377), Buckeye Trail (382), Beallsville (387) and Conotton Valley (409) rounded out the field.