POLK COUNTY’S Evan Ball chips onto the green during Wednesday’s match at Chatata Valley Golf Course. Ball was the low medalist for the match, shooting a 36. Banner photo, Reece Rutland
The Wildcat linksters were scheduled to face district foes McMinn Central and Meigs County, but when they got to the course, Collegedale Academy was also there for a practice round and asked to join the match.
Polk County claimed easy victories in both the boys’ and girls’ matches.
Now 13-5 on the year, the Wildcats posted a 164, which was seven-strokes better than McMinn Central, 33 better than Collegedale and 46 fewer than Meigs.
The Lady Wildcats improved to 14-1 on the season after shooting a 103 to outdistance Central (117) and Meigs (124). Collegedale doesn’t have a girls’ team.
“This was a good way to get ready for the tournaments,” declared Polk coach Jason Adams, whose boys won the district and region last year to advance to the TSSAA state tournament, while the girls did the same two years ago. “Having the district and region on our home course will be an advantage for us.”
The teams, along with the other 5 A-AA squads, will gather back at Chatata Valley Monday for the district tournament, with the top three teams and five individuals playing the same course Thursday in the Region 3 A-AA Tournament.
“Our girls have really been playing well all season and our boys have come on strong lately,” Adams assessed. “Evan Ball has been right around par all season and Jake Burrows has been a strong No. 2, but lately we have been getting more consistent play out of our 3, 4 and 5.”
On Wednesday, Ball took low medalist honors with an even-par 36, while Burrows was 4-over at 40. Ryan Droke and Cameron Bean rounded out the winning score with 43 and 45 respectively.
McMinn Central’s Ryan Houk was the only other golfer to break 40 Wednesday with a 39.
Junior Lydia Triplett had the best score among the girls with 43, while Lady Wildcat teammate Emily Massengill shot 60.
McMinn Central’s Riley Watson had the second-best score with a 56.
Ball, Burrows and Triplett are at Harrison Bay today to participate in the City Prep event at Bear Trace.
Lady Mustangs take third
The Walker Valley girls traveled across the mountains to play the TSSAA state tournament course at WillowBrook Golf Club Wednesday and came home with a third-place trophy.
In an odd turn of events, the two teams that finished ahead of the Lady Mustangs were both from the same school — Baylor.
“Somehow they let Baylor put two teams in the tournament and they came in first and second,” related Walker Valley coach Bob Williams of the 14-team field.
Baylor’s Teleri Hughes won low-medalist honors with a 1-under 71, while Middle Tennessee State commitment Avery George paced the Lady Mustangs with an even-par 72.
Hughes’ Baylor squad fired a 145, while the other Lady Raider squad shot 157.
Katie Bishop shot a 92 to round out Walker Valley’s 164 total.
Bradley Central also made the trek to Manchester, finishing 12th as junior Sloane Rakestraw shot 85.
The Walker Valley teams are also playing at the City Prep today.
