Stars, Patriots near back of field

Copyright 2018, The Commercial Review

All Rights Reserved

GENEVA — Butch Gray pinpointed fatigue from playing on back-to-back days.

Seth Sprunger commented on the fact most of his team is new to their respective position.

Both coaches are hopeful their squads will get better as the year goes on.

Gray’s Jay County Patriots and Sprunger’s South Adams Starfire girls golf teams both finished near the back of the field Wednesday in the South Adams Invitational at Wabash Valley Golf Club.

“Everybody on the team has a new role from last year,” said Sprunger, whose Starfire squad was seventh out of 11 teams. “We have some varsity returners, but they were not at the top of the lineup. They were possibly playing (in the third or fourth spot).

“We’re still getting over that hump. Still knocking some rust off. I think our lowest scores are ahead of us but I think every team across the state is probably thinking the same thing right now.”

Jenna Boucher’s 6-over-par 77 was good enough to earn the individual championship as she led the Eastbrook Panthers to a score of 394 in claiming the team title. The Norwell Knights and Churubusco Eagles both totaled 403, but the Knights earned second place based on the fifth-player tiebreaker.

South Adams shot 456 to finish seventh for the second consecutive day, and Jay County had 477 as it was ninth, last out of squads which had enough for a team total.

“I was hoping they would play a little more like (Tuesday), but they didn’t,” Gray said. “I just about bet there was a little fatigue and that type of thing.”

Katie Stiltner, one of two South Adams seniors, led the Starfires with a 107, five strokes off placing in the top 10 and earning a ribbon.

Shayla Welch (112) and Stiltner — the former was 14th overall in a rain-shortened Bellmont Invitational on Tuesday — both made par on the 260-yard par-4 13th hole.

And Sprunger was pleased with the seniors, who were lower in the lineup as juniors.

“Katie is going to have to be the one who takes the lead,” he said. “She and Shayla are the tow seniors. (Stiltner) was happy to be better than yesterday, but I don’t think she was happy with her score and that is a good place to be.”

Millie Gaskill, who saw some varsity time last year, was third for South Adams with 114. Maggie Evans shot 123 to complete the team score.

“The season is around five days old,” Sprunger said. “I’m not sure what more you can expect.”

Jay County had the misfortune of being paired with Eastbrook. As the tournament went on, the Patriots looked a bit sluggish against the Panthers.

“After a while you start looking at the person you’re paired against and you’re going, ‘Wow,’” Gray said.

Lefty Erika Heitkamp led Jay County from the No. 4 spot with a 118. Abby Huey and Mackenzie Parks, No. 1 and No. 2 respectively, tied with 119.

In her first match of the season, Eden Basford shot 121 to complete Jay County’s total.

“We’re going to have some nice challenges to see who is playing varsity,” Gray said. “That’s the biggest thing that I take away. That, and they need to work on the little things; chipping and putting, chipping and putting.

“I hope (the competition is) good. I hope it gets them to want to work extra.”

All six of the Allen County Athletic Conference teams played Wednesday, with defending conference champion Heritage shooting 433 for fifth place, the best among ACAC teams. Adams Central (445) was sixth, Bluffton (473) was eighth and Southern Wells did not have enough to qualify for a team total.

“Heritage is probably still going to be the odds-on favorite,” said Sprunger, whose team was three strokes behind Jay County on Tuesday in the 11-hole tournament but beat the Patriots by 21 strokes at home. “It’s going to be a dogfight in the middle there.”