Patriots take two in Celina

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CELINA, Ohio — The Patriots knocked off a pair of conference rivals Tuesday.

They're shifting the focus back to the same course for the conference meet in a couple weeks.

Jay County High School's girls golf team took first Tuesday in a match with the South Adams Starfires and Adams Central Flying Jets at Celina Lynx, which is home to the Allen County Athletic Conference tournament Sept. 7.

“Probably end up being second in the round robin (standings),” said JCHS coach Butch Gray, whose team shot 209 to win. Adams Central was second with 215 and South Adams totaled 251 for third.

“I saw Heritage is beating everybody,” Gray added. “Now we have a point to get this tournament here. It's good we got on this course for nine holes.”

Playing out of the Patriots' No. 4 position, Erika Heitkamp led the squad with her round of 49. While she didn't have some of the success on individual holes as some of her teammates, she did shoot no worse than double bogey on every hole and was the only player on the team to not shoot in double digits on one hole.

Gray said much of her consistency Tuesday was because of not having the pressure of playing up higher in the lineup.

“I think that's it,” he said. “I think if I moved her up she'd start thinking about it.”

On the par-4 first hole, Heitkamp two-putted but sank the second from on a downhill read from about 10 feet away. It was the first of her five bogeys.

Raquel Wehrly, the team's No. 3 player, was second to Heitkamp with a 52, which included shooting even on both par 3s.

Eden Basford, a senior, needed just two strokes to finish the par-3 third hole and that stood as Jay County's only birdie of the night. She was even on the par-3 seventh hole as well on her way to a 53. Mackenzie Parks completed the team total with her 55.

“Not unhappy with the way they played,” Gray said. “They were unhappy with the way they played, most of them, so they want to get better and they know they can.

“Now we have to push for conference and sectional after that.”

Jay County was runner-up to Heritage last year in the conference tournament, which was shortened to nine holes because of inclement weather.

All but one of that second-place team returns. Parks, who was sixth overall last year and earned first team all-ACAC honors. Abby Huey and Basford were both second team all-ACAC — Huey missed Tuesday's match with a sprained ankle.

Gray was glad that group could get in its regular season match at Celina Lynx despite many others this season getting postponed because of weather.

“I think just getting on the course, getting familiar with where stuff is,” Gray said.

Parks finished sixth overall in the conference tournament last year.