Jay endures painful finish (06/04/05)

HUNTINGTON — Most of the Patriots could be playing in college next year. It might take them that long to get over Friday’s pain.

The most successful boys golf team in the history of Jay County walked off the course for the final time, without a regional berth and without a championship to their name.

Seniors Tyler Johnston, Alex Hunt, Adam Foster, Ben Freeman and Nathan McClung had dreams not only of making it to regional, but of a sectional title and an eventual trip to the state meet. Those dreams were shattered as the Patriots finished fourth at the Huntington North sectional at LaFontaine Golf Club with a 321.

“I didn’t even consider what would happen if we didn’t (advance), I guess, because I didn’t ever think that we weren’t going to,” said Foster. “It really hurts.”

The top three teams — Mississinewa (303), Marion (313) and the host Vikings (317) — advanced from the 12-team sectional. The day also ended in disappointment for the Norwell Knights, who spent part of the year ranked in the top 20 in the state, as they placed fifth with a 329.

Only Foster will move on to play in Friday’s Muncie Central regional at the Player’s Club, having posted a 77 as the top three individuals not on a qualifying team also get regional berths. Johnston followed with an 80, Hunt had an 81 and Freeman and McClung each shot 83.

Norwell’s Kyle Imel (74) and Justin Imel (77) picked up the other two individual regional qualifying spots. Marion’s Erik Barnes was the medalist with a 6-under-par 66.

“I think that course suits him real well,” said JCHS coach Butch Gray of Foster’s regional chances. “It’s a little more of a ‘tee it high and let it fly’ type course. He’s got confidence going over there. We’re just going to go over and see what happens.”

“I like (The Player’s Club),” added Foster, though clearly not excited about playing the course without the company of his teammates. “It’s pretty wide open. It’s just a pretty long and open course, and that’s how I play.

“(I’d like to) shoot 75. That probably won’t get out (to state), but that would be a good score for me.”

The Patriots’ senior quintet has a host of superlatives attached to it, but not the tournament success it had hoped for.

With the help of 2004 graduate Jesse Shawver they posted a 26-1 dual-meet record over their final two season, including a perfect 13-0 mark last year. They also entered the record books with the best score in Jay County history — a 148 for nine holes — in 2004.

They shot a 322 at the 2003 sectional, taking what was then a surprising regional berth. And they sent Johnston and Hunt individually last season along with Foster this year.

But they fell short in their two biggest tournaments, graduating without an Olympic Athletic Conference title — they finished one stroke back of Connersville this year — a sectional title or a regional berth in their final two seasons.

“This is especially hard,” said Gray, who was an assistant in 2002 and 2003 and has been the head coach for the last two years. “They’ve been so great for this program. They’ve made it fun coaching. I’m going to miss these guys greatly. I’m just going to miss them so much.”

Foster, who will play at St. Francis next year, shot his team-best score with a consistent round as he finished without a birdie but notched 13 pars. After bogeying No. 2, he shot five straight pars before finishing the front nine with back-to-back bogeys. He opened the back nine with seven pars in a row, but closed again with bogeys on 17 and 18.

Johnston, who plans to attempt a walk-on at Ball State, had a rough time on the front nine, despite a tremendous long-distance chip in for bogey on the 186-yard, par-5 fifth hole.

He had double-bogeyed No. 4 and scored a nine on the 410-yard, par-4 seventh, but rallied for nine consecutive pars on the back nine.

“I was very, very proud of the way Tyler came back on the back side and shot an even-par 36,” said Gray of his No. 1 player who had struggled at times over the last couple of weeks. “He just sucked it up and went after it.”

Hunt, heading to play at Methodist College next season, shot a 43 on the front nine, but made a move after the turn. With consecutive birdies on the 395-yard par-4 13th and the 151-yard, par-3 14th he was at 1-under on the back nine only to have a bogey and double-bogey in his final three holes for a 38.

Freeman and McClung each posted birdies on the 323-yard, par-4 10th hole. However, they both double-bogeyed the 359-yard, par-4 12th and went on to finish with matching scores.

The 321 was their best score in three years at the sectional at LaFontaine, besting their 2003 score by one. But, it was bettered by Huntington North — playing on its home course — which got a 74 from Brandon Pike and a 77 from Jimmy Faroh.

“Those five guys have taken Jay County golf where it used to be,” said Gray of his seniors. “We would come to sectionals and stuff and people really didn’t respect us. And now with these guys we’ve come into any invitational and they’re wanting to know what Jay County is shooting. These guys have left a legacy and set the bar up where we have kids who are really, really going to have to work to equal it.”[[In-content Ad]]