Starfires beat Jets, Patriots

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GENEVA — At about the midway point of the season, the Starfires and Patriots are still searching for one thing.

Consistency.

The South Adams High School girls golf team shot near its season average as it finished first in a three-team meet with Jay County and Adams Central on Tuesday at Golf Club of the Limberlost.

“We’re still trying to get consistently under 200,” said SAHS coach Seth Sprunger, whose team shot 204. “That is what we would like. We have girls that are experienced enough to be able to do that. We are just not quite there.”

Adams Central was second with 240, edging Jay County by three strokes.

Jay County coach Butch Gray had essentially the same evaluation as Sprunger.

“Looking for consistency,” he said. “Again, said this a million times, it’s the little things. Staying away from penalty strokes (and) three-putt greens. Getting the ball up and down from off the green.”

Sprunger and Gray had been toying with their lineup for more than a week now, trying to find the right combination to where each player is the most comfortable.

Gray said he’s had trouble finding someone who is eager to play the No. 1 spot, while Sprunger has switched his top two players. The Starfires have responded accordingly.

Senior Katie Gorrell earned match medalist honors, shooting 9-over-par 44 from the No. 2 spot. She began her round with three consecutive pars on the second through fourth holes.

The top SAHS player, Becah Schwartz, shot 50 for the second-best score on the squad. The senior birdied the par-4 seventh.

Allyson Schwartz and Shayla Welch shot 55 and 57 respectively to complete the Starfires’ team score.

“Having a little bit of a struggle right now gauging range on chips and putts,” Sprunger said. “We’ll continue to work on it.

“There is a good attitude about them. They get frustrated, but they don’t ball up and quit. They are doing their best. I’m not worried about the effort I’m getting.”

Mackenzie Parks, a Jay County sophomore, posted the top score for the Patriots. From the No. 3 position, Parks shot 54, including an even par on the 85-yard, par-3 ninth. Madalyn Garringer, a junior, was second on the team with 58 as the JCHS No. 2 golfer. Eden Basford played in the No. 1 spot for the first time in her career, and the sophomore shot 65 for the team’s third-best score.

Jazzmine Howell completed the team score with 66.

“This game is more than just hitting the ball,” Gray said. “It is also a mental game. They are learning how to play the game and sometimes that’s very, very important.

“I told them ‘You’re fighting the 6 inches between your ears.’ Every golfer has done it.”

South Adams, which is defending Allen County Athletic Conference tournament champion, moved to 2-1 in ACAC play with the win over Adams Central. Tuesday’s match with Jay County was a non-conference tilt after the two teams played Aug. 7.

After finishing behind Adams Central, Jay County dipped to 0-3 in the ACAC.

“We have to start putting it together with conference coming up and sectional after that,” Gray said. The ACAC tournament is Sept. 9 at Celina Lynx.

The Starfires’ only regular season conference loss was to Heritage, and Sprunger has all but accepted there is a slight chance SAHS wins the round robin title.

“To have any hardware at all as far as our viewpoint, it is going to have to be the tournament,” Sprunger said, again stressing consistency. “We have to have good scores from everybody. It can’t just be one or two.”