WASHINGTON — Bloomington South’s golf team went into the Washington Regional on a muggy Thursday, June 12 with the idea that every shot mattered.
It’s typical coach-speak, until it isn’t. The Panthers took it to heart and are happy they did. Three fewer swings by the Panthers’ Owen Wisley at Country Oaks was all it took to send South back to state for a sixth straight year.
While Evansville North was pummeling the course with an outrageous 3-under 285 and Castle was second at 292, there was a logjam behind them for the last spot to state. South head coach Dustin Carver knew it was coming.
When the last scores were turned in, South and Jasper were tied at 307 with Gibson Southern at 308, but it came down to Wisley’s 81, which bettered the Wildcats’ No. 5 man’s 84 to keep the streak alive.
“We talked about staying locked in as soon as we get off bus,” Carver said. “Make sure that every shot counts, be locked in for 18 holes because never know what’s going to happen. We preached that from Day 1, and you see how they pulled it out today.”
Bloomington North was 11th while improving by 20 shots over last year’s last-place finish, while Edgewood freshman Teigen Hulbert picked up some valuable post-season experience and posted his career best on the course.
South seniors soak in moment
It’s the second time in a row the Panthers have come through with something big on the line with both members of the bottom of the order stepping up.
At sectional, an 11th straight sectional title was made possible by a 79 from No. 5 golfer Owen Gerber. This time, he had a 77, as did senior Aiden Bomba. Both, along with Wisley, were playing in their first regional. It was all the support state veterans Colton Watson (74) and Carson Gady (79) needed.
“For me as a senior, it feels great to keep it going,” Bomba said. “This team is definitely not the powerhouse it was and people thought maybe we wouldn’t make it. But it made us work together as a team.”
Despite the similarities in close outcomes, this one felt much different, with their season, and careers in some cases, on the line.
“The postseason is a different type of golf,” Gerber said. “You’re fighting to advance and there’s a ton of nerves there. Your first drive, your first putt, there’s nerves. But my experience playing for four years helped me deal with those nerves. Me personally, I just take deep breaths and make sure I’m committed to the shots.”
Any shot might have made the difference. On 18, Gady had to limit the damage of a drive that went wayward right and Watson had to get up and down for par. But for Carver, one shot that stood out was Bomba’s second on the par 5 12th, a well-smacked 5-iron that went 230 yards.
“He was giving me a first pump,” Carver said. “He was really locked in, staying in the moment. And that eased my tension.”
Aggressive play is usually a hallmark of Bomba’s game, but he tempered that in the best way possible.
“I made sure I played as carefully as I could,” Bomba said. “With talented teams all around, we knew it would be close no matter what goes one. Make every shot matter was big.
“I’m usually just really aggressive no matter what, so what I wanted to do was think about what to do and not to do. Staying positive during the round was a big key.”
Even when the Panthers found themselves tied for sixth halfway through, Carver didn’t know it. He didn’t look at the posted scores as had been his usual MO at regional. The players didn’t know it. But they played like it. Watson delivered a 36 on the back nine, Bomba a 37, Gerber a 38 and Wisley a 40, all better than their front.
“Super pleased with the way Owen Gerber had been playing, and Aidan Bomba is just playing some great golf,” Carver said. “Colton’s been a rock at No. 1 for a while now. Just pleased with where we are at.”
Which is no longer under the radar.
“We wanted to try to show we’ve still got some firepower here,” Bomba said. “It felt good.”
North headed in right direction
A year ago, the Cougars limped in with a 348 for last (15th) place. This season was a strong improvement with three players who returned to regional, including senior Hogan Conder.
Good, but there’s still plenty of room to keep moving up and that will be on the minds of sophomores Zayan Farzad (80) and Alec Freund (81) and junior Rex Speer (82), North’s three low scorers and the leaders of next year’s squad. Conder had an 85 and Larsen a 97.
Farzad noted Conder’s leadership this season in keeping the team on the right path and that trio is ready to pay it forward.
“It’s a crazy good regional,” North coach Harrison Carmichael said, which is what North must shoot for in order to take that next step.
“It’s very competitive, and I kind of like that. You know what you’ve got to do, make the postseason and have you best game on hand. That’s the cool thing about sports. I tell the kids, so often they are talking about scores here and there, but you have to do it when the lights are on.”
And that’s where the Cougars are headed.
“With Rex, Alec, Zayan and Foster (Larson), Coleman (Boyd) and James (Johnson) and we’ve got a young kid Brian who will join us, you’ve got a group of kids coming back who are going to work hard in the off-season,” Carmichael said. “You come away thinking at 326, on paper it’s not close. But they’re all sitting at home knowing they had five shots out there.
“So, for next year, we hadn’t gotten off the bus when we’re asking, what can we do to make sure our season is one week longer next year?”
Edgewood freshman posts best round
Edgewood’s Hulbert had played a few rounds at Country Oaks this season, and saved his best round there for last with a 39 on the backside to finish at 80.
“He only had about three or four wayward shots that caused most of his problems,” Edgewood coach Garry Lee said. “He just had a tough stretch on 7-8-9. But then he came back and hit a bomb on No. 10.
“He didn’t shrivel under pressure. I know he was nervous, but he was swinging pretty well on the range and putting well on the practice green.”
It took a 71 to advance to state as an individual, with Gibson Southern’s Peyton Blackard winning a three-way playoff for medalist honors after a 67.
IHSAA BOYS GOLF WASHINGTON REGIONAL RESULTS
Team scores (top 3 advance): Evansville North 285; Castle 292; Bloomington South 307*; Jasper 307; Gibson Southern 308; Bedford North Lawrence 317; Evansville Memorial 318; Washington 319; Vincennes Lincoln 320; Terre Haute South 327; Terre Haute North 328; Forest Park 330; Loogootee 343; Clay City 345
Individual qualifiers: Peyton Blackard, GS 67; Caleb Schnaarr, J 67; Grayson Coughlin, EvM 71.
Top individuals: T1. Blackard, GS 67 (won playoff); Schnaarr, J 67; Brayden Lamborne, Cast 67; T4. Luke Johnston, EvN 68; Brody Sorrell, EvN 68; 6. Coughlin, EvM 71; T7. Hank Schreiber, EvN 72; Dusty Taylor, VL 72; Lincoln Pierce, Northview 72; 10. Cash Willis, Boonville 73.
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