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North boys golf rises to the occasion to win another IHSAA regional championship

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North boys golf rises to the occasion to win another IHSAA regional championship

MONTGOMERY, Ind. – Peyton Butler stood on the 18th tee box at Country Oaks with a troubling feeling.

The North High School senior didn’t know where the Huskies stood until a teammate relayed what little info was available. It was close, perhaps too close. Butler thought this could even be the final hole of his prep career.

All worry for nothing. What North did on the back nine on Thursday was a case study in team golf.

More: What we learned from the IHSAA boys golf sectional at Helfrich

The No. 7 Huskies shot a 291 to win their eighth straight regional championship. They bested No. 3 Bloomington South by 11 shots over the final nine holes to win by six. Talk about rising to the occasion.

“This is in the top three of 18-hole round scores in my seven years,” said North coach Keith Bagby. “I challenged them to dig deep and show me what you’ve got. I couldn’t be more proud of this bunch. To win a regional championship is a big deal.”

A victory isn’t surprising with this title extending the Huskies’ own state record. But a top three finish – all that is required to advance to the state championship – didn’t feel guaranteed. Scoring was difficult with 25-mile per hour wind gusts. North was in third place at the turn with only four shots separating it from fifth.

The final nine holes? A 141 to secure another championship. Truly near perfect golf. Peyton Butler and Luke Johnston each posted 2-under 70 to finish in the top five individually. Brody Sorrell traversed a bumpy start to shoot 75.

Luke Price carded a 76 with a triple bogey at seven. He shot 2-under par on the back, finishing with a par at 18 despite standing in the water to hit his second shot. Griffin Sohn stood firm with an 81, which bested the fifth score from South by two.

“Days like these,” said Butler. “That’s what gets you coming back every single day. I didn’t make many mistakes. A lot of fairways, a lot of greens and a lot of pars. It’s pretty special to do it with this group of guys. They’re not just my teammates but my friends.”

The senior had the most pleasing scorecard. Butler drained a 40-foot birdie at the first and found the bottom of the cup for another at four. He finished with zero bogeys in tough conditions to make a difficult game look easy.

Butler has shot 74 or better in five of his past six postseason tournaments dating to last year.

“Nobody works harder at golf than Peyton Butler,” said Bagby. “He just holds it together. His focus in unbelievable. I saw him miss four or five really good birdie putts. A solid, solid round of golf.”

Castle advances to the state championship

One round can make or break your postseason chances. Castle is a living testament to this.

After advancing from the sectional by only one shot, the Knights earned a spot in the state championship with a third-place finish. Castle shot a 306 to hold off other contenders Gibson Southern (309) and Jasper (311) with little margin for error. The difference from last week at Helfrich? A 147 on its opening nine holes.

Brayden Lamborne flirted with medalist honors until a pair of late bogeys but still led Castle at 70. Jacob Eble and Brady Fiester each shot 78. Carson Cook (80) and Jack Fiester (81) also played important roles in this turnaround. For a young team – four of the top five return next year – a state championship spot could act as a springboard.

“A tale of two different days,” said Castle coach Josh Kain. “We played really well on our first nine and had that cushion, which we didn’t have at Helfrich. (Brayden) is hitting his driver really well. When he had opportunities to get it close, he did. He’s been working his tail off to get his wedge yardages down.”

A different ending for some of the top individuals compared to last year

Caleb Schnarr can still picture the five-foot putt on the 18th green a year ago.

The Jasper standout missed a spot in the state championship last year by one shot despite shooting even par. Make the putt and get into a playoff… it makes him wonder. The junior didn’t leave his fate to chance this time.

Schnarr posted a 4-under 68 to win the individual regional championship and earn one of three individual spots at Prairie View. His round was two shots better than the field. Schnarr shot 2-under on the front nine and finished strong with a closing birdie at 18.

“I worked really hard this past year to get it done,” said Schnarr. “A 68 in these conditions is really good. I probably rolled in a couple of putts you don’t see go in every day. Overall, it was pretty solid.”

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Peyton Blackard can also attest to the difference a year can make. The Notre Dame commit shot an 81, a score still shocking, at Country Oaks last year. This weekend was more true to form. Blackard carded a 2-under 70 to earn an individual ticket to the state championship.

The Gibson Southern junior finished second overall with two key birdies at 18, including one in a five-man playoff. Blackard credits a practice week at Cambridge under tournament conditions to get into the right mindset.

“I was very frustrated last year after the round,” said Blackard. “I kind of fell apart. This year, I didn’t have as many tournaments leading up to this. I think that kind of helped. A lot of shots that could have been bad but turned out good. I was more committed to my lines than I normally am.”

Gibson Southern senior Daymian Rij earned the final individual spot with a 72. The rest of the team scores were: Brownstown Central 319, Mater Dei 323, Vincennes Lincoln 324, Northview 329, Terre Haute North 330, South Knox 339, Forest Park 341, Terre Haute South 344, Bloomington North 348 and Heritage Hills 348.

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