Flyers clinch sectional title, Phillips finishes medalist

PIKETON — After winning the Southern Ohio Conference 1 golf championship the St. Joseph Flyers continued their winning by taking the Division 3 sectional tournament title at Big Beaver Creek Golf Club on Tuesday.

And if they have their way, they aren’t finished playing golf just yet.

The Flyers had a team score of 310 to finish 26 strokes ahead of the runner-up Portsmouth West Senators who had a 336 on the par 284 course.

“We didn’t have our best stuff and still came away the top team by a large margin. But the work isn’t finished. We’re going out there to give every shot our all (at the district) and if we do that, let’s see how the scores fall next Wednesday,” said Flyers’ coach Quinn Cole, whose team advanced to the district tournament next Wednesday at the Portsmouth Elks Golf Course.

Not only did the Flyers win the tournament but Christopher Phillips claimed medalist honor with a 2-over par 73 marking the second straight year he took sectional medalist honors.

“Chris played some of his best golf of the season when it mattered the most. As a junior, he truly played like a veteran with just three bogies and one birdie on his card,” said Cole.

“I told him on the first tee, ‘let’s go repeat last year,’ and he said, ‘I got it,’ then striped it right down the fairway. He carried that momentum with him all through the round.”

Dawson King of Reedsville Eastern had a 74, Lincoln Shamblin of South Gallia 75, St. Joseph’s Cohen Dressel 76, Owen Richards of Portsmouth West 78, St. Joseph’s Mitchell Heighton 79 and Jadyn Fields 82, Southern’s Rece Johnson 82, Portsmouth West’s Carson Frump 82 and Symmes Valley Vikings’ Josh Gipson 83 to round out the top 10 individuals.

“Cohen continued his stellar play this season. He got off to a tough start by his standards, but pulled it together at the end playing the last eight holes even par,” said Cole.

“The player I’m most proud of is Mitchell (Heighton). With the change in weather, he battled a migraine all day. You could tell by looking at him how bad he felt all day, but battled it out and gave us everything he had to get in under 80 at 79,” said Cole. “We called it his Jordan Flu game. That showed the competitor the young man is.”

The South Webster Jeeps were third at 355 followed by the Southern Tornadoes with 385 and the Portsmouth Clay Panthers 401 to complete the top five teams.

The top five teams and individuals not on a qualifying team qualify for the district tournament. The district tournament is Monday at the Portsmouth Elks Golf Course.

Reedsville Eastern was sixth at 424, Beaver Eastern 491, Symmes Valley 500, Corning Miller 581, Glouster Trimble was a plus 49, South Gallia plus 55, Green Bobcats plus 87, and Federal Hocking plus 113.

Besides Phillips, Dressel, Heighton and Fields, the Flyers’ Troy Erlenwein finished just outside of the Top 10 with an 84.

“Jadyn got off to a rough start but pulled it together at the end when it mattered most. It was great to see a senior contribute in his last sectional tournament. He was making a lot of pars and minimizing mistakes,” said Cole.

“Troy really impressed me in his first sectional tournament with an 84. It’s encouraging as a coach when the score you have to throw out would’ve still qualified as an individual to advance on in the playoffs.”

The Vikings Bryson Prince shot a 121, Jonah Campbell 131 and Michael Perry 165.

Green’s Donovan Brown shot a 92 and Jake Collins 137.

“Beaver Creek played a few shots harder than previous rounds this year and it showed not just in our scores but the field’s as well,” said Cole.

“They received eight inches of rain over the weekend, so it made almost every shot muddy and the course played longer.”