For nearly a year, Ryle’s boys golf team thought of little else.
The Raiders watched St. Henry and Covington Catholic finish 1-2 in last season’s Region 7 tournament and win automatic semi-state berths.
The fretting ended Monday at Boone Links Golf Course. Ryle’s quartet of Tanner Lorms, Paxton McKelvey, Jake Roscoe and Palmer McKelvey edged CovCath by five shots, 311-316.
“Pretty much all these guys returned from last year,” Ryle coach Austin Zapp said. “That one stung last year. The kids decided it was one of two things – you could either give up in the winter and not play and practice, or we could work our butts off and try our hardest.”
Zapp said Roscoe’s five-over 77 was the most impressive because Roscoe has only been playing golf for about a year.
“Once I started playing, I fell in love with it,” Roscoe said.
The Raiders and Colonels advance to next Monday’s semi-state at Kenton County’s Willows course.
CovCath coach Alex Ammerman of course would’ve liked to have won the team title – he tried to treat Monday like any other match – but he had greater goals in mind.
“It was one of our goals going into the season … is winning region,” Ammerman said. “But outside of actually surviving and advancing, I think the schedule we play, we would challenge ourselves, really, as much as we possibly can throughout the year.”
CovCath’s Mitchell Gastright was medalist – his even-par 72 was one shot better than St. Henry’s Ben Carter’s 73. Paxton McKelvey was third with a 74.
What Ammerman liked about Gastright: his maturity.
“Hitting smart golf shots, not freaking out when you make a big number, hitting smart golf shots when you need to,” Ammerman said.
Gastright said his short-iron game and chipping were the strongest parts of Monday’s round.
“Getting up and down was a big part of it,” Gastright said. “Figuring out how to get it within five feet and making the putt.”
Gastright had three birdies. His favorite: the 513-yard, par 5, fifth hole because he hit the green in two shots and had a 10-foot putt for an eagle – he said he missed a little right.
Paxton McKelvey saved his best golf for last – he was two-under par over the final three holes. He said he was cautious over the entire round.
“I’m pretty happy,” he said.
St. Henry finished third with a 328, followed by Villa Madonna and Beechwood.
The rest of the top 10 individuals: CovCath’s Ben Unkraut with a 76; Roscoe and Lorms at 77; Will Carter of St. Henry at 78; Villa Madonna’s Tyler Brandstetter at 80; and Logan Robinson of Simon Kenton, Adam Brandstetter of Villa Madonna, Chase O’Keefe of Scott, Luke Pieper of CovCath and Adam Gutman of Walton-Verona at 82.
The Carters, the Brandstetters, Robinson, O’Keefe, Gutman, Beechwood’s Hugo King, Quinn Thomas of Villa Madonna and Parker Isaacs of St. Henry qualify for semi-state as individuals not on qualifying teams. Dixie Heights’ Jack Woolwine is the alternate.
For complete results, visit
https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/9862424305944543076