Columbiana, Warren JFK boys teams qualify for state

October 8, 2015 at 12:09a.m.

Clippers win district

with a strong finish

By STEVE WILAJ

With Columbiana struggling a bit and leading by just two strokes after the front-nine holes of the Division III district boys golf tournament on Wednesday, what happened next showed the group’s true character.

On their way to qualifying for a second straight trip to Columbus, three of the Clippers regrouped to lower their back-nine score at Tannehauf Golf Course in Canton and solidify Columbiana’s position atop the leader board with a 318. Warren JFK — which clinched its fourth consecutive trip to the state tournament — finished second with a 338.

“It was a team effort and I was definitely pleased with the performance — especially on the back-nine,” Columbiana coach Jeff Jackson said. “When we made the turn, we were higher than we’d like to be. So I was really happy with how the kids fought back on the back-nine and persevered.”

With those strong finishes, three Clippers shot in the 70’s. Sophomore Jared Wilson — who was the medalist — recorded a tournament-low 76 (38-38). Meanwhile, seniors Joe Lucci and Bruce Wiggins shot a 78 and 79, respectively.

After logging a 40 on the front-nine, Lucci closed with a 38, while Wiggins dropped all the way from a 42 to a 37. Columbiana’s fourth player, freshman Seth Ross, finished with an 85 as he cut three stokes off his front-nine score.

For JFK, senior Zach Shoaf recorded a team-low score of 81, while freshman Jimmy Graham shot an 83, sophomore Ryan Theis an 84 and freshman Gannon Fridley a 90.

“I’m really proud,” Eagles coach Jim St. George said. “To have two freshman that stepped in and helped continue the tradition was very pleasing to me.

“[Four straight trips to the state tournament] shows that we take a lot of pride in our program. We schedule a very hard season to prepare us. So hopefully we can continue to keep the tradition alive.”

The state tournament begins Oct. 16 at Ohio State’s Scarlet Course in Columbus. It will be a new site for both teams, as they played at Northstar Golf Club in Sunbury in last year’s state tournament.

While St. George simply wants his JFK team to enjoy the moment — calling it “a cherry on the sundae” — Jackson believes his Clippers have a chance to make some serious noise in Columbus.

“I know if we play well, we can do very well,” Jackson said. “That’s nice to know that if you perform — don’t have to shoot lights-out or anything — but if we perform close to our potential, I think we can do very well.”