Batavia wins first regional since 1982
Tim DeBruycker had to revise his thoughts as the Class 3A Oswego boys golf regional progressed Tuesday afternoon in Bristol.
"I thought it was a three-team race between (Batavia), Metea (Valley) and Waubonsie (Valley) for the last two advancing spots," DeBruycker said. "The way Marmion was playing, I didn't think anyone could beat them. I would never have guessed that we would win going in."
But that is exactly what transpired at Blackberry Oaks Golf Course as DeBruycker, the Batavia coach, witnessed the first Bulldogs' regional championship since 1982 with a razor-thin 330-331 triumph over Marmion.
Metea Valley became the first team in program history to advance to the sectional with its 335 score.
Waubonsie Valley finished fourth for the third year in a row but did advance three individuals to the Hinsdale Central sectional on Monday at Prairie Bluff in Lockport.
West Aurora had one sectional qualifier, Adam Spooner, after tying Yorkville for fifth place at 348.
Metea Valley junior David Lipan holed out a 25-yard pitch with a lob wedge on the third playoff hole against Batavia junior Nick Robinson to earn medalist honors.
The juniors were the only players to break 80 on the blustery afternoon with their matching 79s in regulation.
"Almost every player to a man on each team had a big number on the front nine," Marmion coach Doug Roberts said of the gusting winds and fast greens. "The first four holes played directly into the wind. Some of the guys' front-nine scores were wrecked after the fourth hole."
Nick LaRocco, Andrew Nelson and Josh Moore had an 83 and pair of 84s, respectively, to augment the low round by Robinson.
Robinson did buck the trend on his outward-nine start.
"I was consistent, made eight out of nine pars," Robinson said. "On the back nine I struggled a little bit. I have never really been in a playoff before. The first tee shot was pretty nerve-wracking."
Luke Hoss, Nick Huggins and Jackson Clark anchored Marmion with scores of 80, 81 and 82.
Hoss sounded more like a coach than a participant in its aftermath.
"We didn't play our best today, but it's all about advancing as a team," Hoss said. "We're the first Cadets team to advance in 3A."
Huggins' back-nine 37 was the low inward-nine total of the tournament.
"Coach kind of came up to me and told me to keep it together or it was going to be a quick goodbye," Huggins said.
One year after the individual cut fell at 78 at Hinsdale South, Spooner was not optimistic his West Aurora playing days could be extended.
"I was thinking 80 and below would get in," Spooner said. "When I came in with an 83, I was a little broken."
But the cut fell at 86.
The Blackhawks' Dean Lavery and Kerry Taylor hit the number on the head, but bogeys on the first playoff hole cost them an opportunity to advance.
Lipan became the first regional individual champion in Metea Valley history with his birdie on Blackberry Oaks' No. 1-handicapped hole, the par-4 third.
Lipan and Robinson bogeyed the first playoff hole and each settled for par on the second hole.
"My game started to settle down (after the fourth hole)," Lipan said. "I turned it around with an eagle on (No. 7, a par-5). It went good from there."
Lipan said discussions with other groups led him to believe scores were much higher than anticipated.
"I thought I was in the upper portion and had a good chance," Lipan said.
After a disappointing showing at the Upstate Eight Valley tournament last week, the Mustangs rebounded behind Jeremy Forbes' 81 and an 85 from Jacob Peterson.
"I thought our chances were really good," Metea Valley coach Ryan Hall said. "We have been playing well all year. I thought we could win it."
Waubonsie Valley was 4 shots off the Mustangs' pace at 339.
But the Warriors' Jack Troy, Conrad Esch and Jake Wright had respective rounds of 81, 82 and 85 to advance as at-large competitors.
"The gap was a little bigger," Waubonsie Valley coach Eric Flodberg said of narrow fourth-place finishes the last three years. "The big positive is advancing three guys to the sectional."