Boys golf: St. Viator, Vernon Hills nab downstate berths
Finally inside Stonewall Orchard Golf Club's cozy clubhouse, away from the diagonally falling rain and dropping temperatures, St. Viator golfer Chase Metzger took a look at the individual scores posted on the windows.
A red-hot number popped out.
Sterling senior Nick Ceruzzi had shot a sterling 71.
"That is ridiculous," Metzger said. "Props to him. That is insane."
St. Viator's team score? OK, maybe it wasn't as impressive as Ceruzzi's 1-under-par round, which earned him medalist honors in Tuesday's Class 2A Grayslake Central sectional, but it was good enough to earn the Lions a berth downstate.
Led by runner-up Cameron Karney's 74 and James Michaelson's 76, Prairie Ridge shot a winning 318. St. Viator (329) and Vernon Hills (335) nabbed the other two qualifying spots for this weekend's state meet at Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State University in Normal.
Metzger's 80 (sixth place) led St. Viator. The senior's best round this season was a 76, but considering the weather, he said this might have been the best he's played.
"Super windy, for sure, especially on the front nine," Metzger said. "Back nine it settled down a little bit, but it also got pretty cold."
"Unbelievably windy," Kaneland junior Will Marshall said after advancing with a 75 (third). "There was some rain that was pelting me in the face on the last few holes. But the course overall was playing really well. It was very well-manicured. Nothing to complain about."
Vernon Hills senior Brian Favia finished fifth with a 79 and wasn't complaining either. He's headed to state for the fourth year in a row with his team, the only Vernon Hills golfer to ever accomplish that feat. The Cougars also counted Joey Levitan's 84 and matching 86s from Brendan Wise and Greg Tow. Rohan Vasudeva and Sujay Voleti grinded out an 88 and 90, respectively.
"I cannot be more proud of what these guys did under the pressure, down the stretch," said Favia, the Cougars' only senior. "To come in after my round and see how Joey finished, how Greg finished, how Brendan finished, even Rohan hung in there, it's unbelievable. I told them last night, 'Great moments are born from great opportunities,' and we were able to finish it off."
Favia, who placed 27th at state last year in helping the Cougars take third, didn't make a single double-bogey during his round. That was a goal of his on a day that figured to yield few low scores due to the weather.
"Off the first tee shot, I said, 'Let's just minimize the damage and not have a bad hole,' " said Favia, who birdied the par-4 seventh and 11th holes. "And I did that. I made a lot of bogeys, but I didn't do anything stupid."
Metzger tried to keep it simple too. He hit 14 greens in regulation.
"My putting wasn't too great today, so I think hitting most of my greens was really what kept me in it," Metzger said. "And when I didn't hit a green, I got up and down for the most part."
Counting Metzger, five St. Viator golfers broke 90. Nolan Doherty and Timmy Crawford shot an 81 and 82, respectively. The Lions also counted Ryan Flynn's 86. Liam O'Neill had an 88, while E.J. Reisinger checked in with a 92.
"Team-wise, given the conditions," Metzger said, "there was only so much that we could have done."
Kaneland also advanced freshman Ryan Milton, who shot an 81.
"He's the future of our program," a smiling Marshall said of his teammate. "He's an up-and-coming prodigy."
Marshall is headed to state for the second time in his three years after missing the cut at sectionals last fall.
"It was all right," Marshall said of his round, which included an even-par 36 on the front. "I didn't really take too many risks. I played it really smart. A lot of irons off the tee. The greens kind of fooled me. I was missing some short putts."
Grayslake Central (349) finished sixth but qualified seniors Michael Sisk and Tyler Hanson, both of whom fired an 83.
Illinois Math and Science Academy sophomore T.J. Ptak advanced with an 84.