Boys golf: Previewing Tuesday's boys golf regionals
Crystal Lake South senior Will Stewart smiled when talking about both his game and the Gators' improvements at last week's Fox Valley Conference tournament.
Both Stewart individually and his team finished second in conference, the momentum Crystal Lake South was looking for when it begins Class 2A regional play Tuesday at Marengo Ridge.
"We've been playing good," Stewart said. "We lost a lot going into this year. Bryce (Sturm), my brother (Nate Stewart), Tanner (Coakley), Spencer (Shireman) have never really played varsity golf before. It was new for them at the beginning but they are getting used to it and I hope we are catching our stride heading into the postseason."
Boys golf teams around the state compete in regionals Tuesday, a condensed version of the normal IHSA postseason. Only the top two teams and four individuals from non-qualifying teams advance to sectionals (down from three teams and 10 individuals), and there will be no state tournament following next week's sectionals.
That puts even more pressure on playing well at regionals. Stewart and the Gators will be trying to advance to the 2A Freeport sectional; local schools at the Grayslake Central and Kaneland regionals also are in that sectional.
Antioch, St. Viator, Lakes, Carmel, Vernon Hills, Wauconda, Grayslake Central and North are all playing Stonewall Orchard while Kaneland, Burlington Central, Marmion and Aurora Central are among the schools playing Hughes Creek. Carmel's Clint Bailes shot a 77 and St. Viator's Jack Lynch a 78 at last week's ESCC tournament.
Benet, who won that ESCC tournament with a 318 led by Jack DiTrani's 75, also hosts a 2A regional. So does Montini who will play at the Village Links of Glen Ellyn with Fenton, Glenbard South, Wheaton Academy and St. Francis.
Class 3A:
Fresh off its narrow Mid-Suburban League victory, Barrington travels to the Buffalo Grove regional where it will renew its battle with Hersey and Prospect along with Dundee-Crown, Lake Zurich, Fremd, Palatine and Wheeling.
The top two teams head to the Rockford Auburn sectional at Aldeen Golf Course. So do the qualifiers at the Deerfield regional, which includes Stevenson, Libertyville and Warren, and the Mundelein regional at Steeple Chase where FVC champ Crystal Lake Central, Jacobs, Grant, Huntley and Mundelein are among the schools competing.
Conant hosts its own regional at Poplar Creek. The Cougars will see a mix of schools including Lake Park, Glenbrook South and North, Rolling Meadows and Schaumburg.
Neuqua Valley, who followed an undefeated DuPage Valley dual match season by winning the DVC tournament behind medalist Mason Dentzman's 75, will see all of its conference foes plus Wheaton Warrenville South and West Aurora at Naperbrook Golf Course.
That regional feeds into the Oswego sectional that includes both the South Elgin and Glenbard East regionals. At Bartlett Hills, the host Storm welcomes a field that includes DuKane champion Geneva, Bartlett, Batavia, St. Charles East and North. At Glendale Lakes, the host Rams will see Wheaton North, Glenbard North, West Chicago and much of the West Suburban Conference - Hinsdale Central, Downers Grove North and South and Glenbard West.
In Class 1A:
St. Edward, Harvest Christian, Westminster Christian and Schaumburg Christian head west to Prairieview Golf Course in Byron. IC Catholic Prep hosts a regional at Maple Meadows Golf Club that includes Timothy Christian, Lisle and Westmont.