'Animals' blanket UEC

Neuqua Valley boys golf coach Spike Grosshuesch has a good feeling every time junior standout Stephen Powers tees it up.

"Any coach will tell you if you have a kid who can shoot even par, you're going to be in the tournament (as a team)," Grosshuesch said. "(Powers) is our security blanket. If he's our security blanket, then the rest of the guys are the stuffed animals lying on top of it."

The Wildcats entered the Upstate Eight Conference tournament with a flawless regular-season record, and the squad monopolized the second through fifth positions to run away with the title for a second year in a row.

St. Andrews' diabolically sloping greens were but a nuisance to Neuqua Valley, which won its third tournament of the season Thursday afternoon in West Chicago with a 301 total.

Powers, the league MVP, fired a 3-over-par 74 to lead Neuqua Valley, and he had plenty of company in his wake. Kyle Geist and Stephen Marbach were one off Powers' anchor score, and Tim Brackett completed the Wildcats' stroll with a 77.

St. Charles East, which had the medalist in sophomore Jordan Wetsch with a level-par 71, was second at 311.

There was a tremendous gap between the next echelon of teams as Bartlett edged Waubonsie Valley, 329-330, for third. Larkin was fifth with a 334, followed by South Elgin (335), St. Charles North (339), Lake Park (339), Streamwood (366), Elgin (379) and East Aurora (459).

Powers' performance was not exactly a mundane exercise of routine pars.

"I had four doubles, two bogeys, five birdies and an eagle," Powers said. "I like the feeling going into the (Class 3A) regional (Tuesday at Joliet). We have been playing well all season. I birdied two of the last four (holes), and I was happy about that."

The Wildcats' dominance was so complete Matt Pell earned all-conference status, and his 79 was not even needed.

"I have six guys who can score," Grosshuesch said. "I hope this is just a precursor of good things to come in the state tournament."

Geist personified the Wildcats' depth as the junior overcame a slow start with a magical run beginning on the 10th hole.

The sixth man had back-to-back birdies and holed out his third shot for eagle on 14.

"It flew in the hole from about 90 yards," Geist said. "No ball mark or anything. We have a very strong team, and we're looking forward to the rest of the year."

Josh Stefanski and Drew Kokosa were all-conference for Waubonsie Valley; the former led the Warriors with a seventh-place 78.

"I felt like I should have been much better," Stefanski said. "On the par-5s I had wedge shots and couldn't get them very close (for birdie)."

Greg Zernitz led Lake Park with an 83.

St. Charles East faced a daunting challenge to overtake Neuqua Valley.

"We had to play perfect golf," St. Charles East coach John Stock said.

But Wetsch had the answer for his less-than-stellar tee shots.

"(My ball-striking) wasn't that good," Wetsch said. "It was my putting and short game (that carried me). I was just making putts and staying focused."

The Saints had success on the front side, but the final nine holes proved problematic for the squad.

Wes Apple and Jon Woods were named to the all-conference team with their respective scores of 79 and 81.

Brad Weiss rounded out the Saints' four scores with an 80.

"We did not play well the last seven, eight holes," Stock said.

St. Charles North has been struggling to find an identity all season.

"We lost our No. 1 player (Chris Thomas) the first week of the season," St. Charles North coach Rob Prentiss said. "Our kids have tried hard all season. We're still learning to compete."

Nathan Clark and Patrick Corrigan paced the North Stars with 83s.

Bartlett looked better than its .500 regular-season league record, and Trace Pomplun let his experience from the Hawks' downstate trip last fall carry the day.

The senior had the low round among the five U-46 schools with his 6-over-par 77, good for a tie for fifth.

"Overall, I just struggled," Pomplun said. "I only hit two fairways, and that obviously hurt my greens in regulation. I felt like I tried my best, but it just wasn't my day."

Larkin junior Scott Harm missed out on top gun by half a point to Powers with his 80 at St. Andrews.

"I wasn't that happy about (my round), actually, " Harm said. "I shot a 37 on the front nine and 43 on the back, so I wasn't that consistent throughout the round."

Consistency has been an issue all season for the Royals.

"We either shoot a very good round or a sub-par round," said Larkin coach Tim Jones. "There's no in-between. We need to find two more scores."

South Elgin failed to meet its expectations as well.

"We played pretty well as a team this season," said Drew Buddle, who paced the Storm with an 82. "(It was) not my best (round), but a strong comeback. I had a birdie on the last hole."

Garrett Eddy led Streamwood with an 85, and Devin Skopek paced Elgin with a 90.