MOUNT VERNON — The Centerburg Trojans were five strokes away from sweeping the Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference last fall.
They placed second to Highland at the second of three KMAC tournaments – four strokes behind the Fighting Scots on a searing late-August day at Apple Valley Golf Course. The Trojans won the first conference tournament by 20 strokes, and the third by 42, but weren’t able to complete the trifecta.
This year, with several upperclassmen back (and a few talented newcomers entering the fold), the Trojans vowed not to let it happen again. And they didn’t. They completed the season sweep on Saturday, claiming their third and final KMAC title on a crisp autumn day at Hiawatha Golf Course.
“It will definitely feel good to finish the season undefeated in conference, because last year we had that one loss in one of the KMAC (tournaments),” senior Levi Houck said afterwards. “So it definitely feels good to finish out undefeated.”
Houck and freshman Bennett Hill led the way for Centerburg, firing 77s and tying for second place overall. Josh Hackett, another freshman, tallied an 81 on Saturday, followed by senior Reed Compton (82), senior Dalton Hall (82) and junior Dallas Cornett (83).
The Trojans finished with a team score of 317 – 19 strokes ahead of Fredericktown (336), 32 strokes ahead of East Knox (349), and 69 strokes ahead of Northmor (386). Mount Gilead and Cardington competed as well but did not record team scores.
1. Will Streby (Fredericktown) – 74
2. Levi Houck (Centerburg) – 77
2. Bennett Hill (Centerburg) – 77
2. Steven Street (Mount Gilead) – 77
5. Ashton Priest (East Knox) – 78
6. Ian Muka (Fredericktown) – 80
7. Josh Hackett (Centerburg) – 81
8. Dalton Hall (Centerburg) – 82
8. Reed Compton (Centerburg) – 82
10. Dallas Cornett (Centerburg) – 83
In a league like the KMAC – where a few shots here or there can decide a match – Centerburg’s top-to-bottom consistency set it apart once again on Saturday. Just six strokes separated the Trojans’ first and sixth scorers, whereas other teams had gaps of 20 or 30 strokes. All six of Centerburg’s varsity golfers finished in the top 10.
Coach Nathan Altizer said this performance was symbolic of the way his team’s played all year long. The Trojans’ top six was separated by just nine strokes in the first KMAC tournament, and just seven strokes in the second.
He called his team’s depth its biggest strength.
“On team average it’s been only about a shot-and-a-half or so difference from my (No. 1 golfer) to really my nine-man throughout the whole season. So we’ve been able to win just because of our depth,” Altizer said.
“I’ve had guys that have averaged right around 80 pretty much all year, and that gives us scores of 320 or so about every tournament we’ve had. So the depth of the team has definitely been our strength this year.”
Centerburg’s depth has not only allowed it to compete with and beat some of the best teams in central Ohio, but it’s also provided a much-needed spark during practice. Altizer said the parity amongst his team’s top golfers has led to more competitive rounds, which has led to improvement over the course of the season.
“A lot of the guys’ competition here has been with their own teammates,” Altizer said. “Everyone’s just trying to earn their spots on the team, and that’s helped because a lot of the practices we have, we go out and it’s just been competitive all year. I think that’s helped us when we get in these tournaments and prepare us for the events that way.”
Centerburg has also benefited from a healthy mix of experience on this year’s roster. Houck and Hall, both four-year lettermen, have been flanked this season by Hill and Hackett, two of the area’s top freshmen. Altizer said the group has meshed well and pushed each other, leading to the kind of success it saw Saturday.
“It’s cool to be around them,” Hill said of the team’s upperclassmen. “They’re all really nice and they encourage me a lot. They’re a bunch of good golfers, so it just makes me feel more comfortable.”
Centerburg will head to Turnberry Golf Course in Pickerington on Tuesday for the Div. III Central District sectional tournament. The Trojans placed second at sectionals last year, firing a 340 at Darby Creek Golf Course. They would eventually bow out at districts, finishing fourth at Denison Golf Club with a 351 (the top team in each district qualifies for state).
The key this year, Altizer said, will be keeping his team’s confidence high as the postseason progresses. The Trojans were seeded third in the Central District this year, and Altizer said they should expect to win from here on out.
“I think the big one for them is getting their confidence up, and knowing that they can compete with these other schools,” Altizer said. “We’ve seen a lot of Fredericktown and East Knox and all of them this year. Now we’re shifting our focus to playing the Newark Catholics, the Fairbanks – both of them were seeded ahead of us going into the sectional.
“So now it’s kind of shifting that focus and getting their confidence up, that they can go compete with those other schools in these tournaments as well, and letting them know that they belong in those tournaments. We were a three-seed, and giving them that confidence that they belong (as) a three-seed – I’m hoping that they play well. We’re gonna be able to compete with anyone in the central district.”
Centerburg will be joined at sectionals Tuesday by Fredericktown, which finished second in all three KMAC tournaments this fall. The Freddies fell 16 strokes short of Centerburg in the first tournament, 11 strokes short in the second tournament, and 19 strokes short on Saturday.
Sophomore Will Streby, last year’s KMAC Golfer of the Year, finished first overall in every event. He fired a 73 on Aug. 11, a 76 on Sept. 1, and a 74 on Saturday.
Fredericktown coach Fred Main said he was proud of the way his team battled during the regular season, even if the result wasn’t always first place. He believes the Freddies are primed for postseason success, and are capable of making history.
Fredericktown is looking on Tuesday to qualify for districts for the first time since 2003. The top six teams at Turnberry will advance.
“We know we’re close. We’re right there. I mean, by being this close to Centerburg all year long, we’ve almost got ‘em a couple of times. We know we’re right there – right there on the cusp of doing something great here. …” Main said.
“Today’s round was great – I mean, we got a great score out of Will (Streby); Alex Spaulding had a tremendous day, other than a couple of holes, but he had a tremendous day. It was good to see – everybody’s really starting to get the scores down. They broke through some of the ceilings that we needed to, and I think this really sets us up well for the (sectionals) right now.”
