The Green Hills Country Club in Ravenswood was the site of the West Virginia State Class A Region I Golf Tournament on Sept. 28. The Paden City High School golf team participated in the Regional, placing ninth of the nine teams competing.

The Yellow Jacket golfers of Williamstown took the Region I crown with an overall team score of 330. Weirton Madonna placed second with 352; Parkersburg Catholic scored 356; Gilmer County, 359; St. Marys, 369; Wheeling Central, 379; Wirt County, 392; Bishop Donahue, 437; and Paden City came in with a total score of 548.

“It was a great day to play golf,” said head coach of the Wildcats, Ryan Thoburn. “There was a quick rain shower as soon as we got there at about 8:25, but before we knew it, the weather cleared and it was a beautiful sunny day.”

“I know our scores don’t show it, but we actually had a decent day on the course. Three of our returners who played in the Regionals last year, Drain, Herrick and Yost, took a combined nine shots off their scores from this time last year, that shows improvement and that is what we have been after all year.”

Braxton Herrick led the Wildcats as low man for the day with a score of 115 on the day. Zach Yost scored a 132 at the tournament followed by Ethan Drain, 138; Drew Bidwell, 163; and Sabrina Midcap, 199. Team member Doug Shepherd did not play in the tournament due to injury.

All in all coach Thoburn says he has enjoyed his first season as a coach of the varsity golf team. “I was a little worried at first, I mean I just played on the team with these guys last year, and I was afraid they wouldn’t listen or would goof off all the time, but they didn’t. They surprised me by paying attention and actually listening to what I had to say.”

Even though the team did not garnish a win during the ’09 season, Thoburn said he was very pleased with the way the team continued to show progress.

“Everybody on the team has shown improvement since the season first began in August,” he said. “Drew Bidwell and Sabrina Midcap just started golfing in August and they’ve each knocked 15 to 20 points off their score and they’re understanding the game a lot better. Drain, Shepherd, Herrick and Yost all have played before, but their average shows that they have improved their play by 12 shots since the first of the season.”

“All we wanted to do was improve our individual games this year and learn, those were our goals, and I think we did that. I’m very happy with the team and how things went this season.”

As for next season, coach Thoburn is not sure if he will be able to follow up his debut coaching season with a second one because of scheduling conflicts, but he hopes that if he can not coach the team, someone else will step up and take over.

“I’d hate to see the program fold,” he said.

The West Virginia High School State Golf Tournament was held on Oct. 6-7 at Oglebay.