With a good portion of the season behind them and a couple of busy weeks ahead looking towards the post-season, the Tyler Consolidated and Paden City High School varsity golf teams continue to show improvement in their scores. Both teams have been busy on local courses, getting as many holes in as possible in order to better their team and individual games.

On Aug. 30 the Silver Knights played at the Par 35 Clair-Mar Golf Course in Powhatan, Ohio, placing third in a field of four teams competing. The team from Shadyside turned in the best score of the day with a 175. River scored 177 team points, followed by the Knights with 185 and Monroe Central, 197.

Individually for Consolidated, Dalton Wells led the team with a score of 39, followed by Swayde Carpenter, 43; Dylan Tippins, 51; Blake Carpenter, 52; and Luke Carpenter, 55.

“Clair-mar is not a tough course if the player can keep away from the low trees that line the fairways,” said Knight head coach, Joe Griffith. “Dalton Wells had a fine round of four over par, and Swayde Carpenter was in the low 40’s. But Corey Wells re-injured his knee on the first tee and ended up dropping out of the match after five holes. So we counted two scores in the low fifties — Dylan Tippins and Blake Carpenter.”

At home at the Sistersville Country Club the home team placed second behind Roane County who scored a 172 to take the win. Tyler Consolidated’s team scored 174, and the Paden City team, who had only two golfers participating on the day, therefore did not turn in a team score.

Individually for the Silver Knights, Dalton Wells was the medalist on the day with a nice score of 36. Corey Wells scored, 39; Luke Carpenter, 49; Dylan Tippins, 50; Swayde Carpenter, 52, Isaiah Casenelli, 56; Mitchell Higgins, 58; and John Lancaster, 64.

“We had our best round of the season at home, but it still wasn’t enough,” Griffith said. “Dalton had a great round of two over par, which was good for medalist for the match. Corey came back with a round that was also in the 30’s, but scores dropped off quickly after that.”

“Roane used to be a sure win for us, but all five who played this match have benefitted from the Middle School golf program they have started down there, and they were able to beat us by two strokes.”

At the Riverside Golf Course in Sardis on Sept. 1, the Knights again challenged the field, but came up second behind the home team, River. The Pilot team scored 177 to take the win with Consolidated scoring 182; and Magnolia, 207. John Marshall participated, but only had three scores to submit.

Individual Scores for the Knights include: Corey Wells, who turned in a score of 40, earning tri-medalist honors; Swayde Carpenter , 40, also tri-medalist; Dalton Wells, 42; Luke Carpenter, 60; Dylan Tippins, 61; Mitchell Higgins, 63; and Johnathan Lancaster, 53.

“Corey and Swayde came up as tri-medalists for the second time this season,” the coach said. “So they had good rounds. Dalton was only two strokes behind them at six over par. But then there was quite a gap to the other players, who are all first-year team members. Their scores are high, but I can see improvement in their shots even as we head into the final four weeks of the season.”

“I have been playing well lately and was happy to end up as medalist at Clair-Mar,” commented Dalton Wells. “I did okay at Riverside except on one hole, but I think that our team is starting to improve each week.”

“After a rough day at Sistersville, I kept my head up and actually medaled at Riverside,” said Swayde Carpenter.

And newcomer to the team, Johnathan Lancaster said, “I have gotten a lot better with my driver, but need to work on my short game. I’m still improving every day.”

The Knight season record is now 10-20.

If the weather allows and the courses of the Ohio Valley are dry enough to play, the Knights will see action at home on Wednesday against John Marshall, St. Marys and Paden City; and on Thursday at Crispin.