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TCHS/TCMS Golf Teams Improve Their Season Records

By Randy Rutherford - Contributed by Coach Joe Griffith | Sep 19, 2024

Luke Deaton hits his approach shot at Mingo Bottom.

The Silver Knight golf teams from Tyler Consolidated High School and Tyler Consolidated Middle School were in action last week, enjoying the warm but not-so-humid weather as the 2024 season moves into its final four weeks. The high school team hosted a match and traveled to the site of upcoming tournament action, while the middle school team traveled to a course that gave them some experience with hills and a lake.

On Tuesday, September 10, the high school team hosted a match against four other teams. The St. Marys team showed why they have been state champs in recent years, as they dominated the match. The Blue Devils tallied a very nice team score of 154. This was followed by Tyler – 183; Ritchie – 191; and Magnolia – 201. Paden City had two players in the match. The medalist was Preston Lawhon, who fired a round of 36, two over par. For the Knights, freshman JJ Smith and sophomore John Mace each had ten over par, 44. Other Tyler scores were: Colby Nichols – 46; Luke Deaton – 49; Jackson Smith – 52; Morgan Fisher – 53; Chase Camerlin – 53; Xavier Kanz – 55; Cole Moore – 59; and Aiden Smith – 60. For Paden City, both Jacob Goddard and Sage Lively had 68. Colby Nichols was pleased with much of his game: “The match at Sistersville went well. I parred both Holes 3 and 6, and I was hitting my chips next to the pin. My drives were good, too.” J.J. Smith said, “My best hole was Hole 2, where I chipped in for birdie.”

Five of the St. Marys players are seniors and they are favorites to win the regional tournament coming up in a couple of weeks. This was their last time to play as a team at the Sistersville Country Club. “The St. Marys players have names that are familiar to area golf fans, including Lawhon, Trent Renner, Kenzie Armstrong, Brady Rinard, Addie Davis, and Alyssa Dawson,” said Knights Coach Joe Griffith. “They have had a very strong lineup over the years that these players have competed. But they are all seniors and next year we won’t see the depth of quality that we have been used to seeing from St. Marys golfers in the recent past.”

On Wednesday, the middle school team traveled to the North Bend Golf Course near Harrisville, where they came out ahead of two other schools. Team scores were: Tyler – 204; Ritchie – 221; Parkersburg Catholic – 251. For the Knights, seventh grade player, Cade Heintzman, led the way with his round of 45, nine over par. Other Knight scores included: Kaylin Eastham – 50; Lincoln Goode – 54; Bryson Roberts – 55; Collin King – 60; and Kolten Reed – 60. “This was my first time ever being the medalist at a match,” said Heintzman. “The greens were fast, and sloped, which we are not used to at Sistersville Country Club. Even though I had a lot of birdie putts, I didn’t capitalize on them like I should have.” Eighth grade co-captain, Kaylin Eastham, was pleased with parts of her game. “I started off rough, but made a bit of a comeback. And I was happy to hit over the water on Hole #3!”

Fellow co-captain, Collin King, was not feeling well and struggled on the day. “North Bend is a hard course, but I always remember that a bad day of golf is a good day at life.” Sixth grader Kolten Reed, in his first year with the team, experienced the bane of many golfers: “Every time I aimed to the left or to the right, it would go to the opposite side.” Assistant Coach David Tucker was glad for the chance to have his players compete on the North Bend course: “North Bend has hills and lots of trees, plus a lake to hit over. So it gives our players a good variety of shots that they aren’t going to get at our home course.”

Last Thursday the high school team began the first of a series of five matches at the Mingo Bottom Golf Course near Elizabeth, WV. Coach Griffith commented on these matches: “Mingo will be the site of the LKC Tournament on September 23, and then the Regional Tournament on September 30. So we will be there for a couple of nine-hole matches, plus an 18-hole match to help our players become more comfortable with playing at Mingo.” The Knights struggled among a field of eight teams for the match last Thursday, finishing fifth. Roane took top honors with their score of 179, followed by Williamstown – 188; Ravenswood – 197; Wirt – 201; Tyler – 202; Ritchie – 204, Calhoun – 228; and Parkersburg Catholic with only three scores counting. Medalist was Marshall Creel of Ravenswood, who shot a very nice round of one over par, 37. For Tyler, freshman J.J. Smith had a solid round of 41, while senior Luke Deaton had 47. Sophomore John Mace – 55; sophomore Morgan Fisher – 59; and senior Colby Nichols – 64 rounded out the scoring for the Silver and Black. J.J. Smith had a good day: “This was my most enjoyable match of the week. On the par 5 Hole 9, I got a crazy up and down on the sloped green to finish with a birdie!” Luke Deaton commented on his round: “I found my way into too many penalty areas. But I ended with a pretty good total, and I’m looking forward to how I do at LKC and Regionals.” But John Mace was off his regular game. “I am in a bad slump right now. Hopefully I can get things straightened out before LKC.” “We should have finished third instead of fifth,” said Coach Griffith. “We have to stay out of the hayfields, lakes, and penalty areas. That killed our scores in this match.”

This week features two high school matches and two middle school matches. Monday the high school golfers traveled to Golf Club of WV, while on Tuesday the middle school team hosted a match with four other schools. Tomorrow the high school team travels back to Mingo to play the back nine, while on Friday, the middle school team visits the Oxbow Golf Course near Belpre, Ohio, to take on Warren Middle School.

The high school team is now 36-33 on the season, while the middle school team improves to 8-2.

Match results can be found on the school website by going to: tylerconsolidatedhighschool.org/golf; Search for Athletics and Documents.