ONTARIO — His team was preparing to collect the runner-up trophy Friday at Oak Tree Golf Club, but Ashland coach Dave Chapman didn’t feel like celebrating.
The way Chapman figured, the Arrows should have defended their team title at the 13-team Doug McLean Memorial Tournament.
Ashland and North Royalton shot matching 315s, but the Bears were awarded the team title based on a scorecard tie-breaker. North Royalton’s No. 5 man shot an 87, three strokes better than Ashland’s No. 5 man.
“Not to get a fifth or sixth man in the 80s on this course is ridiculous,” Chapman said. “We left a lot of easy shots out there. Our goal is to make sure we don’t have to come down to the fifth-man (tire-breaker).
“We just didn’t grind it and work it through.”
Ashland’s top three finishers all carded rounds in the 70s. Max Watson led the way with a 77, followed by Spencer Daniels and Luke Honaker, who both fired 79s.
“It’s disappointing, but we’re moving in the right direction,” Chapman said. “We shot a 315 today. It’s not a hard course but the weather made it harder. There were 20-something mile an hour winds and it was cold. It’s a mental thing.”
Medalist: Ontario’s Marc Wilkins Jr. took home medalist honors with a 1-over 73. Wilkins and Dominic Castelvetere (78) led the Warriors to a third-place finish with a 325.
“The wind picked up right at the turn,” Wilkins said. “I was just hitting everything really well. I hit my driver really well.”
With Wilkins and Castelvetere, thee Warriors boast one of the best one-two punches in the county.
“It’s always kind of like that,” Wilkins said. “We’re trying to win the tournament, but it’s a mini-competition.”
For Ontario coach Scott Kreger, two aces is better than one.
“I don’t look at it as a one and two. We have two ones,” Kreger said. “They go back and forth and it’s a great competition. We make sure it’s not a rivalry.”
Best of the Rest: Lexington finished fourth with a team total of 328. Taylor Wittmer (79) led the Minutemen.
Clear Fork (364) and Madison (366) finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Gage Wolfgang (85) led the Colts, while Jonah Aumend (89) topped the Rams.
Mansfield Senior finished 11th with a 420. Tanner Harless carded an 87 for the Tygers.
Madison’s B team took 12th with a 438. Landon Ellis (93) led the way.
