Waxing Loyola

Sophomores stepped up yet again as Prep defeated Loyola Blakefield by 22 strokes today at Norbeck CC in Rockville with a final score of 182-204.
Denny McCarthy was low man once again for the Hoyas as he shot a two-under 34 on the front side in windy and chilly conditions. He pulled a wedge badly on the 351-yard first hole and that led to a bogey but he drained a 40-footer from the second level on the par-3 third for a 2. He got to one-under when he got up and down from about ten yards off the par 5 fifth green and then left a ten footer for par short of the hole on number 7. On the 485 yard par-5 eighth, which was playing down wind, he hit an 8 iron for his second shot to within 12 feet and then made the putt for an eagle. On the final hole Denny had a difficult bunker shot from a downhill lie to a close front pin position that he managed to get to within two feet.
Wes Strang (junior) bounced back from his struggles in his first two matches with an even-par 36. He canned an 8 footer on three for birdie and then followed that with a birdie on four again from about ten feet. His third shot on the fifth sailed over the green and he was stymied by a tree as he missed a good opportunity for a turkey. On the seventh hole Wes pulled his drive into the left rough and his line to the green was blocked by a stand of trees. His second caught some branches and fell almost straight back into the fairway. Then after he hit a good third shot he miscued from less than two feet for an uncharacteristic three putt for a double bogey. He rebounded with two fours on 8 & 9.
Sam Spikell (sophomore) playing in his first match since the inaugural win over Good Counsel fought off some medicine reactions that gave him the shakes on the first two holes as he went bogey, double bogey to start. He made a twelve foot birdie putt on #3 and then a two-putt birdie on #8 as he finished with a 37.
Nate Cohan (sophomore) continued his very steady performance with another 37. Nate made birdie on #2 from close to fifteen feet only to miss the green on #3 and settle for a bogey when he couldn't get up and down from the left side. Pars followed on 4, 5, & 6. But faced with a similar shot that Wes had from the left rough on #7 Nate left his second shot out to the right and he caught a bad lie in the right hand trap. His explosion barely got out of the trap and his chip left him a long bogey putt so he took a double bogey there. Like Wes, Nate closed with a birdie and par.
Greg Bourdon (sophomore) played steady if unspectacular golf on his way to a 38. He had a three putt bogey on the second hole from about 40 feet and could not negotiate an up and down for par on #3. But he came back with a birdie on 4 only to have another three putt on #5 for bogey. His birdie on #8 was followed by a bogey on #9 when his trap shot trickled past the pin and left him with a tricky sidehill, downhill putt to save par.
Matt Brown (senior) shot 39 with four bogeys and one birdie. Even the alternates had a good day today as Jack Myers (37), Mike Marcus (37), and Tom Horton (40) played very steady golf. Jack had an opening and closing bogey with a birdie on #8 and Mike had a three putt bogey on #3 with eight other pars.
The 182 is just three shots off the all-time team nine hole score of 179 posted last year at Whiskey Creek against DeMatha in ideal weather conditions. Today was far from ideal - very windy out of the west and cloudy with periods of downright chilly air.
Low man for the Dons was Ben Shields (39) for the all-senior squad. Mike Finnegan (40), Colin Greenwell (41), Brendan Buchness (42), Church Waesche (42), and Cory Voelkel (44) played for Coach Marty Stewart who announced that this was his last season coaching the Dons and that he was passing the mantle along next year.
Marty represents the best camraderie of high school golf coaches. He spins good yarns, provides the best for his boys, and win or lose he is always a gentleman. He will be missed and hopefully this rivalry can continue without him. It just won't be the same.