Boys Golf: Five from Joliet area reach state championships
By Dick Goss dgoss@stmedianetwork.com October 8, 2012 10:32PM
Updated: November 10, 2012 6:19AM
PEKIN — Lockport, Lincoln-Way East and Lincoln-Way Central approached Monday’s Class 3A Pekin Sectional with a common mind-set.
Play to their capabilities, and all three would have a legitimate shot at advancing to this weekend’s state championships at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.
Instead it turned into a wind-swept day of disappointment at Lick Creek, which began after a 90-minute frost delay, though Providence sophomore Mickey Brick, Joliet sophomore Trent Wallace, Minooka junior Jason Chobar, Lockport senior Nick Petrakos and Lincoln-Way East senior Matt Stoner did reach state as individuals.
“We had a bad day, and unfortunately it came in the sectional,” said Lockport coach Matt Erbe, whose Porters finished fourth with a 329 total, missing the third and final qualifying spot by two strokes.
Quincy won the title with a 312 score, followed by Neuqua Valley at 322 and Edwardsville at 327. Lincoln-Way East tied for sixth at 333 and Lincoln-Way Central tied for eighth at 335. Plainfield Central shot 345, led by Ben Roth’s 82 with a 1-under-par 35 on the back.
Yorkville’s Evan Dill was the medalist and led the 10 individual state qualifiers with a 1-over 73. Brick tied for third with a 75, Wallace shot 76, Chobar at 78 and Petrakos and Stoner 79s, tying for the final qualifying spots.
“I played really well on the front (35), then I triple-bogeyed 16,” Brick said. “I kind of choked, I guess, but it’s OK.”
“Mickey has grown up so much,” said Providence coach John Platt, whose other individual in the sectional, Will McCabe, shot 80 and missed qualifying by a stroke.
“The wind was a factor, but I kept within myself,” said Wallace, who finished his round in the dark. “The darkness wasn’t bad, but it was getting a little cold. I do mind that.”
Minooka coach Brian Petrovic said Chobar “could not be more deserving. I always preach that you only deserve what you get, but he really worked hard for this. And this is supposed to be fun, but there was nothing fun about playing in this wind. There wasn’t a hole where you could stand on the tee and relax.”
Lockport counted the 82s of Kyle Yaeger and Luke Trent and Gehrig Hollatz’s 86 to go with Petrakos’ 79. Regional champion Lincoln-Way East’s scorers, in addition to Stoner, were Dan Oliveri and Tyler Kelly with 84s and Jake White with an 86. Anthony Bolden and Tony Kestel shot 82, Luke Bannerman 85 and Bryant Bolden 87 for Lincoln-Way Central.
“The skill of the sectional is not thinking about your score until it’s posted,” East coach Ryan Pohlmann said. “You don’t win on the front nine, but you don’t want to put yourself as far out of it as we did.”
“The conditions were the same for everyone, we just didn’t play as well as we have all year,” Central coach Don Hayes said.
