Kingston’s Blake Woody hits his first shot of Day 2 of the Third annual 5Star Preps Masters at Oak Ridge Country Club in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, on Tuesday, July 28, 2020. (Photo by Danny Parker)
By JESSE SMITHEY
Twenty years after their last state title, the Kingston boys’ golf team is in position to add another to its program history.
The Yellowjackets carded a team mark of 27-over-par 315 Tuesday at WillowBrook Golf Club in Manchester, Tenn., and are just five shots back of defending state champion Signal Mountain heading into Wednesday’s final round.
This gap between Kingston and the leader is more manageable this time around. Last year, en route to a state runner-up finish, Kingston trailed Signal Mountain by 31 shots and then got beat by 36 in the final round.
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But Kingston sophomore Blake Woody came to play Tuesday, and his even-par round of 72 featured three front-nine birdies. He is in second place, individually, and one shot back of leader Cayden Chambers (Waverly High).
Will Bacon’s 78 helped the Kingston cause, as he is tied for 12th. Colby Johnson’s 80 has him in 18th. Parker Jones rounded out Kingston’s total with an 85.
Kingston’s boys golf won state titles in 1999 and 2000.
But this isn’t just a two-team race this year. Stewart County is just two shots back of Kingston heading into Wednesday. North Greene is in fifth place.
Other area noteworthy boys’ scores include: Aidan Collier (North Greene) 75, Peyton Wilder (Cumberland Gap) 78, Rickey Compton (North Greene) 79, Dalen Gibby (Sweetwater) 79, Trent Bibee (Sweetwater) 82, Brady Reynolds (Kingston) 86, Josh Loveday (McMinn Central) 86, Colton Waggle (Harriman) 86 and Bryce Barber (Alcoa) 87.
Collier, a sophomore at North Greene, finished runner-up individually last season after a second-round, four-under 68 helped him rebound from an opening 76. He’ll be looking to repeat the feat on Wednesday. Defending champion Evan Woolsey-Reed (Cascade) opened with a 74 Tuesday.
Northview Academy’s Campbell Penland was the lone area representative in the top 10 of the girls’ leaderboard. She birdied her first two holes Tuesday and shot even on the front nine, but a back-nine 44 led her to a first-round 80.
She is nine shots back of the 1-under-par lead shared by Karson Adkins (Adamsville) and Sophie Linder (Gordonsville). Linder is a sophomore and the defending state champion.
McMinn Central’s Kerigan Klauber (11th, 86) and Elizabeth Moody (T17, 91) were also inside the top 20.
Summertown leads the girls’ competition after a 3-over 147 total. That’s clear of Adamsville by 11 strokes. Greenback is fifth and Claiborne seventh but well out of contention.
DIVISION II-A REGION
at Bear Trace at Harrison Bay
GIRLS: CAK 168**, Webb 199**, Collegedale 199, Berean 203, Silverdale 211
** – qualifies for state as a team
Leaderboard
81 – Malerie Taylor (CAK) – medalist
83 – Isha Desai (Collegedale)*
85 – Cambelle Williams (Silverdale)*
87 – Allie Cooper (CAK)
87 – Emery Fisher (Berean)
89 – Lilly McKinney
94 – Hannah Massey (Boyd-Buchanan)
98 – Palmer Sykes (Webb)
101 – Lauren Turner (Webb)
* – qualifies for state as an individual
BOYS: Webb 300**, CAK 304**, Silverdale 359, Boyd-Buchanan 363, Collegedale 366, First Baptist Academy of Powell 389
** – qualifies for state as a team
Leaderboard
67 – Kaleb Wilson (CAK) – medalist
71 – Cooper Hayes (Berean)*
71 – Reece Britt (Webb)
73 – Eli Mays (Webb)
75 – John Meadow (CAK)
76 – Morgan Baldwin (Collegedale)*
More notables: Tate Woodruff (Webb) 77, Michael Human (Grace) 79, Ethan Whitaker (FBA) 79, Sam King (Webb) 79, Cooper Roberts (FBA) 79, Jackson Hughey (CAK) 80, Ben Johnston (CAK) 82, Cade Nichols (CAK) 85, Harrison Stephens (Webb) 88.
* – qualifies for state as an individual