Lane’s ace highlights day
- Updated: July 30, 2014
But big numbers later take toll on County players in State Junior
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Things were looking up for two of the five Calhoun County players in the 69th Boys State Junior Championship at Gadsden Country Club Tuesday, but they both discovered how quickly fortunes can turn.
White Plains’ Trevor Lane made his first hole-in-one on his second hole of the day and was 3-under-par through 3 holes tied for the lead. Oxford’s Noah Huckeba had it going even longer; he was 1-under through 15 and two shots off the lead.
But then the ugly head of a big number rose and sent them both tumbling down the leader board.
Lane made two 7s before hitting the turn and wound up shooting 11-over 82. Huckeba was within striking distance of the lead, but finished with two bogeys and an 11 on the par-4 18th and posted 79.
Meanwhile, Dustin Travis shot 78, White Plains teammate Layton Bussey shot 85 and Donoho’s Jacob Lecroy shot 82.
Reagan Harrell of Guntersville grabbed the first-round lead with a 3-under 68. Point Clear’s Alex Green and Tuscaloosa’s Jackson Seawell are tied for second after 70s.
Lane’s ace came on a 185-yard par-3 with the pin on the back of the green. He knew he hit a good shot, but the reaction of the gallery told him just how good it was.
“I just tried to nail a 6-iron,” he said. “I tried to hit it really good – and I did.
“It hit on the back of the green and I thought, ‘OK, I’ll just birdie and go to the next hole.’ I was putting my clubs back in the bag and I heard like 10 or 12 people behind me screaming and clapping their hands. I turned around and said, ‘Somebody hit a good shot.’ They were talking about me.”
The incoming Wildcats junior birdied the next hole and parred the next, then made triple-bogey 7s on two of the next three holes.
“It was tough going from 3-under to even on one hole,” he said. “I’m not going to say (the ace) had anything to do with it; it was me, really. I just started thinking about not what I did, but how I got where I was, thinking about being under par too much.”
Despite the round getting away, Lane seemed in good spirits on the ride home.
“I’m going to try to get it back tomorrow,” he said. “I think I know what I’m doing wrong. Who knows, I might have one (ace) tomorrow.”
Huckeba opened with bogeys on each of his first two holes, but he got back to even at the turn thanks to birdies at 6 and 8. He gave a shot back at 11, then got back into red numbers with birdies on two of his next three holes.
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