Wildcats title product of hard work
- Updated: May 12, 2015
[corner-ad id=1]White Plains girls golf team comes long way in short time
White Plains’ Layne Dyar awaits a ruling on the fifth hole at Magnolia Grove’s Crossings Course Tuesday.
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
MOBILE — Four years ago, the newly crowned Class 4A-5A girls state golf champions didn’t even exist as a program.
The first time the White Plains girls ever tried to qualify for a lineup they could play only six holes at Pine Hill because it’s all they had time for, the scoring was so bad. That same day, the first time a player who was in the Wildcats’ championship lineup Tuesday tried to hit the ball she swung and missed four straight times.
The best score that day – for six holes, remember – was 26-over par. Two other players, both of whom were among the counters Tuesday, were each 32-over-par.
“It was bad,” Wildcats coach Marcus Harrell said, more mouthing than saying the words.
And now, three years later, these same girls are state champions – the first state champions in their school’s history.
“You can’t put that in words,” Harrell said of the rise to the top. “I remember giving people high-fives for shooting 95. Our first year at County Morgan Prickett shoots 95 and we thought that was the greatest thing ever. Here she is today shooting 78 in the final round of the state championship.”
It didn’t come without work. The Wildcats would practice in the rain, in the cold, they’d even chastise Harrell for leaving early when it was getting dark. Even Alexandria coach Scott Ginn tipped his hat to the work he knew the Wildcats put into it.
“It just proves God does honor hard work,” Prickett said.
Class 4A boys: The White Plains boys got off to a fast start trying to move up the leaderboard, but fell into a lull in the middle of the round. Although they posted a better score than their opening-round effort – by three shots – they still finished third overall.
Dustin Travis, playing the final round of his scholastic career, birdied his last two holes to shoot 72 and finished third individually. Layton Bussey shot a final-round 75 and finished 11th.
Class 1A-2A boys: Donoho shot nine strokes better than its opening-round score, but finished fourth. The Falcons had to go with four players because junior Robert Clausen was forced to withdraw prior to the round with a back injury he aggravated in the Monday’s round.
Jacob Lecroy shot an even-par 72 and finished tied for sixth.
Class 1A-3A girls: Pleasant Valley’s Madilyn Turner shot 92-97 and finished 15th.
The Alexandria girls golf team stands with its state runner-up trophy.
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