Rebels win 2nd straight boys golf state title
HUNTSVILLE – The Vestavia Hills High School boys golf team pulled it off over two days this time.
After winning a rain-shortened Class 7A state tournament last spring, the Rebels went the distance this time, beating Auburn by five strokes to claim a second straight state championship.
The tournament was contested Monday and Tuesday at the Hampton Cove Golf Course in Huntsville, a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail course.
Vestavia Hills edged Auburn by five strokes, holding onto a two-stroke lead the Rebels held after the first day of competition. The Rebels shot a 300 on Monday and followed it up with a 290 on Tuesday. Auburn went 302 and 293 for the tournament.
“They work so hard, all these kids do,” Vestavia Hills coach Stephanie Meadows said. “To know the hours they put in, the things they do to go above and beyond to get better, to fight for 36 holes over two days, playing against Auburn, Enterprise and Hoover and have a two-shot lead after day one. My heart is huge for them in excitement.”
Vestavia finished 14-over par for the tournament, while Auburn finished out at +19. Enterprise was third at +36 and Hoover finished fourth at +48.
Given how tight the tournament was after the first day, Vestavia Hills was able to focus and improve in the second day, shooting 10 strokes better on Tuesday than Monday. Meadows credited much of that to the fact all five Rebels players competed in the state tournament last year as well.
“They know the importance of every shot and the toughness,” she said. “We played this course in sub-state last year. That was huge, too.”
Ward Harris was the top Vestavia player, finishing third overall with a two-day total of 142. He shot a 73 on the first day and rallied to shoot 69 in the second round for an aggregate of 3-under. Jack Mitchell of James Clemens shot 136 to win the low medalist honors. Chase Kyes finished at 139 to claim the runner-up crown.
After carding three bogeys and a double bogey Monday, Harris had just two bogeys Tuesday. He birdied twice in the opening five holes, then finished 2-under on the back nine.
Vestavia’s Jay Clemmer was ninth overall, going for 150 after rounds of 72 and 78. Andrew Szymela and Parker Moellinger were tied for 10th, each finishing at 151. Szymela put together rounds of 76 and 75, while Moellinger went for 79 and 72.
Pierce Becker rebounded from a first-day 82 to shoot 74 on the second day of action.
The Rebels had five seniors on the team this spring, with Jackson Sharp, Jake Ovitt, Audey Stein, Taylor Crenshaw and Matthew Adams all playing their final year with the program. The Rebels won the Joe King Memorial, the section tournament and the sub-state tournament during the season.
“I couldn’t ask for a better group of kids to coach,” Meadows said. “We all want to win one, and then the opportunity to go back-to-back, you have to be so thankful. I am and I know they are.”