E.A. Sports Today

Peak performance

Donoho, White Plains win boys sectional titles; Abernathy’s career round encourages Falcons going forward

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
 
Holden Abernathy couldn’t have picked a better time to start playing his best golf.
 
The Donoho golf team’s fortunes have been riding on the backs of their two college signees, Jacob LeCroy and Harrison Hughston, but for the Falcons to have any success during this final month of the season they’ll have to get big contributions from the other counters in their lineup.
 
That’s where guys like Abernathy comes in. The senior No. 3, who has been giving the team rounds in the mid- to upper-80s on the good days, shot a career-best 4-over-par 74 to help the Falcons win the boys Class 1A-2A Section 2 title at Anniston Country Club. LeCroy was the boys medalist with a 2-under 68.
 
All three boys teams and three girls teams who played qualified to the sub-state, as well as four of the seven boys individuals and all four girls individuals. 
 
Abernathy completed his round despite losing his 60-degree in the grass behind the 18thgreen, his second hole of the day. He realized it was missing on the next hole, but he didn’t really miss it since teammate LeCroy has had him hitting the 56. 
 
He used the new option where he might’ve gone with the 60 twice in the round – he hit the wedge to two feet on 2 and made par, and hit it to six feet on 14 but missed the putt and took bogey. LeCroy found Abernathy’s missing club right before his teammate made his birdie putt on 16, his final hole of the day. He also made a birdie with a 50-foot putt on 4.
 
“My game was good when I was practicing, but I realized I needed a little better decision-making while I was playing,” Abernathy said. “The past two years I haven’t really played good in the sectional, substate or state so to be able to put a pretty good round together gives me the confidence going in to think we can win it.”
 
Behind Abernathy’s 74 and LeCroy’s 68, the Falcons shot 321 as a team. They also counted an uncharacteristic 80 from Harrison Hughston and 99 from Bradey Goodson. Two days of that at the state tournament gives them “a pretty legitimate shot” at winning, coach Garrett Burgess said.
 
“It’s nice to have him play well because he knows … if we’re going to try to win again he’s going to have to play well,” Burgess said of Abernathy. “Everybody’s got to play well, him especially, so for him to play well today it bodes some confidence for the next couple weeks. There’s still a long way to go but it definitely helped for him to come in here and compete and do what he did today, for sure.”
 
LeCroy had four birdies in his round and was 2-under on the back.
 
Boys team scores: Donoho 321, Altamont 352, Ohatchee 430.
Individual qualifiers: Miles Fincher, Vincent (77), Peyton Bradley, Sacred Heart (81), Charlie Faler, Southeastern (84), Caleb Kelley, Fayetteville (92).
 
Girls team scores: Altamont 290, Pleasant Valley 310, Westminster-Oak Mountain 325.
Individual qualifiers: Chloe Parris, Pleasant Valley (108), Bailee Acker, Westminster-Oak Mountain (121), Molly Reynolds, Westminster-Oak Mountain (123), Elizabeth Simpson, Westminster-Oak Mountain (125).

Class 4A Section 3 Boys

ONEONTA – Recently named state all-star Andrew Miller shot even-par 72 to win medalist honors and lead White Plains to the section championship at Limestone Springs.
 
The Wildcats shot a team 305 and won the section by shot shots over Oneonta. The Wildcats also counted 76 from Wesley Jenkins, 77 from Kenny Okins and 80 from Gavin Burrage.
 
Miller, who was named to the boys North team for the inaugural North-South all-star golf match in July, won medalist honors by two strokes over Oneonta’s Will Patrick.

Team scores (top 4 advance): White Plains 305, Oneonta 315, Hokes Bluff 347, Good Hope 392, Fairview 451.
Individual qualifiers: Austin Roberts, White Plains (85), Davin Young, Oneonta (87), Jayce Bryant, Oneonta (87), John-Michael Norris, Ashville (89).

Class 3A Section 3 Boys

Westbrook Christian’s William Wethington and Jackson Bowman shot 1-over 73s to share medalist honors and lead the Warriors to the section title. Glencoe was second, Weaver third and Geraldine fourth. Piedmont’s Ethan Floyd (87) was among the individual qualifiers

Class 6A Section 2

Helena won the boys tournament with a score of 313, followed by Benjamin Russell (325), Chelsea (354) and Oxford (366).

Helena (290), Oxford (331) and Benjamin Russell (352) all advanced in the girls tournament.

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