White Plains sweep
- Updated: April 3, 2021
Wildcats lap field for boys and girls county golf titles; Okins, Gattis go wire-to-wire for medalist
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
There’s really only one word to describe what the White Plains golf team did this weekend – again – in the Calhoun County Tournament. Domination.
The Wildcats boys and girls both won their respective county championships by insanely wide margins and had the two medalists – Kenny Okins and Abby Gattis – equally wide margins.
The White Plains boys shot 302 as a team Saturday at Pine Hill for a two-day total 593, a whopping 127 shots ahead of runner-up Oxford. The girls shot 246 for a two-day 504, 43 shots ahead of runner-up Alexandria.
Okins followed his opening-round 66 with a 73 and won boys medalist by eight over White Plains teammates Sawyer Edwards and Wesley Jenkins. Edwards, playing as an individual, shot the best round of the day, a 2-under-par 70, but earned a spot in the Wildcats’ lineup for their next two tournaments (at Musgrove CC and Limestone Springs).
Gattis followed her opening-round 82 with a career-best 77. She shed five shots off her opening-round score and doubled her overnight lead, winning by 10 shots over Alexandria’s Lauren Sechrest.
The Wildcats put 12 players on the 16-man boys all-county team and five of the 15-player girls team.
“I just think it was our weekend,” Gattis said. “We’ve put in time, we stayed into dark to practice, we’ve gotten out to practice, everybody shows up for practice. We knew it was our county tournament to win going into Saturday’s round and we kind of set back and let it all have its place.
“I’m proud of the team and how we all played this weekend. It was a team effort for everything. Hopefully we can carry it on and have a big year this year.”
The final round was just a continuation of what the Wildcats started Friday. The boys slept on a 70-shot lead and the girls slept on a 24-point cushion. White Plains swept the last time the tournament was played – in 2019 – only that time the margins were reversed – the girls won by 119 and the boys won by 66.
“It meant a lot to us,” White Plains coach Chris Randall said. “Even though we weren’t pushed by the score, we were pushed by how much it meant to us and that adds a little pressure to what you’re doing; the honor of winning the county tournament added some heat to the proceedings.
“Our kids take golf as serious as other kids take basketball or volleyball. They take lessons, they go year-round. They’re just reaping the benefits of their hard work. If you’re going to do something do it as good as you can. It’s not a spring sport for them, it’s a year-round sport and I’m happy to see that dedication pay off.”
Randall suspected it would take a pretty special round for someone to catch his two overnight leaders and neither gave anyone a chance.
Okins bounced back from an early bogey with a birdie-chip-in eagle combination on 5 and 6. The senior was even for the day through 13, then birdied 14 and 15. He got a little loose coming home and made a double bogey on his last hole, but already had the title well in hand.
“I didn’t post a bad score, but I didn’t play great,” he said. “I just knew as long as I didn’t fall back too much I’d most likely be OK. Honestly, I saved a lot of strokes today. I missed a lot more greens today than I did yesterday and I normally do, but I was able to make birdies when I was able and hang in there.
“It means a lot (to win it) because the county tournament is such a big thing in the high schools. It feels good.”
Gattis’ best competitive round before Saturday was 79. She didn’t make anything higher than a 6 and dropped a birdie on No. 1 when she hit a wedge from 107 yards to three feet.
“I have no words; I just hit the ball really well,” the junior said. “It’s one of those things I wanted to accomplish and then here it is.
“Like I said yesterday, I put in the time, practiced in the rain, in the cold, and it just came out. I was hitting really good golf shots. This morning got to me a little bit. I didn’t hit it well on the range and then I got on the course and played the best golf I’ve ever played.”
The day’s most impressive round belonged to Edwards. The freshman had five birdies in his round and at one point on the back nine had four in a five-hole stretch. He bogeyed the two par-5s he had coming in, but finished off the round with a birdie on the par-3 fourth.
The next best round of the day was champion Okins’ 73.
“It was amazing what Sawyer did, how well he played,” Randall said.
CALHOUN COUNTY TOURNAMENT
At Pine Hill CC
BOYS
Team scores
White Plains 291-302—593
Oxford 361-359—720
Alexandria 408-396—804
Weaver 409-408—817
Piedmont 446-425—871
Jacksonville 450-445—895
Individuals
(Top 15 all-county)
Kenny Okins, WP 66-73—139
x-Sawyer Edwards, WP 77-70—147
Wesley Jenkins, WP 71-76—147
Nick Ledbetter, Wea 71-78—149
Peyton Bradley, WP 75-77—152
Gage Miller, WP 79-76—155
x-Riley Boyd, WP 83-76—159
Austin Roberts, WP 83-77—160
Trent Lott, Ox 83-79—162
Nic Boyd, Ox 83-80—163
x-Dalton Faulkner, WP 85-82—167
x-Zach Goss, WP 83-88—171
x-Daniel Norred, WP 89-85—174
x-Wyatt Cotney, WP 82-94—176
Mike Tippets, Ox 88-92—180
x-Porter Stokes, WP 97-83—180
x-Ryder Hudgins, WP 94-89—183
x-Cam Hurst, WP 97-88—185
x-Ethan Turner, WP 95-92—187
x-Karson Faulkner, Alex 91-98—189
Grayson Forrest, Alex 98-92—190
Brock Murphy, Wea 96-98—194
Braxton Kiker, Alex 98-97—195
Hayden Young, Pied 104-102—206
Logan Ponder, Alex 104-102—206
Jaycob McCurdy, Pied 105-101—206
x-Chris Ferguson, Ohat 110-104—214
Cody Souder, Wea 112-103—215
Hayden Coppock, Ox 107-108—215
Braxton Tucker, Alex 112-105—217
Conner Williams, Pied 114-103—217
x-Damon Parr, Alex 109-109—218
Jud Grass, Jax 113-108—221
Brock Reaves, Ox 113-109—222
Julian Hill, Jax 106-116—222
Fisher Prichard, Alex 108-114—222
x-Owen Petty, Saks 111-112—223
Walker Hobbs, Jax 115-110—225
x-Samuel Duncan, PV 120-107—227
x-Stephen Ray, Saks 118-110—228
Jackson Rosler, Jax 120-111—231
Dylan Melendez, Pied 123-119—242
Andy McMichael, Jax 116-129—245
x-Caleb Gay, Alex 126-121—247
x-Matthew Vanover, Jax 124-125—249
x-Pierson Otralek, Alex 123-132—255
Konnor Mayfield, Wea 130-133—263
Hunter Hise, Wea 134-129—263
x-Jaycob Toca, Jax 136-131—267
GIRLS
Team scores
White Plains 258-246—504
Alexandria 282-265—547
Pleasant Valley 313-298—611
Oxford 332-322—654
Piedmont 335-309—644
Weaver 352-330—682
Donoho 333-WD
Individuals
(Top 15 all-county)
Abby Gattis, WP 82-77—159
Lauren Sechrest, Alex 87-82—169
Baylie Webb, WP 87-84—171
Isabel Rogers, WP 89-85—174
Emma Ray, Alex 94-87—181
Marlie Wright, PV 95-92—187
Annabelle Page, Ox 96-94—190
Gracie Davis, PV 98-96—194
Olivia Ward, WP 97-99—196
Emilee Brown, Alex 101-96—197
Alexis Cleveland, Wea 104-105—209
x-Mallory Hill, WP 103-106—209
Reagan Finley, Alex 112-97—209
x-Kayleigh McGatha, Alex 111-99—210
x-Marlee Hedgepeth, Alex 111-102—213
Ella Floyd, Pied 109-105—214
Mayce Chandler, Pied 111-104—215
Haley Bostick, Pied 115-100—215
x-Lily Nichols, Alex 110-109—219
x-Avery Prickett, Alex 110-110—220
x-Rachel Gattis, WP 108-113—221
Bella Reaves, Ox 112-110—222
Carmella Reese, Wea 119-109—228
Abby Whisenant, PV 120-110—230
x-Maddy Faulkner, WP 113-119—232
Gracie Barber, Pied 121-113—234
Chloey Page, Ox 124-118—242
Demari Grant, Wea 129-116—245
Kallie Callan, Don 124-124—248
x-Alli Pressley, WP 121-127—248
Angelina Diaz, PV 128-123—251
Mia Vivanco, Ox 131-124—255
x-Lauren Burkett, Jax 135-130—265
x-Brooklyn Goss, Pied 136-133—269
x-Madison Boyd, WP 140-129—269
Anna Grace Jones, Don 96-WD
Ava Hollingsworth, Don 113-WD
x-Maddie Stewart, Jax 132-WD
x-Competing as individual
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