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Forestview's Harold Varner is fourth after firing a 2-over 74.
Forestview leads 3A state golf
FOXFIRE VILLAGE - Forestview has been here before.
The Jaguars lead the 3A state golf championships through Round 1 for a second consecutive year, but can they hold on this time?
"I think we need to play aggressive and play like we always play," Forestview senior Harold Varner said. "If we play well, it's going to be tough for people to catch us."
Forestview also led last year's 3A state match after the first day, only to see Hickory storm from behind, force a tie and win the fifth-player tiebreaker.
This time, Forestview leads second-place Wilson Fike by two strokes after firing a team round of 305 - or about 76 per player - on a windy Monday at Foxfire Resort and Country Club near Pinehurst. The championships conclude with another 18-hole round today.
Varner led the Jaguars with a 2-over 74 on the par-72, 6,500-yard course that played much longer because of high winds. That puts the East Carolina signee in fourth place after he placed second last year.
Forestview senior Garrett Haney is tied for ninth after shooting a 76 - his best round of the year. His trick? He countered the winds by refusing to hit a single wood or driver off the tee box.
"If I would have shot my regular 82, I think my team would have been out of luck, but I played very well today," Haney said.
Jaguars junior Thomas Chapman shot a 77 for 13th place. Phillip Boheler, another junior but one who didn't play last year, contributed Forestview's last score with a 78. The best four of six individual scores count toward the team total. Freshman Taylor Dickson (80) and sophomore James Chapman (87) were Forestview's other golfers.
Although Forestview holds the lead, three teams are within four strokes. Third-place Hickory is three strokes behind Forestview while Burlington Williams is four back.
"We just need to play our game and not worry about what they're going to do because we can't control that," Varner said.
The windy conditions led to high scores across the board. Charlotte Catholic's Michael Muscatell, a Clemson-bound golfer, carded the only sub-par round with a 1-under 71. Burlington Williams' Robert Register shot even-par. Southeast Guilford's Billy Barham fired a 73 as the only other golfer ahead of Varner.
South Point's Alex Cauble ranks fifth after shooting 75 as the Red Raiders' only representative.
The 36-hole match continues today with tee times starting at 8 a.m.
At the 1A state match, Highland Tech ranks fifth after the first day at the Keith Hills II course in Buies Creek. The Rams scored 338 and trail leader Hampstead Topsail by 38 strokes. East Surry is second place at five strokes behind.
Cherryville's Drew Eaker finished Monday's round tied for 11th with a 7-over 79. No Highland Tech golfer ranked in the top 11 released by the N.C. High School Athletic Association.
North Lincoln golfer Russ Piercy competed in the 2A state match but didn't place in the top 10 after Monday's first round. Ryan Lavelle of Cardinal Gibbons leads with a first-round 70.
No local golfer qualified for the 4A championships.
You can reach Phillip Gardner at 704-869-1843.
