NORMAL, Ill. • Althoff boys golf coach Dan Polites told his team when it started postseason play two weeks ago that if they made it to the Class 2A state tournament they were going to win the state championship.
"We're not going to make cupcakes," he stressed.
On Saturday, Althoff (624) beat Marmion Academy (638) of Aurora by 14 strokes to claim the school's first boys team championship.
Austin Von Alst (151), Sam Lidisky (152), Jimmy Murphy (155), Michael Johnson (166), Alex Kellogg (177) and Grant Strieker (179) did the scoring for the Crusadsers on the 6,357-yard, par-71 Weibring Golf Club layout.
"It hasn't really kicked in yet," said Von Alst, who tied for third overall after shooting 79 Saturday to earn all-state honors. "It feels good. We can have cake and the cupcakes, since we didn't come here to cook any cupcakes, in Dan's words. We succeeded."
Murphy, Von Alst and Lidisky allowed Althoff to keep the other 11 schools far enough away to keep the pressure at a minimum.
Playing on a sunny and windy (about 25-30 miles per hour) day, the Crusaders (306) began the finals seven strokes ahead of Lemont (313). But Lidisky, Von Alst and Murphy stayed steady for most of the round, while the rest of the field struggled with the conditions. Althoff's first-day lead swelled to 20 strokes at the turn and 25 strokes through 33 holes.
"It's a heck of a way to end my senior season, I'll tell you that," said Lidisky, who also earned all-state honors after finishing with a 78 and in a tie for seventh. "I'm just a little emotional right now. I can't be more happy for the team. I just feel so privileged for getting here. Be the first to bring home a state title for Althoff. ... Get your name in the books ... It's something special. I'm up here with the team."
Polites said "it is every coach's dream to win a state title. That's what you coach for and play for. It's just been a dynamic last two years. We got a taste of state last year (when the team was third), of what it was like. When the season started, we had a goal to come back here and see if we could better ourselves."
And the Crusaders did. They finished the season at 21-4 while winning seven tournaments. In the postseason, they were second at the Highland Regional at Oak Brook and won the Chatham Glenwood Sectional last Monday.
"It means a lot to us and to our school," Kellogg said. "It's pretty exciting. To win it as a sophomore. ... I don't know what to say or how to say it."
Individually, Jaret Brewer of Marion was the champion with a 148. He had to beat Luke Waggoner of Woodstock Marian in a one-hole playoff.
Johnny Wirth of Waterloo shot 163 and finished tied for 41st, and Blaine Buente of Triad carded 166 and tied for 50th.
• At the Class 1A tournament at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington, Nashville finished 10th in the team standings with a 696. Chance Rueter (169), Kyle Mueller (175), John Goodrich (176), Brenden Holzhauer (178), Brock Wuebbels (182) and Jordan Harre (188) did the scoring for the Hornets.
North Shore Country Day (645) was the team champion, followed by Bismarck-Henning (648) and Timothy Christian (676). Austin Sproles of Tri-Valley was the state individual champion with a 150. He won a one-hole playoff against Andy Bott of Henning.
Individually, Steven Becker of Mater Dei tied for sixth (156) to earn all-state honors, and teammate Parker Lawrence (163) tied for 25th. Jack Kane of Alton Marquette (166) was 35th, Sam Range of Gibault (167) tied for 36th, and Tyler Jones (168) of Marissa tied for 40th.
• At the Class 3A tournament at The Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington, Belleville West sophomore Cade Dibadj finished tied for 35th after shooting an 84 for a two-day total of 161.
