CARLYLE • Mater Dei senior Parker Lawrence and Gibault freshman Sam Range were a picture of contrasts Monday afternoon.
Lawrence had just won low medalist honors with a 1-under par 71 after beating Joe Powell of Effingham St. Anthony in a one-hole playoff at the Illinois Class 1A Carlyle Sectional boys golf tournament at Governors Run and he was calm, cool and collected.
Range recorded a 5-over 77 and he was all smiles pumping his fists after qualifying for his first state tournament, which takes place Friday and Saturday at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington.
"I hit fairways and I hit greens and some (putts) fell in," said Lawrence, a senior who carded 36-35 over the 6,465-yard, par 72 course. "There was a lot of pressure in the playoff. I just tried to hit the fairway and I knew my game was good with the wedges. I hit the fairway and hit a wedge in (on the 376-yard, par-4 hole) and it worked out.
"I was pretty nervous. But I was pretty confident. I was playing good."
And Lawrence played well enough in the one-hole playoff when he sank his 6-foot par putt on the No. 1 hole to beat Powell.
Said Range: "These past two weeks, I've really been nervous about this and have been thinking about things -- if I'd lose, what I'd do and if I'd win, what I'd do. It's a huge relief to get this off my back and go to state as a freshman."
Range carded a 40-37 on a sunny and windless day. After shooting a 40 on the front side, Range knew he had to shoot in the 30s to make the cut.
"After the 40, I knew I had to put it back together if I wanted to go," he said.
Lawrence and Range weren't the only locals to qualify for the weekend. Steven Becker (79) of Mater Dei, Tyler Jones (79) of Marissa and Jack Kane (79) of Alton Marquette were three of the 10 total individuals to qualify for state.
Said Kane of his round: "I just started playing better the last nine. I just started hitting the ball better. Got into a rhythm. It was one of those things with golf. I just didn't get any lucky breaks."
Jones missed the sectional cut last year by one stroke and he wanted badly to make it to state this season.
"There was a little bit of pressure not knowing what the cut is going to be and what you've got to shoot to make it," he said. "I was keeping (not making state) in the back of my mind. You've got to take it one hole at a time."
On the team side, Nashville won the sectional title with a 313 using scores by John Goodrich (76), Chance Reuter (78), Kyle Mueller (79) and Brock Wuebbels (80). Hamilton County was second (319) and St. Anthony finished third (320).
"It's awesome winning the sectional," said Goodrich, who recorded his best 18-hole total of the season. "I knew this team could do it. We just needed to play good. We just shot good golf. Nobody blew up today."
Hornets coach Jason Guest was surprised to see his team win.
"It just shows you never give up in this game," he said. "We didn't play our best golf. We didn't play bad golf on the front. The kids just turned and burned. They just turned it and just really went after it and shot some amazing scores."
In the Class 3A Joliet Central Sectional, Belleville West sophomore Cade Dibadj was the lone local to qualify for state after shooting a 3-over 74 at the 6,196-yard, par-71 Inwood Golf Course. Dibadj will play Friday and Saturday at the Den at Fox Creek in Bloomington.
In the Class 2A Chatham Glenwood Sectional at Panther Creek, Althoff won the title with a 302 behind Sam Lidisky's 1-under 71. Also scoring were Michael Johnson (72), Austin VonAlst (78), Jimmy Murphy (81), Alex Kellogg (87) and Grant Streiker (89).
The Crusaders will play Friday and Saturday at Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State University in Normal.
Individually, Blaine Buente of Triad (73) and Johnny Wirth of Waterloo (74) advanced to the state tournament.
In the girls Class AA Mattoon Sectional at Meadowview Golf Course, Emilee Flaugher shot a 76 to help Edwardsville to third place and allowed the Tigers to advance to the state tournament Friday and Saturday at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur.
Other Edwardsville scores were Taylor Maggio (93), Lauran Belling (94), Brie Duvall (94), Austin Gordon (99) and Emily Briley (108).
Individually, Miranda Lidisky of Belleville East (83) and Alexa Boatman (85) also advanced to the state tournament.
