The next time Western Albemarle’s golf team plays at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club, it won’t be soon enough. Something about the trek up to Northern Virginia in October brings out the best in the Warriors as they’ve won a handful of Region II titles at the course, and the sight was also the location of the team’s last Group AA championship, coming back in 2004.
“We like this course,” said Western coach Darren Maynard. “It’s tight and you have to hit it straight and that’s something we seem to do well here.”
Behind a senior class playing in its fourth-straight state tournament with a pair of runner-up finishes and a fourth place showing the last three years, the class of 2012 finally got it’s hands on the trophy that eluded them. The Warriors edged Cave Spring by six strokes on Tuesday to break a tie after the first round Monday, with all six members of the team contributing a score in the 2-day event for a final score of 606.
“To finally get the championship was big for this team,” Maynard said. “They wanted to finally not be bridesmaids anymore and be the champs. They did that.”
Alex O’Dell and Landon Weis, who contributed scores back as freshmen in the 2008 state tourney in a second place finish at Old Trail, fittingly led the way as they finished tied for fifth place individually with scores of 142.
“It was so nice to have all six contribute a score,” Maynard said. “The key today though, I thought, was Alex O’Dell and Landon Weis going so low that it would cover up for anything that wasn’t on par or what we’re used to shooting. That gives you a lot of breathing room when you have two that go low like that.”
O’Dell put together the best round of the day for Western with a 68 to pace the separation that his team created against Cave Springs.
“I’m glad my last round (of high school golf) could be under par,” O’Dell said. “Overall it hit me walking down 18 that this was actually the last time. It was great, it was a good time.”
Weis was the most consistent Western golfer between the two rounds as he shot 74 to start on Monday and was better with a 72 on Tuesday to join O’Dell as the two members of the team to post scores each time around.
“Freshman year we got a little taste,” Weis said. “Finishing second twice, that’s tough. But we were deeper and played better and it all worked out.”
Joining those two in scoring on Tuesday were Brent Warrick who put in a round of 79 and then Weis’ younger brother, Hunter, who shot 81, the same score he shot on Monday.
Western was tied with Cave Springs after Monday’s round thanks to a collective 306 earned by a 74 from Landon Weis, a 76 from Kyle Landis and 78’s from O’Dell and Brett Engle.
“We weren’t actually all that excited with how we played on Monday,” Landon Weis said. “But it turned out we came out with a tie. So today we just had to put together four good rounds. It’s definitely exciting to win. We certainely waited our turn. It’s a great way for the seniors to go out.”
Monticello, the Region II champion this season, placed sixth in the team standings. The Mustangs shot a 642 and were led by Kevin Acher’s 154 with a round of 79 followed with a 75. Senior teammate Evan Childress was close behind at 156 with matching 78s. Austin Yoon was solid with his 160 split between an 80 and a 72. Ryan Pace had a pait of 86s to finish at 172.
