Wheeling Central Gets Second, Moves On to State Tournament
By MIKE MATHISON
For The Intelligencer
WEIRTON — Kyle Wensel and Peyton Moore really didn’t like the way they finished their rounds, even though they tied for medalist honors with 1-under 71s.
Howie Peterson wasn’t thrilled with his 18 holes, but Hunter Payne really liked his back nine.
And, they all get to do it again Oct. 4-5 at the West Virginia Class A State Golf Tournament on the Speidel Course at Oglebay Park.
The Blue Dons won the Class A, Region 1 title with a 228 Monday at Williams Country Club. Wheeling Central finished second at 241.
Both teams will head to the state tournament.
Moore and Magnolia teammate Trey Blain will participate in the state tournament one week from today after finishing with the top two individual scores of players not on qualifying teams.
“I felt good, but I’m kind of upset with the way I finished,” said Wensel, a Wheeling Central senior. “But, overall, I’m pretty happy with 71.
“I bogeyed 18 and missed that short one (for par) on 16. I still don’t know how I missed it.
“Any under par round here I’m happy with.
“It’s a tough course, tight off the team. But, I hit it better than what my score said – just from putting.”
Wensel knows what’s in store for him before next week’s two-day tournament.
“I’m going to work on my putting and wedge game,” he said. “I hit a couple bad wedges. My shot on 18, I ballooned it (from 85 yards) and left it out. I tried to get too cute with it and the wind just ate it up.
“The greens were good today. They were a little bumpy (from being aerified nine days ago), but they were fast. The course is in great shape from where it was a year ago. They did a lot with it.
“You can’t finish bogey-par-bogey. I don’t think anyone is going to be happy with that.
“Overall, I had fun today playing with Howie and Peyton. I’ve known Howie for a long time and Peyton played well today, too.
“It’s great playing with your buddies.”
Wensel said he likes the fact the state tournament will be played on his home course.
“I’m looking forward to hopefully defending my state title next week,” he said.
Moore bogeyed 16 and 17 to shoot his 71.
“I thought I played pretty well,” he said of his 34-37 round. “I had a few bad holes there and probably should have shot a little lower. Overall, I’m happy.
“Although, I’m not happy with how I finished.
“I knew I had to come out here and shoot a good score to help my team and to ensure I could qualify individually.
“If I came out here and played well, I knew it would benefit me and my team.
“This is a great course to shoot 1-under on and it’s in great shape.”
Moore also knows what he’s going to work on before teeing it up next week.
“I have to work on everything,” he said.
He also knows patience will be key for the state tournament.
“You can’t rush through your shots because you know it’s going to be slow out there,” Moore said. “You have to look over everything because you know it’s going to be a long two days.”
Payne shot 33 on the back to tie his career low round of 72 at Williams.
“I played really well on the back,” he said. “I didn’t hit it well at all on the front. It was rough. I was hitting bad drives on the front and straightened it out on the back.”
Payne had two bogeys, a double and a birdie on the front, but backed it up with birdies on 11, 13 and 16.
“I just kept my head in it and grinded it out,” Payne said.
“I definitely have to work on my putting getting ready for next week. It is a grind all the way.”
Peterson, the Class 1A OVAC medalist two weeks ago, didn’t quite have it all clicking Monday in his 73.
“I felt pretty good out there, I just struggled with a lot of my easy shots and didn’t get many putts to fall,” the Blue Dons junior said. “The last few weeks I’ve been striking it well and scoring well. The season’s come to an end and now is when you have to grind.
“I felt I could hit the ball a lot better than I did today and make more putts, but that’s the way it fell. Once the putts start dropping, watch out.”
Tony Sellitti shot 83 and Joey Ewusiak 87 for the Blue Dons and Jaren Straughn 82, Seth Carenbauer 88 and Derrick Harrison 94 for the Maroon Knights.
Madonna won the state title in 2010 and have been runners-up to Charleston Catholic in 2009 and 2011-15.
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