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Sinking a record
La Plata wins county golf tournament
Friday, Oct. 10, 2008
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by GARY SMITH
La Plata's Spencer Bowling putts on an early hole during Tuesday's tournament. Bowling finished with a 75.
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La Plata treated Tuesday's Charles County Golf Tournament as a glorified practice round for the upcoming Class 4A/3A state tournament, which has seen the Warriors settle for bridesmaid status in 2003, 2006 and 2007 as the runner-up and still without that elusive Maryland crown.
The motivated mindset produced exactly what La Plata wanted –– and needed after a sub-par first-place showing last week in the district tournament by its own standards.
La Plata claimed its seventh straight Superintendent's Cup in winning the county gathering with a tournament record 301, just 13-over-par collectively as a team and breaking the former mark by a stroke it established only a year ago at the usual annual setting of White Plains.
North Point, tied with La Plata atop the SMAC standings after the regular season, posted a runner-up 312 while upstart McDonough finished in third with a respectable 321. Thomas Stone (358) and Lackey (475) rounded out the team scoring.
Westlake just had one participant in the mix, falling short of the four-golfer minimum needed to construct a team score.
This year, the county tournament was moved from the less-forgiving narrow fairways of White Plains to La Plata's home greens of Swan Point and made the host more of a prohibitive favorite.
Following a lackluster performance last week at Swan Point in securing the district's best score of 322 –– only three better than North Point and McDonough in regulation –– La Plata felt better about its title-hopeful chances at the league and state tournaments, played on the courses of White Plains and Potomac Ridge, respectively, the next two weeks.
"Everyone had less pressure, because it was counties," La Plata No. 1 golfer Jay Dove said after carding a 3-under 69 to lead the field, on the heels of his district-best 70 six days before. "At [districts], it's a qualifier for states, you're a nervous wreck. But, I think [my team] was relaxed and that's what we need to do."
"These guys were very disappointed after the districts with the scores that they shot, being at their home course," La Plata head coach David Russell added about his team. "They were, quite frankly, embarrassed. So, I could see them in practice thinking about things more versus just getting up there, gripping it and ripping it. They played well today, but all our guys who were in the high 70s are capable of going lower. I know we're satisfied with the win, but we all are capable of going lower, including Jay.
"Today, to be honest with you, I watched most of his round. He missed five or six short putts. If he makes them, he's possibly looking at a county record."
Dove had never previously won the county title before, and he pulled off the feat in runaway fashion –– six strokes ahead of his nearest threats in teammate Spencer Bowling and McDonough's Cas Dickerson, each with a 75.
"Maybe here is where you take some chances, but I give Jay credit," Russell said. "Today there was a couple times when he was three-under I thought he was going to try and drive the screen, but he was sticking to his game plan. We're kind of setting up a game plan for Potomac Ridge. In the past [for states] we played at College Park, where it's a little bit longer and more forgiving and where hitting the driver is key. Potomac Ridge, you really don't need to hit driver and that's what I'm trying to emphasize."
"I hit 16 greens and just hit the ball real, real well," Dove added about his day. "The birdies I made were tap-ins. I got to get the putter working a bit better, but I'll take 69. It was a good score for me."
Last year at the county tournament, 69 was also the winning tally by Dove's now-graduated teammate, Cody Burch. Dove finished five strokes behind in second.
This most-recent county crown for La Plata saw Seth Nagle (78) and Tyler Logan (79) combine with Dove and Bowling for the record-setting team pace.
Mckenzie Cutter's 76 and Mitchell Buccelli's 77 spearheaded North Point's second-place effort. They also rounded out the top-five individually in the tournament.
All five team scores were lower –– some substantially –– at the county tournament than the districts on the same course, illustrating the pressure factor of trying to earn state qualification.
Tuesday, the SMAC championship will be decided at the White Plains-hosted league tournament. La Plata, North Point and Chopticon are gridlocked in a three-way tie for first place at 11-1 entering the showdown.
During the regular season, each of the teams beat each other as La Plata defeated Chopticon, North Point knocked off La Plata and Chopticon upset North Point.
The state tournament in the 4A/3A ranks is slated for Oct. 21 and 23 at North Point's home course of Potomac Ridge. The 2A/1A state tournament is scheduled for Oct. 22 and 23 on the same greens. North Point's playoff victory over McDonough at districts assured the Eagles of vying for the 2A/1A crown at a venue they know well.
dcogle@somdnews.com
