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Before Thursday's varsity golf match between Warsaw and Wawasee ended, Wawasee coach Don Deck scribbled down a prediction. He wrote Warsaw 157, Wawasee 161.
Deck was on target, only three strokes off. Warsaw's boys golf team won 155-160 at South Shore Golf Course, but the Tigers did not have the best score at the match.
Had Deck written the junior varsity score down, odds are he wouldn't have written 153 for Warsaw.
But Warsaw's junior varsity team did shoot a 153 for the best score at the match. Consider Warsaw's varsity team is 12-0 and ranked No. 18.
"Pretty powerful," Deck said.
Warsaw's junior varsity team defeated Wawasee's junior varsity 153-170.
"We've got a lot of good players," Warsaw coach Bob Turner said. "It's just unfortunate we can play only five at a time."
The varsity Tigers improved to 2-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference, while Wawasee dropped to 10-3 overall and 1-2 in the NLC.
Junior Ryan Slone, golfing the third spot in Warsaw's lineup, led the varsity Tigers with a 36 on the par 36 nine holes. Justin Howell and Jason Henthorn, manning the top two spots, each shot 39. Fourth and fifth golfers Aaron Turner and Adam Johnson shot 41s.
For Wawasee's varsity team, Chet Wortinger shot a 41, Ryan Skaggs a 38, Lucas White a 42, Bobby Likens a 42 and Scott White a 39.
"We had four penalty strokes that hurt us," Deck said.
Among Warsaw's top three golfers, only one - Howell - needed six strokes for one hole, and that came on hole four, a par-five hole.
And Johnson, Warsaw's No. 5 golfer in the lineup, finished as well as anybody. He needed only eight strokes on the last three holes. He birdied holes seven and eight, par-three holes, and parred hole nine, a par-four hole.
But the story of the day was the golfers in Warsaw's junior varsity lineup. While this is the first time this season the junior varsity Tigers beat the varsity Tigers, Warsaw's junior varsity lineup has beaten the opposing team's varsity squad in every match.
Brandon Frantz led Warsaw's junior varsity squad with a 37. He was followed by David Grossnickle with a 39, Tyler Wallen with a 38, Luke Knisely with a 42 and Greg Clay with a 39.
"All of the kids in our lineup, one through 10, are capable of shooting in the 30s," Bob Turner said.
The match with Wawasee was Warsaw's third in three days. The varsity Tigers shot 153, 150 and 155. Their 150 in Wednesday's nine-hole match at Rozella Ford Golf Course is their best nine-hole score this season.
"We've had a good week," Bob Turner said. "We have a lot of kids playing well. I figured we'd have to spot (Wawasee) at least three strokes on this golf course.
"Our kids are playing with confidence. Wawasee has a really good team, and to beat them on their golf course, we had to play well. At 160, you're going to win most matches."
Deck knew the Tigers were good as evidenced by the 157 he had predicted for them. They lived up to and even bettered his prediction by two strokes.
"Warsaw's the best team we'll play all year," Deck said. "If they are not rated in the top 10 in the state, they surely should be."
WARSAW 155, WAWASEE 160
Warsaw (12-0, 2-0 NLC) -ÊJustin Howell 39, Jason Henthorn 39, Ryan Slone 36, Aaron Turner 41, Adam Johnson 41
Wawasee (10-3, 1-2 NLC) -ÊChad Wortinger 41, Ryan Skaggs 38, Lucas White 42, Bobby Likens 42, Scott White 39
JV: WARSAW 153, WAWASEE 170
Warsaw -ÊBrandon Frantz 37, David Grossnickle 39, Tyler Wallen 38, LUke Knisely 42, Greg Clay 39
Wawasee -ÊEric Andrews 39, Kyle Lundy 44, Robbie Trame 44, Justin VanLue 44, Steven Haiford 43
