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Before Saturday's Warsaw Golf Sectional, Tippecanoe Valley coach Roger Moriarty told his girls what they needed to shoot to go to regional.
"If we shoot 420," he said, "we'll go to the regional."
He figured it made sense. One year ago East Noble won this sectional at Rozella Ford Golf Course with 411. Columbia City shot 431 to make it out.
Moriarty's girls listened, shooting not 420 but better yet, 401.
In 1997, Valley wins the sectional with 401. In 1998, Valley places fourth and stays home with 401.
The course was the same course, but the scores changed. Columbia City won this year's sectional at Rozella Ford with 377. East Noble followed with 381, while Warsaw was third with 393.
The top three teams advance to Saturday's Huntington Regional at Norwood Golf Course.
"What do you do?" Moriarty wondered after the match.
If you're Warsaw, you give thanks that your back nine score didn't keep you home for the first time in at least five years. The Tigers shot 193 on the front nine. They followed that score with 200 on the back nine.
Yes, they had home-course advantage. No, they didn't win.
But the ultimate goal was met.
"Our goal was to get out," Warsaw coach Bob Turner said. "For about 15 minutes, everybody was sad, but we're still playing next week.
"The 193 on the front is about what we've been shooting over nine holes. Our score on the back nine was a bit higher than what we're used to shooting. But if we shoot 193 and 193, we still don't win.
"Today the other two teams were better than us."
Turner often talks about golfers who "shoot lights out." Warsaw didn't have that Saturday. Columbia City did.
Columbia City's best score, 89, was not turned in by the first or second golfers in its lineup but its third golfer, Amanda Lowe. Columbia City's second-best score, 92, was turned in by the fourth golfer in its lineup, Lisa Brookes.
Warsaw had two girls below 100. Kerri Wrobel, golfing in the first slot, led the way with 93. Tosha Nance, golfing in the fifth spot, shot 98. Warsaw's other three golfers, Ashley Cooper, April Turner and Lara Reed, each shot 101.
"Kerri Wrobel did a good job," Bob Turner said. "She hasn't felt well for a couple of days, and when it's hot out like today, that only makes it worse. She played well for a sophomore. I thought Tosha Nance played well.
"We didn't have anybody play real bad. We just didn't have anybody play well enough for us to win."
While Moriarty knew he wouldn't send his five golfers on to the regional - Columbia City, East Noble and Warsaw were done first -Êhe hoped he would send two on. The top three individuals not on advancing teams also move on to regional.
The top qualifier was Manchester's Dorey Bungitak, who shot 85. After her, Valley's Brenda Rose shot 94 to advance. The score Moriarty fretted about was Kendra Koser's 98.
He saw this as the feel-good story. Koser is a Valley freshman who was not in the varsity lineup at the start of the year. Now here she was, golfing in the fifth spot in the lineup, poised to go to the regional.
Moriarty, standing in the Rozella Ford parking lot overlooking the 18th hole, looked down at his stat sheet.
"I'd sure like to see her find a way to get out," Moriarty said.
Four teams were still playing by the time Valley finished. Moriarty knew only one girl on those four teams - Wawasee's Julia Wolfe - stood a chance of knocking Koser out of the top three.
Sure enough, Wolfe finished later and turned in 94 to move on with Bungitak and Rose. Koser is the alternate in case of an emergency.
The sectional is over. Now it's on to regional.
"We beat both East Noble and Columbia City in the regular season," Bob Turner said. "They beat us at the sectional. Now it's a best of three when we face them at the regional. Maybe we can make some amends."
