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Its scores tallied as darkness set in Thursday evening, there is light at the end of the tunnel for Warsaw's varsity girls golf team.
After beating Northern Lakes Conference opponents Plymouth and Concord on the front nine at Stonehenge Golf Club, the Tigers will enter the Sept. 11 NLC Match in the driver's seat after cruising through the season with a 6-0 conference mark.
Warsaw wrapped up its undefeated conference season Thursday by shooting a 173, while Plymouth shot 187 and Concord 198.
Normally there are seven conference matches in the regular season, however, NorthWood didn't have enough golfers to field a full team this year.
"We're happy with it," Warsaw coach Chris LaLonde said of heading into the NLC Match with an unblemished record. "Last year Goshen beat us by one stroke (in the regular season), this year everyone has to try and catch us."
The pair of wins also kept the Tigers' overall season record perfect at 12-0.
Plymouth fell to 9-3 overall and 5-1 in the NLC, while Concord dropped to 6-12 and 1-5.
While the Tigers picked up the two wins Thursday, the word around the course as players neared the final hole was they weren't playing particuarly well as a team.
"Not when you know you're going to turn in two 50s," said LaLonde. "I didn't know how it was going to come out. I wouldn't say I was disapointed, the score came out good. A 173 is good, but we're still looking for a 165. I think we can get it to all come together. You just have to be patient, and I'm trying to be."
Sophomore Emily Johnson, the defending state champion, led the Tigers and took medalist honors with a 1-under par 34.
She headed to the final hole at 2-under, but was long on a three-foot putt, and bogeyed to finish her career best round.
Her previous best was a 35.
"She's been struggling," LaLonde said of Johnson. "Not with the game, but more of a mental thing. She's a solid player. You know that if she misses a green she can go up and down."
Other scores counted in Warsaw's four-player score were senior Jessica Sadler's 43, junior Jenny Manning's 44 and senior Mallory Hepler's 52. Junior Megan Krizmanich shot a 54.
Jessica Dooley led Concord with a 36, but no other linkster in the Minutemen lineup shot better than the 51 turned in by Jennifer Killian. Abby Abner shot 55, while Brooke Dalton shot 56 and Alli Hooley 58.
For Plymouth, Kristen Holloway and Angela Collins led the way with 45s, while Jillian Badell turned in a 47, Brittany Payne a 50 and Kelly Payne a 54.
The Tiges are in action again Thursday when they host the Manchester Squires on senior night.
WARSAW 173, PLYMOUTH 187, CONCORD 198
Warsaw scores - Emily Johnson 34, Mallory Hepler 52, Jenny Manning 44, Megan Krizmanich 54, Jessica Sadler 43
Plymouth scores - Kelly Payne 54, Angela Collins 45, Kristen Holloway 45, Jillian Badell 47, Brittany Payne 50
Concord scores - Jessica Dooley 36, Brooke Dalton 56, Jennifer Killian 51, Abby Abner 55, Alli Hooley 58
JV - Warsaw 202, Concord 244, Plymouth 282
Warsaw scores - Laura Manning 49, Erica Schori 57, Kortni Morris 55, Karli Slater 53, Elena Duncan 49
