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FRANKLIN - The Warsaw Tigers boys golf team is now in the same company of the storied 1984 boys basketball team.
Make room Jeff Grose, Steve Hollar and Marty Lehman, leaders of the 1984 team.
Golfers Jake Brodhead, Chris Hanson, Jon Clevenger, Grant Slater and Tad Nieter earned Warsaw Community High School its first team title since 1991's softball championship and the first boys team title since 1984.
The team also earned a place in the hearts of Warsaw sports faithful with a final score of 613 to beat Noblesville and Richmond over two days of competition at Legends of Indiana Golf Course.
Head coach Ben Barkey, a 1997 WCHS graduate, won a state championship in just his third year at the helm of the Tiger program after taking over for longtime head coach Bob Turner.
Turner will be inducted into the Indiana Golf Hall of Fame Friday, capping an Indiana golf week dominated by Warsaw.
"We have a town that supports us and we have great people around us to make this possible," said Barkey. "This just stems back to what coach Turner did."
"I played golf my whole life for this," said Clevenger, who shot a 76 on the first day of competition and an 88 on the second day.
The senior trio of Brodhead, Hanson and Clevenger helped build the program under the tutelage of both Turner and Barkey.
"We've been talking about this the last three years," said Ball State-bound Hanson. "This has been a dream of ours and it's just amazing to have this come true."
"It's a dream come true," said Brodhead, who will continue his golf career at Troy State University in Alabama.
But it was the dynamic sophomore duo of Nieter and Slater that clinched the hardware for Warsaw.
Slater finished tied for third overall with a score of 148 while Nieter overcame a tough round of 85 on the first day to shoot a 77 Wednesday.
Warsaw is the second team from the Northern Lakes Conference to win a boys state golf championship and just the fourth team in 25 years north of Kokomo to win the crown. Rochester won the boys golf state championship in 1980, but departed from the NLC in 1987.
The Tigers overcame swirling winds that humbled golfers and caused scores to soar.
Warsaw trailed by three strokes to Leo and Richmond after the first day.
By the time Warsaw finished its first nine holes, the Tigers were up three strokes and never looked back.
The crowds swelled around the 18th hole to watch each Tiger golfer finish off his round. Don Dicken, retired master golf professional at Rozella Ford, watched with pride as one after another, Warsaw golfers finished their round.
Warsaw awards the Don Dicken Award to a senior golfer who excels in leadership, academics, citizenship and team effort.
This year's recipient was Brodhead.
He and the rest of the Tigers exemplified the ultimate in team effort over two blustery days in Franklin.
And for their efforts, the 2005 Tiger golf team earns a place forever in the history of Warsaw athletics.
