While both Triton and Warsaw are done with classes for the school year, their boys golf teams face a test Thursday. The Triton Trojans and seventh-ranked Warsaw Tigers will be among the 12 teams competing in the regional at Orchard Ridge Country Club in Fort Wayne. The top three teams, as well as the top three individuals not on an advancing team, will qualify for next week’s state finals at The Legends in Franklin. The Trojans are hoping to advance to state for just the second time in school history, while the Tigers are vying for their seventh appearance in nine years. “Basically, it’s an old-style country club course,” Triton coach Jack Carpenter said of Orchard Ridge. “You have to hit fairways and greens, or you’ll be putting for bogeys and doubles. You don’t have to hit driver on every hole. If you use common sense, you’ll be OK.” Other teams playing in the regional include Canterbury, Carroll, Culver Military Academy, DeKalb, Dwenger, Elkhart Memorial, Garrett, Homestead, Lakeland and Northridge. “We’re playing a course we’re familiar with,” said Warsaw coach Ben Barkey, whose team features four of the five players that led the Tigers to a seventh-place finish in last year’s state finals. “We’re very familiar with Orchard Ridge, and we play at Stonehenge all season, we’re not going to be intimidated by any courses.” Playing in cold, wet and windy conditions nearly a week ago, both the Tigers and Trojans shot 323 during sectional play at Stonehenge. Warsaw won its 25th sectional title via a fifth-man tiebreaker. The weather and course conditions at the regional should be much better. The competition will also be better. “We’re taking the same approach we always do,” said Barkey. “We’re going to play the course and worry about ourselves. We can’t control what another team does. We’ll just go about our business and see what happens.” Barkey and Carpenter believe their teams have the talent to advance to state. They also believe they have players who can contend for regional medalist honors. Warsaw senior Tyler Ostrom, the defending state champion, won the individual title at last year’s regional with a 1-under 70. As a sophomore, the Ball State-bound Ostrom shot 72 at the regional and lost a playoff to Homestead’s Jon Finley. Ostrom heads into this year’s regional after winning the sectional with a 76 – an impressive score considering last week’s weather conditions. “Tyler is the defending regional champ,” said Barkey. “He plays very well over there. I think Jon Schram or Tim Ahlersmeyer could win too. I have three guys I think could finish in the top five. Quentyn Carpenter has a great chance too.” Carpenter, Triton’s standout junior, shot 75 at the regional a year ago and advanced to state as an individual. “Quentyn should be in contention,” said Jack Carpenter, his father. “He’s very familiar with the course. He hit the ball well Monday and Tuesday, and I expect him to do the same Thursday. We’d like to get out as a team, it’s a lot more fun taking the whole team to state, but I think Chandler (Slone) and Ryan (Rapp) also have a shot at getting out.”
