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When interviewed the week of April 12, Warsaw boys golf coach Bob Turner said his 1999 team was "starting all over" and at least a "month away" from playing good golf.
His players are moving up the timetable.
He downplayed his team, but there is no downplaying the results.
Warsaw moved its record to 4-0 by shooting a 161 in Thursday's nine-hole home match at Rozella Ford Golf Course with Columbia City and Huntington North. Huntington North shot a 174, and Columbia City shot a 186.
"We played a little ugly, but we won," Turner said. "We beat Huntington, and we hadn't beaten them in about eight years."
It is April 30, and a Tiger team that was not supposed to be clicking until the middle of May golfed "a little ugly" yet beat a Columbia City team that entered 6-1 and a Huntington North team that entered 2-0.
Indeed, if the early results are accurate indications, what Turner did in his mid-April interview was take pressure off and expectations away from his team.
In Thursday's 161, the golfer Turner penciled in at the No. 5 slot, junior Ryan Slone, shot a 39. That score was only three strokes worse than the golfer he has written in the No. 1 spot for two years straight, junior Justin Howell, who took medalist honors and led the Tigers with his season-best score of 36.
The other three Tigers in the middle of the lineup - senior David Grossnickle, junior Jason Henthorn and freshman Aaron Turner - each shot a 43.
The best scores for Columbia City and Huntington North were 42s. Garin Stephan and Nick Russell each shot a 42 for Huntington North, and Mike Schumaker's 42 led Columbia City.
"Just by looking at these scores, the pin placement was exceptionally difficult," Bob Turner said. "Lots of putts tonight. The Schumaker boy from Columbia City shoots a 42. That is not his standard of golf.
"The course played tough. Aaron Turner lost four strokes on (holes) three and four, otherwise he's in the 30s. I'm happy we shot a 161 on a night where we had three 43s."
WARSAW 161, HUNTINGTON NORTH 174, COLUMBIA CITY 186
Warsaw (4-0) -ÊJustin Howell 36, Aaron Turner 43, Jason Henthorn 43, Ryan Slone 39, Ryan Grossnickle 43
Huntington North (3-1) -ÊNick Larsen 44, Garin Stephan 42, Todd Gorrell 52, Nick Russell 42, Chad Smith 46
Columbia City (6-3) -ÊMike Schumaker 42, Nick Brown 46, Aaron Parker 50, Jeremy Baxter 50, Chris Wymer 48
Medalist - Howell 36
JV: WARSAW 172, HUNTINGTON NORTH 184, COLUMBIA CITY 186
Warsaw (5-0) -ÊAdam Johnson 42, Luke Knisely 44, Brandon Frantz 42, Trent Shively 50, Matt Osbeck 44, David Slater 39
