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FORT WAYNE - Much of the talk was already about them, the shirts only made the members of Warsaw's boys golf team stick out more.
Wearing multi-colored, striped shirts rather than their school colors of burnt orange, black and white, the 13th-ranked Tigers stood out at Thursday's Homestead Regional at Chestnut Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne not only for their attire but for their play as well.
A team that left the regional with a disappointing fifth-place finish last year, Warsaw took home the hardware Thursday afternoon, winning the team championship with an 18-hole round of 299.
"It's a great feeling," second-year Warsaw coach Ben Barkey said of winning the regional, something he didn't get to experience as a Tiger while playing varsity for Bob Turner from 1995-97. "Last year we took Chris Hanson to state, this year we're excited about taking the whole team. This is what the kids have worked hard for. They're starting to see the fruits of their labor."
The top three teams, as well as the top three individuals not on an advancing team, advance to Tuesday and Wednesday's state finals at Legends of Indiana in Franklin.
Finishing second and third to join Warsaw at state were 14th-ranked Concord with a 306 and Culver Military Academy with a 311.
Other teams competing in the 12-team regional field at the Fuzzy Zoeller-designed, 6,996-yard par 72 scenic course included 12th-ranked Columbia City (312), Leo (313), Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian (318), Goshen (320), Northridge (320), Wawasee (323), DeKalb (324), Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (326) and Fort Wayne Snider (351).
Barkey contributed a lot of his team's success at Thursday's regional to having the tough Stonehenge Golf Club as its home course.
The Tigers won the sectional last Saturday at Stonehenge with a 314, and Barkey claims that after playing at Stonehenge the courses his team will see will only get easier.
Thursday Warsaw led the regional field after nine holes with an impressive 147, with Leo closest at 150 and CMA at 155.
"If you would have told me we'd shoot 147 on the first nine holes, I'd say I'd take it," said Barkey. "I know I wouldn't have been losing sleep like I have. The kids played great today."
Junior Chris Hanson led the Tigers on the first nine holes with a sizzling 33, the best score turned in at the turn.
He finished the day with a team-best 71 and tied for the second-best individual score of the day at 1-under par.
"It was impressive, but that's what we expect from him," said Barkey of Hanson's round. "It's a very nice score, but it's not quite a surprise that he played that well."
In an invitational at Chestnut Hills earlier this season Hanson hit a hole-in-one on the fifth hole.
Other Warsaw scores Thursday included a 74 from junior Jon Clevenger, a 75 from senior Ben Brodhead, a 79 from freshman Grant Slater and an 81 from junior Jake Brodhead.
Concord's Gavin Wilkinson took medalist honors with a 4-under round of 68. The top three individuals not on an advancing team and earning a berth at state were Westview's Nate Fanning (71), Leo's Justin Hueber (74) and Columbia City's Brad Lowe (74). Wawasee's Tyler Rondeau was one stroke behind them with a 3-over par 75.
Manchester's Aaron Taylor competed individually Thursday and finished the day with an 83.
Other scores for ninth-place Wawasee included Andy Custer's 80, Andy Wolf's 82, Zach Marshall's 86 and Barry Singrey's 88.
After Tuesday's first round of the state finals at Legends of Indiana, the top nine teams as well as any team within 12 strokes of the leader advance to Wednesday's final round. Also, the top nine individuals as well as those within four strokes of the leader will play the second day of the state finals.
The Tigers competed at Legends of Indiana on May 17 in the Franklin Invitational, shooting a 314 and finishing second to current No. 2 Zionsville. Richmond, currently ranked No. 1, was third in that invitational.
Hanson led the Tigers that day with a 76, while Slater added a 77.
"The kids have played at the Legends course, and they've played at Stonehenge all year," said Barkey. "The advantage of playing at Stonehenge is that the courses are going to get easier. There's no courses that we'll have to play on that will scare the kids."
