Brighton golfers fall short of state title, but still make history
ALLENDALE — They began the morning greeting one another like old friends because, after a season of being in the same tournaments nearly every week, the golfers at Brighton and Northville have spent more time with one another than their own families this spring.
OK, that’s a slight exaggeration.
Let’s just say they’ve spent a lot of hours playing golf together and getting to know one another beyond their common sport.
But as their groups made the turn during the state Division 1 tournament at The Meadows on Grand Valley State University’s campus, the idle banter was gone. Rounds were played in a noticeable silence that hadn’t been there all season or even earlier in the day.
A state championship was on the line. Every shot mattered and required an intense focus. They could be back on speaking terms after the tournament.
“We were talking on the front, but after that it was just ‘good shot,’ no commentary after any shots,” Northville senior Mason Sokolowski said. “It was about our own game.”
Brighton and Northville were tied for first place after Friday’s opening round and the Bulldogs held a one-shot lead through 10 holes, but the Mustangs parlayed a strong finish into their first state championship.
Meanwhile, Rochester Adams came seemingly out of nowhere to seize the runner-up trophy, leaving Brighton with its second straight third-place finish.
Northville shot 300-305—605, Adams 309-298—607 and Brighton 300-309—609 in one of the tighter three-way battles for a state championship.
“Maybe coming down the stretch (the talking ceased), for sure, but we’re all pretty close,” Brighton senior Winston Lerch said. “We’re all rooting for each other. It’s good to see Northville do well. There’s no bad blood there.”
The Bulldogs were able to make some history, just not the history they hoped to achieve when they teed off Saturday morning.
Instead of joining the 1997 Hartland team as Livingston County’s only state golf champions, Brighton became the first boys team from the county to have top-three finishes in back-to-back seasons. The Bulldogs have finished third each of the last two years after placing seventh two years ago.
Prior to this run, Brighton hadn’t qualified for the state tournament since 2009.
“It’s really a privilege to have this opportunity to have a good team and to just be in this position going into today tied for the lead,” Brighton senior Andrew Daily said. “You don’t get that very often. It feels good, but we didn’t get it done today.
“Brighton golf is really getting better. It’s on the come-up. Hashtag ‘Play Brighton golf.’ ”
Lerch tied for fifth place individually by shooting rounds of 75 and 71, while Daily tied for eighth with rounds of 73 and 74.
“I was playing for the team, not really for myself,” Lerch said. “I’m not really looking at what I placed individually. It’s great to see the team doing well. I was rooting for them.”
The Bulldogs’ other scores were junior Levi Pennala with a 75 and 80, junior Riley Morton with a 77 and 84, and senior Matt Doyle with an 80 and 85.
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All four Northville scorers in each round shot in the 70s.
Tied for the lead after Friday, the Bulldogs tried to take their minds off the game in the 18 hours between rounds.
“Last night we were just hanging out together,” Brighton coach James Dewling said. “We had ice cream together, of course, because that’s what everybody loves. They were ready to go today. It just got away from us on the back nine.”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillKhan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Brighton golfers fall short of state title, but still make history
