Yorktown boys golf finishes in fourth at regional, two Tigers just miss out on state
YORKTOWN, Ind. — The East Central Indiana boys golf season is over.
No local team or individual qualified for the state meet during Thursday's IHSAA Muncie Central regional at The Players Club, but Yorktown collectively, along with several other area competitors, had commendable performances against top competition.
The Tigers placed fourth overall with a season-low score of 314, just eight strokes shy of being one of the top-3 advancing teams. Head coach Nathan McClung said his squad had a chance of qualifying for most of the day but "ran out of gas" as every Tiger shot over par on the 18th hole, similar to its sectional outing.
"Overall, it was a good season," McClung said. "We did some good things and I love my group of guys.
"Unfortunately, the only way to (avoid fatigue) is by experience. If there was a magic pill or something, it would be a little bit different. And it just is a matter of just executing a little bit better."
Still, no Yorktown player shot worse than 89 and no higher than 84 of the scores that were used. Two Tigers — sophomore Christian Groves and senior Gabe Reedy — led the way, each notching a 75 to enter a six-way tie for sixth place.
More: Yorktown boys golf wins 2nd straight sectional title, 24th in program history
With the new tournament format, only two individuals from non-qualifying teams advance to state instead of the previous five, so a six-way playoff for two spots was held.
Reedy and Groves parred the first hole, which narrowed the group down to four players, but Groves mishit his tee shot on the second and was eventually eliminated after admirably fighting back into contention.
It was a frustrating finish for arguably Delaware County's top boys golfer. He nearly secured his place in the state tournament in regulation before bogeying the final hole, and his uncharacteristic end on that same 18th hole in the playoff left him emotional.
"He's a heck of a player and he works really, really hard, and that work that he puts in is why he is so hard on himself. He feels like if he'd executed just a little sharper coming in there on 18, it's a different story," McClung said. "But at the end of the day, he gave himself a lot opportunities in his sophomore year. He did a lot of great things, won some tournaments, had a bunch of top-10s.
"It's hard because he's a 16-year-old kid. He's a sophomore, and you try to help him put that in perspective, but he's just darn good. He's a really good player and you feel for Christian because I'm sure he's gonna take it tough."
More: Monroe Central’s viral athletic trainer Kyle Parkison elevated to AD post
Reedy, though, lived to play another hole before bowing out in the third and final playoff round.
Despite the senior's Yorktown golf career coming to a dramatic end, he walked off the green with a big smile on his face after playing the "best round of my life," which he attributed to his strong putting.
"I feel like it was a great way to cap off my senior season and it's a great way to end out," Greedy said.
"Gabe played the round of his career today. It's the lowest score he shot in four years as a Yorktown Tiger," McClung said. "So 75 and a few extra holes, it's kind of hard to write a better script than that, other than advancing to state. But a 75 to close his career, pretty awesome."
Reedy and fellow senior Ethan Darby, who shot a respectable 84, leave the program in the good hands of multiple talented sophomores like Groves and Marshall Johnston (80).
"We're gonna miss Gabe and Ethan like crazy, great seniors who are graduating and moving on with their lives," McClung said. "They'll be tough to replace, but great group of kids."
Delta's Riley Bratton (83), the area's lone returning state qualifier from a year ago, also played his last round of high school golf.
Yet he was unable to replicate his 75 from 2022 as a slow start plagued him almost immediately.
"First hole of the day I was in-between clubs … Hit a driver, got under the tree, punched out and bladed one over the green. So starting with a seven was kind of a buzzkill," Bratton said. "But I just kind of had fun throughout my round pretty much after I kind of knew I wasn't going to make it (to state)."
Delta (358) didn't collectively perform to its potential, shooting 30 strokes higher than its sectional score, yet Bratton said he was still proud of what the team accomplished this spring.
He even admitted that he doubted if the group could replicate last season's success and was happy to be wrong.
"The first invite, our three, four and five, were up in the high 90s and I was wondering if that was where they'd stay because my brother (Cooper) up there and I kind of talked to him about it," Bratton said. "And just throughout the season, it's just been a progressive slope up. I mean, Cooper shot 80, Colin (McCrady) shot 84 at sectionals, which blew me out of the water … It was a really, really nice progression seeing the whole team steadily get better as the season went on."
Bratton and Colin McCrady, Delta's only seniors, entered this season with two different backgrounds. Bratton, a state qualifier and long-time golfer, and McCrady only joined the team as a junior and had never played varsity.
"(Coach) said, 'We're gonna have one wild card on this team,' and he said that (McCrady) was that for us because he kind of came out of nowhere and he played really good for us this year," Bratton said.
This season was also a family affair for the Brattons. Riley played with his little brother, Cooper, and both were coached by their father, David, and grandfather, Carl.
Bratton said that, combined with the team's overall success and bond, made this one of his favorite campaigns.
"I enjoyed every single second of it," Bratton said. "It'll be something I'll definitely look back to for the rest of my life."
Final team standings
Hamilton Southeastern (289)
Tipton (303)
Noblesville (306)
Yorktown (314)
Heritage Christian (317)
Cathedral (318)
Bishop Chatard (322)
Mt. Vernon (330)
Eastbrook (332)
Bellmont (343)
Greenfield-Central (344)
New Palestine (345)
Delta (358)
Norwell (365)
Winchester (369)
Yorktown's individual scores were Groves (75), Johnston (80), Greedy (75), Darby (84) and Nate Matthews (89).
Delta's individual scores were Jake Bilby (79), Riley Bratton (83), McCrady (101), Cooper Bratton (95) and Ty Hickey (115).
Winchester's individual scores were Andrew Loyd (93), Bretton Basford (87), Gunnar Ludwick (88) and Mason Barker (101).
Of the ECI players from non-advancing teams from sectionals, Monroe Central's Coltan West shot a 92, Shenandoah's Ryan Craig shot an 85 and Wapahani's Landon Rabenstein shot an 83.
Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on Twitter @GusMartin_SP, and contact him at gmartin@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: IHSAA boys golf: Yorktown season ends with 4th-place regional finish
