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MONTGOMERY — Few milestones have alluded the Castle boys golf program over the last decade.
The Knights had five appearances at the state championship since 2015. Those visits also included a pair of top eight finishes. Few would deny their standing within Southwestern Indiana.
The only obstacle? Castle was always looking up to someone else, specifically another Southern Indiana Athletic Conference foe, on the scoreboard.
That's no longer the case. This group is accomplishing what few others have in program history.
More: What to know for the IHSAA baseball semi-state round in Southwestern Indiana
No. 6 Castle posted a 291 on Thursday, June 11 at Country Oaks to win its first regional championship in 11 years. Such a feat had only been earned twice by the program since 1984. The Knights posted five scores in the 70s to fend off a spirited push from No. 19 Bloomington South (295).
"It's been a long time coming," Castle coach Josh Kain said. "We've had some good scores, but North has been that much better. I could see it in the pipeline coming about two or three years ago. We were just trying to build a program that can compete. Luckily, we got the right kids at the right time."
Why was it finally Castle's turn? Start with the individual regional champion from the No. 1 spot in the lineup.
Brayden Lamborne fired a 3-under par 69 to put the finishing touches on the Knights' coronation. The Ball State signee had birdies at 1, 12, 15 and 17 to offset a bogey at the par-4 fifth. Lamborne hit all three par-5s in two to make simple two-putt birdies. He also stayed within himself to post a number worthy of the championship.
Lamborne is the first individual regional champion for Castle since Adam Bratton in 2018. He lost a three-man playoff on the same course last year.
"I just kind of played my game," Lamborne said. "I didn't worry about other people. I stayed in my bubble. Hit greens and two putt. Tried to be patient with my game."
What separates this group is the depth. Alex Cook and Brady Fiester each signed for 73. Jace Reiter fired a season-low 76 from the fifth spot. Even if the Knights required Layne Cunningham's 78, they win by two shots. That kind of consistent scoring is a luxury few teams possess.
Add a regional title to a growing list of accomplishments this spring. Castle fired a 283 at Helfrich last week to win its first sectional since 2015.
"It's a deep roster," Kain said. "Jace is putting in some really good scores. It's just the other four are really, really good. We could see this coming for him. I'm really excited for him to have his score count. The sky is the limit for him."
What could this group accomplish at the state finals next week, June 16-17 at Prairie View GC in Carmel? Time to find out. Castle flexed its muscles with a victory in the Hall of Fame Invitational and a top-five showing in the State Preview already. The first two rounds of the state tournament backed up their ability to enter next week as a contender.
One more to go.
"We knew all year that we've been waiting for this moment," Lamborne said. "Everything's been a practice for this next week. We're going to enjoy this, but the job's not finished. We're coming for state."
How difficult was it to earn a spot in the state finals? This is the first time since the regional moved to Montgomery in 2008 that all three advancing teams shot lower than 300. The recipient of the final spot belonged to Memorial.
The Tigers shot a 299 to finish ahead of stiff competition from Boonville (305), Washington (305), Jasper (309), Forest Park (309) and Barr-Reeve (310). Those scores usually advance or sometimes win at Country Oaks. Memorial had four scores in the 70s to earn a trip to Prairie View for the first time since 2023.
More: Castle, Memorial, Boonville advance from IHSAA boys golf sectional at Helfrich
The Tigers had their best team score across the last four years last week in the sectional (302). This was even better.
"These guys worked hard all season long," Memorial coach Tucker Smith said. "Just getting better, better and better. That's what this team showed from the beginning of the year all the way to now. I told these guys this morning it was going to take a sub-300 score. That's what we did."
Grayson Coughlin was once again a rock at the top of the lineup. The senior shot a 2-under 70 to earn a tied for second overall. Coughlin started slow with a 37 (a single bogey at 14) before putting on a clinic during his closing side. The final tally included birdies at 1, 5, 6 and 7.
This team accomplishment was only possible because of help elsewhere. Jaxon Ball posted a 75 with three birdies. Andrew Bishop (76) and Jake Brackett (78) provided needed support at the bottom of the lineup. Memorial has reached another level since the postseason arrived.
"We had some big players step up," Coughlin said. "Jake Brackett, Andrew Bishop, Jaxon Ball. They all stepped up. This team has fought so hard. We wanted to get back to state."
The team leaderboard wasn't the only source of low scores. A red number was required to advance as an individual.
Boonville's Mason Mills earned the first spot with a 2-under 70. The senior had four birdies and hit 16 greens in regulation during his second regional visit to Country Oaks. He is the first for the program to reach the state finals since 2007.
"I've worked four years for this," Mills said. "I would hit the center of the green and lag it up to about a foot. Make par pretty much every single hole. Put in a lot of work for it, and it's finally happened."
North's Hank Schreiber also booked a trip to Carmel with a 1-under 71. The sophomore started the round with two bogeys in the opening three holes. What followed is why his career potential is intriguing. Schreiber played the next 12 holes in four-under with birdies at 7, 12, 13 and 15.
He saved a bogey at 18 after taking an unplayable lie in the green-side bunker. That final putt kept him out of a playoff.
"You kind of just trust your process," Schreiber said. "You put in the work all year to trust yourself to know that you're going to play good. And I felt good. I had a good back nine and made a really good bogey on the last hole. Pretty crucial, because it was tight. I came through in the end."
Springs Valley's Van Leininger earned the other individual spot with a 71. The complete team standings were as follows: Castle 291, Bloomington South 295, Memorial 299, Boonville 305, Washington 305, Jasper 309, Forest Park 309, Barr-Reeve 310, Bloomington North 315, Terre Haute North 317, Terre Haute South 322, Vincennes Lincoln 322, Brownstown Central 322, Loogootee 332, Northview 339.
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA boys golf regional results from Country Oaks, Southwestern Indiana
Continue reading...
The Knights had five appearances at the state championship since 2015. Those visits also included a pair of top eight finishes. Few would deny their standing within Southwestern Indiana.
The only obstacle? Castle was always looking up to someone else, specifically another Southern Indiana Athletic Conference foe, on the scoreboard.
That's no longer the case. This group is accomplishing what few others have in program history.
More: What to know for the IHSAA baseball semi-state round in Southwestern Indiana
No. 6 Castle posted a 291 on Thursday, June 11 at Country Oaks to win its first regional championship in 11 years. Such a feat had only been earned twice by the program since 1984. The Knights posted five scores in the 70s to fend off a spirited push from No. 19 Bloomington South (295).
"It's been a long time coming," Castle coach Josh Kain said. "We've had some good scores, but North has been that much better. I could see it in the pipeline coming about two or three years ago. We were just trying to build a program that can compete. Luckily, we got the right kids at the right time."
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Why was it finally Castle's turn? Start with the individual regional champion from the No. 1 spot in the lineup.
Brayden Lamborne fired a 3-under par 69 to put the finishing touches on the Knights' coronation. The Ball State signee had birdies at 1, 12, 15 and 17 to offset a bogey at the par-4 fifth. Lamborne hit all three par-5s in two to make simple two-putt birdies. He also stayed within himself to post a number worthy of the championship.
Lamborne is the first individual regional champion for Castle since Adam Bratton in 2018. He lost a three-man playoff on the same course last year.
"I just kind of played my game," Lamborne said. "I didn't worry about other people. I stayed in my bubble. Hit greens and two putt. Tried to be patient with my game."
What separates this group is the depth. Alex Cook and Brady Fiester each signed for 73. Jace Reiter fired a season-low 76 from the fifth spot. Even if the Knights required Layne Cunningham's 78, they win by two shots. That kind of consistent scoring is a luxury few teams possess.
You must be registered for see images attach
Add a regional title to a growing list of accomplishments this spring. Castle fired a 283 at Helfrich last week to win its first sectional since 2015.
"It's a deep roster," Kain said. "Jace is putting in some really good scores. It's just the other four are really, really good. We could see this coming for him. I'm really excited for him to have his score count. The sky is the limit for him."
What could this group accomplish at the state finals next week, June 16-17 at Prairie View GC in Carmel? Time to find out. Castle flexed its muscles with a victory in the Hall of Fame Invitational and a top-five showing in the State Preview already. The first two rounds of the state tournament backed up their ability to enter next week as a contender.
One more to go.
"We knew all year that we've been waiting for this moment," Lamborne said. "Everything's been a practice for this next week. We're going to enjoy this, but the job's not finished. We're coming for state."
Memorial survives a historic regional at Country Oaks
How difficult was it to earn a spot in the state finals? This is the first time since the regional moved to Montgomery in 2008 that all three advancing teams shot lower than 300. The recipient of the final spot belonged to Memorial.
The Tigers shot a 299 to finish ahead of stiff competition from Boonville (305), Washington (305), Jasper (309), Forest Park (309) and Barr-Reeve (310). Those scores usually advance or sometimes win at Country Oaks. Memorial had four scores in the 70s to earn a trip to Prairie View for the first time since 2023.
More: Castle, Memorial, Boonville advance from IHSAA boys golf sectional at Helfrich
The Tigers had their best team score across the last four years last week in the sectional (302). This was even better.
"These guys worked hard all season long," Memorial coach Tucker Smith said. "Just getting better, better and better. That's what this team showed from the beginning of the year all the way to now. I told these guys this morning it was going to take a sub-300 score. That's what we did."
You must be registered for see images attach
Grayson Coughlin was once again a rock at the top of the lineup. The senior shot a 2-under 70 to earn a tied for second overall. Coughlin started slow with a 37 (a single bogey at 14) before putting on a clinic during his closing side. The final tally included birdies at 1, 5, 6 and 7.
This team accomplishment was only possible because of help elsewhere. Jaxon Ball posted a 75 with three birdies. Andrew Bishop (76) and Jake Brackett (78) provided needed support at the bottom of the lineup. Memorial has reached another level since the postseason arrived.
"We had some big players step up," Coughlin said. "Jake Brackett, Andrew Bishop, Jaxon Ball. They all stepped up. This team has fought so hard. We wanted to get back to state."
Who else advanced to the IHSAA state championship?
The team leaderboard wasn't the only source of low scores. A red number was required to advance as an individual.
Boonville's Mason Mills earned the first spot with a 2-under 70. The senior had four birdies and hit 16 greens in regulation during his second regional visit to Country Oaks. He is the first for the program to reach the state finals since 2007.
"I've worked four years for this," Mills said. "I would hit the center of the green and lag it up to about a foot. Make par pretty much every single hole. Put in a lot of work for it, and it's finally happened."
You must be registered for see images attach
North's Hank Schreiber also booked a trip to Carmel with a 1-under 71. The sophomore started the round with two bogeys in the opening three holes. What followed is why his career potential is intriguing. Schreiber played the next 12 holes in four-under with birdies at 7, 12, 13 and 15.
He saved a bogey at 18 after taking an unplayable lie in the green-side bunker. That final putt kept him out of a playoff.
"You kind of just trust your process," Schreiber said. "You put in the work all year to trust yourself to know that you're going to play good. And I felt good. I had a good back nine and made a really good bogey on the last hole. Pretty crucial, because it was tight. I came through in the end."
Springs Valley's Van Leininger earned the other individual spot with a 71. The complete team standings were as follows: Castle 291, Bloomington South 295, Memorial 299, Boonville 305, Washington 305, Jasper 309, Forest Park 309, Barr-Reeve 310, Bloomington North 315, Terre Haute North 317, Terre Haute South 322, Vincennes Lincoln 322, Brownstown Central 322, Loogootee 332, Northview 339.
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: IHSAA boys golf regional results from Country Oaks, Southwestern Indiana
Continue reading...
