Hilton Head Christian wins AAAA boys golf state championship
Eagles shoot 1 under par over 36 holes to win by 16 strokes
Bluffton – When you have your top four golfers make the All-State team, the odds of winning a state championship are definitely in your favor.
That’s what happened for the Hilton Head Christian Academy boys team in the SCISA AAAA tournament held on April 28-29 at Hackler Course in Conway, and sure enough it returned to Bluffton hoisting the championship trophy.
“I could not be more proud of this team,” said Eagles head coach Mike Spangler. “These young men have worked tirelessly all year, and this championship is a direct result of their discipline, teamwork and love for the game.”
HHCA shot 1 under par as a team in the 2-day, 36-hole tournament. However, it was far from easy pickings when it came to claiming the state title.
Hilton Head Christian was 4 over par with a 292 in the first round, leading Trinity Collegiate by six strokes and Hammond by 10. In the second round, the Eagles shot a 5 under 283 to finish at 575.
Neither Trinity not Hammond could keep up. The Titans shot 293 to finish at 591, while the Skyhawks shot 298 to finish at 600.
Leading the way for HHCA was junior Sage Bradshaw. After shooting a 3 under 69 in the first round, Bradshaw was 6 under on Day 2 to finish at 9 under 135, good for the tournament medalist.
“ Watching Sage earn the individual title was just the icing on the cake,” Spangler said.
Senior Gabe Schmitz finished 1 under 143, shooting an even par 72 in the first round and 1 under in the second. Senior JP Reed and junior Hayes Etheridge both shot 6 over 150,, shooting 77s in the first round and following it with matching 73s.
The championship was the fifth in the last 10 years for HHCA.
SPRING ALL-REGION SELECTIONS
Hayden Brooks, Slaide Burd and Roman Colella were All-Region 3-AAAA selections for the Hilton Head Christian baseball team, which won its second straight state championship.
Boys soccer player Ian Kelley was selected as the Region II-AAA Player of the Year. Kelly recently signed with Charlotte in football as a kicker.
Sophia Skinner was an Alll-State selection in girls soccer and was All-Region along with Macey Langhals and Parker Bradford. In lacrosse, Drew Ernst was a second team All-State selection while Will Helmstetter and Kres Langhals were third team picks.
Joey Houpt was All-State in boys track and field after finishing second in the javelin toss in the SCISA Division I state meet. All-Region performers along with Houpt were Liam White in the 200-meter dash and Reese Napier in the 100 dash. All-Region for the girls were Emma Black in the discus and Ava Rolen in the shot put.
