Hornets take Central, 2nd at state
ROGERS – The Bryant Hornets golf team had an excellent showing at the 6A Central Conference Tournament Tuesday, taking the Central title, while on Wednesday the Hornets took runner-up honors in the 6A State Tournament at Shadow Valley Country Club in Rogers this past week.
Bryant took the team title for Central honors, shooting a 315, as Cabot was runnerup with a 318, just three shots from the Hornets winning score. North Little Rock (321), Conway (325), Catholic (331), Central (422) and Northside (538) followed.
It was junior Daniel Taylor who shined for the Hornets Tuesday at the conference tourney. Taylor shot a
2-under 70 to lead all golfers on the day. Taylor had just two bogey holes, including one double bogey, but had five birdies on the day.
“He got conference medalist,” Bryant Coach Casey Mattox said. “He started out with a double bogey and fought his way back to even on the back (nine). The front side plays a little easier and he shot a 2-under there. He played really well. Several
birdies.”
Bryant senior Logan Mcdonald followed with a 4-over 76 to earn AllConference as well, junior Landon Wallace had an 82 and senior Andrew Gaspard had an 87 to round out the Hornets scoring. Junior Braedon Boyce shot an 88, including an eagle on the par-5 third hole.
The Hornets struggled, though, on Wednesday during the state portion of the tourney, but still held on to a runner-up finish. Bentonville shined throughout, also winning the 6A West Conference Tuesday with a 303 and the state tournament with a 304 for a 607 total.
“Wednesday was tough,”
Mattox said. “The pins were tucked on corners and on hills. The greens were rolling super fast. Unless you play their a lot, like Bentonville, it’s a little tougher. The course was beautiful. Hilly and tough, and I think that was part of the second day, too. The kids walked 18 hilly holes that first day. They were a little tired the second day, too.”
Bryant shot a 330 on Wednesday to post a 645 total for second, while North Little Rock (653), Conway (654), Catholic (657) and Cabot (658) followed, with Rogers (667) and Fayetteville (667) tying for seventh.
It was Mcdonald leading the Hornets on Wednesday. After shooting a 76 on Tuesday, he shot a 77 on Wednesday for a 153 total, which was good for sixth overall, earning All-state honors. Taylor also earned All-state tying for a thirdplace finish overall, but struggled with an 82 on Wednesday for a 152 overall after playing so well on Tuesday.
Though he shot
12 strokes worse on Wednesday, Taylor did come up big late, winning the playoff for third place overall, and qualifying for the Arkansas Overall Tournament Thursday at Pleasant Valley Country
Club in Little Rock. Mcdonald just missed out at a shot for the overall by one stroke.
“It’s just the top three,” Mattox said of making the overall. “Since Daniel tied for third, he went into a playoff and Daniel won in the playoff. They played (hole) 10 and 18. There was a threeway tie, and on No. 10 it knocked the Rogers kid out, and he beat the Bentonville kid on 18.”
Gaspard shot an 81 on Wednesday for a 168 total, Wallace shot a 90 Wednesday for a 172 and Boyce shot a 104 Wednesday for a 192 total.
Bentonville’s Phisher Phillips would win the overall with a 148, including a 1-under 71 on Wednesday, defeating teammate Michael Senn in a playoff for the title.
A first-place conference finish may have seemed unlikely after how the Hornets played two weeks earlier in Cabot, coming in at fourth against conference foes.
“It was two weeks before,” Mattox explained. “We finished fourth or fifth. I felt like all the bigger schools beat us. We came back strong.”
The Hornets will be without seniors Mcdonald and Gaspard next year, but Mattox is excited for the potential on next season’s squad.
“Logan played well all season and that showed,” she said. “Solid and steady. His scores were all grouped there together. Logan was big for us this year just being so consistent.
“Daniel coming in at the end was awesome. Andrew, he struggled, but he came back, fought back to shoot an 81 the next day.
“They’re all great golfers. I’m just very, very proud of them. They worked hard. All five guys, even my alternate, all six have put in so much work to get where they are. Losing two seniors, I still look forward to a really good season next year, as well.”