Vandegrift boys win championship
Dossey leads Vipers to Class 5A state title year after winning in 4A.
Tuesday’s final round of the Class 5A state tournament at Wolfdancer Golf Club was a seven-hour marathon on a difficult course amid windy, unseasonably cool weather. The Vandegrift boys enjoyed every minute of it.
With junior Cooper Dossey leading the way, the Vi- pers held off challenges from several schools to win their second consecutive state title. Vandegrift won its first state championship last year in Class 4A and repeated this season in Class 5A in the new UIL alignment.
Vandegrift began the final round with a seven-shot lead over Bryan and Lufkin and with five other schools within striking distance. Dossey’s
final round of even-par 72 proved to be the difference in the Vipers’ repeat state title.
Other Vandegrift scores Tuesday were 80 by freshman Brandon Hoff, 81 by sophomore Daniel Martinez and a pair of 83s by senior Skyler Young and junior Tobin Niblett.
Those scores gave the Vipers a final-round 316 and a tournament total of 614.
Texas High of Texarkana shot the low round of the day, a 307 that made the outcome in doubt to the end, before taking second place at 617. San Antonio Alamo Heights and Lufkin tied for third at 628.
“This game is never easy, and it was just bru- tal out there today,” Vandegrift coach Matt Wernecke said. “Trying to protect that lead, knowing others were getting close, and in this wind. All of that took a lot of mental toughness, and I’m real proud of these guys for how they responded to that. It was not our best golf by any means, but we toughed it out and got the win.”
Dossey, who finished third in the state tournament a year ago, had a 2-under 142 to take second place alone. Chandler Phillips of Huntsville shot 72 Tuesday to take medalist honors at 3-under 141.
In the girls division, senior Erin Fahey took fourth place individually in leading Vandegrift to a third-place finish, the best in school history. Humble Kingwood Park ran away with the 5A team title with a 36-hole total of 616.
Aledo was runner-up at 652, and the Vipers were third at 659.
Cheyenne Knight of Aledo shot a 1-under 143 to win medalist honors for the second year in a row.
Brielle Ward of Frisco Wakeland was second at 144, and Hanna Alberto of Kingwood Park was third at 147.
Fahey made her third and final state championship appearance a memorable one. She withstood Tuesday’s challenging weather to carve out a 1-over 73 and take fourth place at 148. The Vipers’ other players were senior Jenna Phillips (78-85— 163), sophomore Story Shaw (83-86—169), sophomore Jordan Jalufka (8891—179) and sophomore Sophie di Gesualdo (8895—183).