CHS teams play in Region round Thursday
The Calhoun High School boys and girls golfers will take the first step of the postseason Thursday when both teams play in the Area 7/8-5A tournament at Fields Ferry Golf Course.
The top two teams on each side of the aisle will automatically qualify for the 5A state tournament next month, with the third and fourth place teams qualifying for the Sectional tournament later this month and their second opportunity to make it to state.
Individually, the top 10 will also qualify for the next round.
“It should be a great tournament,” Calhoun head girls golf coach Clay Stephenson of the Area competition. “There will be a lot of good, young golfers there, both girls and boys. There will be a lot of good teams and a lot of good players there and we’re hearing the weather should be pretty good. So it should be a good day of golf.”
The Calhoun girls will be led by defending 5A state champion Ella Manley, who has definitely looked like she is ready to be a two-time state champ in the first few tournaments the team has played in.
“Emma has been awesome,” Stephenson said. “She’s played very well in every tournament we’ve played in. She’s won a couple of them and her scores has been excellent. She’s just really playing outstanding golf right now.
“I know she’s looking forward to the Area tournament and I definitely think she’s has a chance to repeat what she did last year, but the main thing is that she goes out and plays well on Thursday and qualifies for the next round. But I definitely think she’s has to be one of the leaders on the girls’ side.”
After Manley, he has a young team that has says is getting every time they take the course.
“I’m enjoying working with the girls and they’re learning the game and their scores are getting lower all the time,” Stephenson said. “But right now they’re beginners and they just need to keep playing. But they’re working hard and I am proud of the work they’ve put in to get better.”
On the boys side, it would seem Calhoun has to be one of the teams to beat, besides having Ethan Lunsford as one of the prohibitive favorites to be the individual gold medalist. Lunsford has won two tournaments this
spring, and shot an amazing 5-under par 67 to win the LaFayette Invitational about a month ago.
At the recent Yellow Jacket tournament, Lunsford was also the gold medalist but Hayden Jackson, Beau Black and Reece Hood all shot 79 or lower with Jackson shooting a 76 while Black had a 78 and Hood had a 79 for a score of 305.
The Area tournament is two Regions combined into one instead of just a Region playoff, like in other sports. The Yellow Jackets participate in Region 7 and this tournament at Fields Ferry will also include the schools from Region 8.
For Calhoun, the Area event will not be the final tournament of the
year as they still have a couple of more before the Sectionals.