Boys golf: New kids come up big for Medina at County Classic

MEDINA TWP. — The Medina boys golf team has plenty of experience after reaching the district tournament last season. On Friday, a pair of newcomers came up big. Behind cool, calm and collected freshman Declan West's 5-over-par 77 and sophomore Austin Funk's 81, the Bees edged Highland 318-319 to win the Medina County Classic at Bunker Hill Golf Course. "I actually felt pretty good," West said. "This past week, I was nervous for tryouts. The nerves weren't as bad today since I'm already on the team. Getting off to a hot start helped." Highland senior Luke Butcher caught fire with four birdies for a 3-under 33 on the back nine to earn medalist honors with a 75. Twin brother Zach Butcher tied West for second, but the Bees accounted for four of the top six scores. "We've got a few new guys this year," Luke Butcher said. "We're just getting ready in a pretty competitive tournament. We'll try to build on it in the future, because I know we can do better than that." Senior Eli Zimmerman was fourth with a 79 and sophomore Wren Spires tied Funk for fifth to round out Medina's scores. Michael Fahey carded an 82 and senior captain Landon Blizzard turned in an 84 to lead Wadsworth (339) to finish third out of six teams. Brunswick (352) was fourth by edging Buckeye (361). With three freshmen and two sophomores in the lineup, youthful Cloverleaf (394) was sixth. Sophomore Zane Schreck led the Colts with a 92 and freshman Reilly Maloney followed with a 98. Luke Butcher was 5 over through four holes but managed a chip-in birdie on the 402-yard fifth. Then he caught fire with birdies on the 398-yard 11th and 194-yard, par-3 12th. He carded back-to-back birdies again on the 355-yard 15th and 298-yard 16th. "I knew I needed to do something if I wanted to recover the round," he said. "I tried to stay focused, because I've never really had a stretch of nine holes like that. It felt like I can't do anything wrong for a second and I just kept fighting to keep it going." Luke Butcher was far from the only golfer who struggled to get out of the gate in the first competitive 18-hole round of the fall. West started with birdies on the 346-yard first and 548-yard, par-5 third to jumpstart his high school career. Those proved to be his only birdies, but he counted on a steady putter and solid short game to help him rebound from some driver inconsistencies. "It definitely gives me a lot of confidence," West said. "It was probably one of my best rounds in a tournament. I feel good about how I'm playing right now, after a few bad rounds (earlier)." Violi tied for ninth with Medina's Cam Stafford and had a solid day off the tee, which helped him be able to hit greens in regulation. After reaching the district tournament last year as an individual, Violi is hoping for another chance to climb the leaderboard. "I'm definitely looking forward to going back (to the district tournament) again and play well there," Violi said. "First tournament of the season, so I was ready for it. I was really excited for the challenge and the competitiveness." After missing the second half of last season due to having his appendix removed, Brunswick's Dayten Bobula (84) was ready to get back on the course with his teammates. He finished on a high note with a birdie on the 538-yard 18th. "It's a blast being out her and playing with my team," Bobula said. "It's cool to play competitive golf again. I'm getting in the groove again, and I'm enjoying the chance to compete in tournaments." Blizzard's round was not entirely what he wanted, but he is excited for his final high school season. After a rough front nine, Blizzard, Violi and Schreck, playing together, parred the 10th to get them going on the back nine. "I had a lot of fun and it feels good to be back," Blizzard said. "I want to go far this year and make it a fun ride. My grandparents are supporting me again this year, and it really makes me want to keep going. I appreciate it." Contact John Urchek at jurchek@medina-gazette.com. Results Medina County Classic at par-72 Bunker Hill G.C. Standings: 1. Medina 318, 2. Highland 319, 3. Wadsworth 339, 4. Brunswick 352, 5. Buckeye 361, 6. Cloverleaf 394. Medina (318): Declan West 77, Eli Zimmerman 79, Wren Spires 81, Austin Funk 81, Coen Miller 82, Cam Stafford 83. Highland (319): Luke Butcher 75, Zach Butcher 77, Austin Valore 81, Sam Amir 86, Hyunjun Kim 87, Hayden Hoit 88. Wadsworth (339): Michael Fahey 82, Landon Blizzard 84, Lukas Porter 86, Cam Croley 87, Jack Ishee 93, Ben Stuchal 93. Brunswick (352): Dayten Bobula 84, Jonas Hinderer 88, Ethan Kovacs 88, Chase McConnell 92, Luke Stella 93, Braedon Iacobacci 103. Buckeye (361): Luca Violi 83, Andy Kost 86, Noah Czryba 96, Matt Csach 96, Blaise Bir 98, Josh Wynne 113. Cloverleaf (394): Zane Schreck 92, Reilly Maloney 98, Gavin Jenkins 100, Carter Whitehair 104, Logan Jenkins 106, Jason Matheny 109.