Warriors trim 22 strokes at Early Bird

The White County High School golf teams faced one of their biggest tests of the young season Monday as they competed against a deep field in the Early Bird Tournament at Golden Eagle Golf Club in Cookeville.

The Warriorettes entered the day at a disadvantage, competing without two of their top golfers. Sophomore Lenzie Golden, who has paced White County through much of the early season, and freshman Ava Elrod, who has also turned in several strong rounds, were both unavailable.

That left White County with just two golfers on the course, meaning both scores would count toward the team total.

Piper Heady rose to the challenge, carding a 79 to finish with the third-best individual score in the girls tournament. Riley Hutson added an even 100, giving the Warriorettes a combined team score of 179.

"We did not have Lenzie and Ava today, but I am really proud of how Piper and Riley played," White County head coach Brandon Sims said.

While White County finished just outside the medals in fourth place, the performance was a solid showing considering the circumstances. Cumberland County claimed third with a 173, Eagleville finished second at 170, and Cookeville's first team captured the tournament title with a 158.

On the boys side, the Warriors fielded a full lineup and turned in one of their best rounds of the season, finishing fifth in a competitive 13-team field.

Logan Holland led White County with a 74, tying for sixth individually among 66 golfers. Matthew Wilson followed with a 77, while Lucas Phillips posted an 81 and Tripp Tollison added an 83 to complete the team scoring. Jack Carpenter's 86 did not factor into the team total.

"Our boys played a little better today," Sims said. "They shot 22 strokes better than last time we played here."

The Warriors finished with a team score of 315. Cookeville's first team won the tournament with a 300, followed by Coffee County at 302. Cookeville's second team placed third with a 310, while Eagleville edged White County for fourth with a 311.

White County returns to the course Thursday for a match at DeKalb County.