Coach Rodney MitchellThe Public Works Department in Signal Mountain had better prepare.
The community's high school girls' golf team is in position to force an edit to a sign welcoming drivers to the city that notes the four straight state championships won by the Lady Eagles.
They're in good position to make it five.
Signal Mountain shot a 164 Tuesday in the opening round of the Class A/AA state tournament at Willowbrook Golf Course in Manchester and leads by five over Milan and Christ Presbyterian Academy. Boyd-Buchanan is six strokes behind and still in the hunt for the team title.
"They just hung in there the whole time," Signal Mountain coach Rodney Mitchell said by phone. "It was just steady play all day, and that's the way we play.
"We were pleased to have a good first day, and we'll tee it up again tomorrow."
Signal junior Bethany Burns shot a 7-over-par 79, which has her tied for fourth and seven off the pace set by Arianna Clemmer of Milan. Freshman Taylor Gardner added an 85 and is tied for 10th in the medalist race. Kaitlyn Sneed of Meigs County is sixth with an 81.
"They never get discouraged," Mitchell said. "They had a few bad holes, but they never let that become their round."
Boyd-Buchanan is six off the lead after 85s by senior Madison Balthrop -- in a poor round by her standards -- and eighth-grader Lydia Campbell.
"Maddie was disappointed with her day," Boyd-Buchanan coach Ed Connelly said. "She said, 'I do this every year on the first day.' I think she's better than 85, and she's proven she's better than that."
In the boys' tournament, Notre Dame junior Reese Scobey shot a 4-under 68 and is alone in second place, three strokes behind Davis Shore from the Christian Academy of Knoxville. Scobey played in the same group as Chattanooga Christian senior Lake Johnson, who is third after a 69.
"Reese and Lake know each other pretty well, they've played with each other several times and they're both elite golfers," CCS coach Jim Whitaker said. "They were both comfortable out there. When one would hit a good drive, the other would, too. They were pushing each other and feeding off each other."
Scobey's round included three birdies, one eagle and a bogey. Johnson, who has committed to play for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, made five birdies and two bogeys Tuesday.
"Lake was hitting the ball real well," Whitaker said. "He had two bogeys on the back, where it gets tight, then three birdies on the front.
"He said that he feels pretty good, and I told him that he's right there in the mix to win."
So are Scobey, the Lady Eagles and the Lady Bucs.
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6484. Follow him at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.