CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Boyd-Buchanan's Jake Campbell shot a lower round than his sister Monday at Chatata Valley in the District 5-A/AA high school golf tournament. But guess which one was a medalist?
Lydia Campbell's 78 proved to be two shots better than the scores posted by her teammate Zacori Hill and McMinn Central's Mattie Cardin, making her the girls' individual winner. Boys' runner-up Jake Campbell came up two strokes short of the 71 shot by Silverdale Baptist Academy's Dalton Sutton, who was the only player in the field to shoot a round below par.
The Campbells led Boyd-Buchanan to both team championships - the boys totaling 312 for a 13-stroke advantage over Silverdale and McMinn Central and the Lady Bucs shooting 158 for an 11-shot margin over Sequoyah.
Silverdale defeated McMinn Central in one playoff hole for second place, although both teams will be joining the Buccaneers in Wednesday's Region 3-A/AA tournament, also at Chatata Valley. The third girls' team from the district to move on to the region is Silverdale, which shot 180 on Monday.
The most important thing about being a medalist in the tournament is family bragging rights - for a couple of days at least.
"He already told me he was going to be first Wednesday and it was me that was going to be second," Lydia said. "I said, 'No way.'"
Lydia's path to victory began with a 37 on the front nine, which provided her a three-shot cushion at the turn. She said she putted well and drove the ball well, noting all of her drives were at least 190 yards.
After Lydia birdied No. 9, her group ran into some slow play on the back, which she thinks may have affected the rhythm she had going. Still, she was able to hang on.
"It was like going through a school zone," she said. "I wanted to keep going. We were playing at such a good pace."
With the boys playing the back nine first, Sutton made the turn with a 37 - tied for third.
"I just stuck my wedges," Sutton said. "My putter wasn't doing good. Then I hit the back side and it lighted up."
He said his birdie-par-birdie stretch on holes Nos. 5 through 7 was his most crucial stretch. He was also pleased with back-to-back pars on his last two holes to seal the win.
Coach Ed Connelly said Boyd-Buchanan's boys' team score was seven shots better than the district-winning round they shot on the same course last year and is the lowest total for a Bucs team in his seven years heading the program. After Campbell, a senior, their remaining counting scores were all by sophomores, paced by Hayes Wood's 75. The drop score was an 84.
"I was concerned coming into today after our performance in the City Prep," Connelly said of their faltering effort in a big tournament Sept. 7. "I think they played outstanding. Jake wanted this, and our four sophomores came through for us."
Although she lost to Cardin in a playoff for second, Hill's score being close to Lydia's made the Lady Bucs' total such a low one.
"I've never seen anybody work in their game as hard as she does," Connelly said of Hill. "Her continued improvement is impressive. I'm proud of her."
McMinn Central's John Houk needed three holes but beat Wood in a playoff for third. Chargers teammate Seth Ward ended up fifth in the boys' field with a 76.
Three Sequoyah boys qualified for the region tournament as individuals. They are Nate Watson (79), Sam Watson and J.T. McDaniel (both 82). The others are Collegedale Academy's Casey Tull (82) and Colton Long (83).
Sequoyah's Macy Moses shot 82 and finished fourth on the girls' side, and Silverdale's McCall Price was fifth at 86.
Individual qualifiers for the region tournament included three from McMinn Central: Cardin, Annalise Ector and Emily Wilson. The others are Loudon's Desera Woods and Copper Basin's Kaitlyn Cribbs.
DISTRICT 5-A/AA
At Moccasin Bend, Hixson's Jared Thomas shot an even-par 72 and was the boys' medalist. Schoolmate Haley Chaulker defeated Sale Creek's Hannah Holland in a one-hole playoff for the girls' medal. Both had rounds of 78.
Hixson's boys, which had no opposition, and Hixson's girls were team champions. Every competitor in the tournament moves on to the Region 3 tournament Wednesday at Chatata Valley.
Thomas shot 2 over par on the front and 2 under on the back, which Hixson coach Earl Cornette said is the more difficult side.
"His overall game was solid," Cornette said. "He was on his game today."
DIVISON II-AA EAST/MIDDLE REGION
At The Bear Trace at Tims Ford in Winchester, Baylor's boys won the tournament with an even-par 284, tying their low total of the year. A.J. Lintunen (69) and Sam Marshall (70) were both under par for the Red Raiders.
McCallie, led by Jake Allstun and Jake Levine with 72s, finished fourth - ahead of defending champion Father Ryan, eliminating the Irish from further postseason play. The top four advance to next week's state tournament at WillowBrook in Manchester.
"That's how this region is," Baylor coach Gary Partrick said. "It was 10 shots between first and fifth."
The Blue Tornado's counting scores were from an eighth-grader, a freshman and two sophomores.
"This was the first time playing in the region for all our kids," McCallie coach Rob Riddle said. "They kind of said, 'Somehow, someway we're going to creep into the top four.'"
The group had a total of three double-bogeys all day. The rest of the scores were better than that.
"When you don't hit it far enough," Riddle said, "you can't hit it into trouble sometimes."
On the girls' side, Baylor's Danielle Bates was medalist with a 74, four shots better than Ensworth's Annabel Frist. However, Ensworth won the team title with a 157.
Harpeth Hall finished second at 159, Baylor was third at 160 and GPS, led by Hannah Prescott's 79, was fourth at 161. All will advance to the state tournament.
Bates was also individual region champion as a sophomore on the same course.
"She stayed away from big numbers," Partrick said. "She putted well today. It really could've been a special round. She left three putts hanging on the lip."
Hannah Prescott's 79 paced GPS. McKenzie Frizzell added an 82.
"I'm proud of our girls, too," said Riddle, who also coaches the Bruisers. "They probably had a little more pressure on them. Our high score was an 83 by Scottie Sandlin."
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him at twitter.com@KelleySmiddie.