They did not win their district tournament. They had no one finish in the top four Monday. And they have no seniors.
But McMinn County’s boys’ golfers do have the TSSAA Region 3-AAA championship and a berth in next week’s state tournament at Willowbrook in Manchester.
Led by Ryan Thompson’s 39, which left him tied for fifth individually, the Cherokees totaled a 327 at Valleybrook and edged Cookeville (330) and Walker Valley (331) in yet another struggle among teams that have swapped out getting the best of each other in 2009.
“We found a way to finish,” said third-year McMinn County coach Jerry Quirk, who was coach of two region-championship teams at McMinn Central. “Cookeville, Walker Valley and us have battled all summer and fall. Who could finish was whoever was going to win.”
Cookeville led McMinn County 153-160 at the turn, but Quirk said he was encouraged by the consistency his team was showing in the blustery conditions with Thompson and Will Zabo carding 4-over-par 39s and Drew Mays and Hunter Hensley posting 41s. Walker Valley played the back nine two strokes better than the Cherokees, but it wasn’t enough.