Ryle, CovCath have owned golf game in Region 7
By: Marc Hardin (Cincinnati.com)
The never-ending plight of Region 7 boys' golf teams whose paths to the state tournament have been sealed off by the perennial Ryle-Covington Catholic blockade is symbolized by the Dixie Heights Colonels.
"Our region is dominated by two schools," Dixie Heights coach Paul Treadway said. "But we have been able to send individual qualifiers to the state tournament in four of my six years."
With two bullies on the block, Region 7 individual state qualifiers are to be treasured, Treadway said. Going stag to the state tournament has been the only way a golfer playing for a team other than Ryle and CovCath has made it for more than a decade. That's why the coach is standing behind his golfers.
This year, he believes senior Trey Bono has a good chance to qualify, continuing the Colonels' trickling of talent to Bowling Green Country Club. Other schools, including St. Henry with senior standout Luke Tobergte, have opportunities to send golfers westward in October. Tobergte, the reigning Boone County men's club champion, nailed down one of three Region 7 qualifying spots last year for individuals.
It's as much of a foregone conclusion as grass on a golf course that the other 10 players who will represent the region at state will come from Ryle and CovCath, for the 13th year in a row. That means over 100 boys are fighting for three spots booked for Bowling Green.
"It seems like every year it's those two schools. But, one of these years, somebody is going to get there, and St. Henry has really been improving," said coach Jonathan Ehlen. He led the Raiders to last year's Region 7 and Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference big-school titles. He's guided Ryle to back-to-back fourth-place state finishes, its best showings ever. CovCath placed third last year at state after finishing conference and regional runner-up.
The top of the region's pecking order remains clear. St. Henry lost three starters from a team that had a difficult time staying within 15 shots of Ryle and CovCath. Everybody else, with the exception of Cooper, came in about 30 shots behind St. Henry. Though it's been neck-and-neck between Ryle and CovCath for the school life of every player on either team, the Raiders this season are threatening to put some distance between themselves and the Colonels in blue. They are legitimate state championship contenders.
Ehlen helped start a current state-long streak in the fall of 2002 as a senior when he fueled a Ryle run to the second day of the state tournament, beginning what has become a 12-year rite of passage for Raiders. This season, he's sitting on a juggernaut. There are seven players capable of shooting under par on a given day, giving Ryle a great chance to extend its run of second-day advances to 13 consecutive years. The Raiders have won four straight NKAC big-school titles, with CovCath finishing second every time.
There are five Ryle seniors, none of them safe in the top five after major gains by junior Austin Zapp and freshman Ryan Clements. Senior Austin Squires was the 2013 Northern Kentucky Men's Amateur champion as a 16-year-old. Ryle is so deep that Squires was merely third on the Raiders at last season's region and state meets, behind regional medalist Logan Gamm and steady Zach Adams.
The Raiders lost one senior but gained senior transfer Jacob Poore, a former individual state qualifier at Walton-Verona. Senior Jeff Lynne has been electric while lighting up the 7-Up Northern Kentucky Junior Golf Tour while orchestrating wins. In short, the Raiders are loaded. "We have a lot of good golfers, and it's fun," Adams said. "It's good friendly competition because our only goal is to win state."
CovCath returns its Northern Kentucky Men's Amateur champion, this year's winner, reigning Region 7 player of the year Paul Huber, a University of Cincinnati recruit who was ninth at state last year as a junior. The only other returning starter is sophomore Griffin Flesch, son of PGA Tour member Steve Flesch. There's also senior Daniel Lee. With heavy hitter Tyler Wehrman, coach Robb Schneeman has plenty of talent, but his group won't have as much experience as Ehlen's.
Ryle's coach knows better than to rule out another CovCath crown. The Colonels have won the region 37 times and state twice.
"It's back and forth, it's been so close between us," Ehlen said. "It seems like when we win the region, they do better at state, and when they win, we do better at state. If we always do better at state, I don't care how we do against them in the region. We gear our whole season to state. Honestly, when you step into the first tee box at state, it doesn't matter how you got there. What matters is how you play when you get there."
top 10 boys' golfers to watch
1. Paul Huber, Sr., Covington Catholic
2. Logan Gamm, Sr., Ryle
3. Zach Adams, Sr., Ryle
4. Austin Squires, Sr., Ryle
5. Parker Harris, Sr., Highlands
6. Drew McDonald, Sr., Newport Central Catholic
7. Luke Tobergte, Sr., St. Henry
8. Jacob Poore, Sr., Ryle
9. Cody Kellam, Sr., Grant County
10. Griffin Flesch, So. Covington Catholic