Lions golf team earns regional berth with second-place finish
By David H. Waller
The Albany golf team entered district play with momentum after winning the Haskell Tournament on March 25. The tournament featured several district opponents, including Hawley and Haskell, giving Albany a chance to measure its progress before the postseason.
The Albany 1 team placed first overall, while Albany 2 finished fourth. Head coach Tate Thompson said the win helped set the tone for the following week.
“It was a good little confidence booster going into district,” Thompson said. “We beat Haskell and Hawley on their home course. That’s always good to see. I didn’t love playing a tournament the week before district since it’s a different type of course, but we needed one more tournament under our belt, and it turned out to be helpful.”
Thompson said having the second team finish ahead of several first teams from other schools was encouraging. “It’s always nice when your second team can beat some other schools’ first teams,” he said. “That gave us some extra confidence going into district.”
Lions secure second at
district tournament
Albany 1 placed second at the District Tournament, held March 31 and April 1 at Shady Oaks Golf Course in Baird. Hawley took first place, while Haskell came in third. The top two teams from district qualify for the regional tournament.
Thompson said his players were familiar with the course, having competed at Shady Oaks two times earlier in the season. “We try to play it as much as possible before district so they can get used to it and know what to expect,” he said.
Conditions changed significantly between the two rounds. “The first day was really nice, but the second day was extremely windy,” Thompson said. “They had fresh mowed greens in the morning, and then the wind picked up. It even affected the putts, which adds another level of difficulty.”
Albany finished with a team total of 687, with consistent performances across the lineup. Huffman Heatly led the way with rounds of 81 and 84, earning third place individually. Ty Richards shot 86 and 85 for a 171 total. Clay Chapman opened with a 78 but struggled on day two, finishing with a 94. Aiden Vickers shot 90 and 89 (179), and Connor Smith recorded scores of 100 and 103 (203). The team’s scores from both rounds were 335 and 352.
“Huffman was probably our most consistent player,” Thompson said. “Ty played steady both days, and Clay had a great first round. The wind on the second day made it tough to match those early numbers.”
The Albany 2 team also competed but did not finish near the top.
In the girls’ division, Albany’s Myleigh Leveridge competed as an individual. She shot a 128 in the first round and improved to a 115 in the second round. She did not place among the top finishers and did not qualify for regionals.
Team prepares for regional and state meets
The top two teams from district—Hawley and Albany—advance to the Regional Tournament, which will be held April 16–17 at Old Brickyard Golf Club in Ferris. The course has hosted the regional tournament for several years, and Thompson said his players are familiar with it.
“Some of the older guys have played it before, and the younger guys got a chance to go play it a few weeks ago,” he said. “Everybody has seen it now, which helps us a lot going in.”
Thompson plans to spend the next two weeks reviewing district results from around the region to get a sense of the competition. “It’s hard to compare scores across districts because courses vary so much,” he said. “You might have a team shoot in the 320s at an easy course, but then they’re in the 370s at regionals. That happens every year.”
The top three teams from regionals will advance to the State Tournament, scheduled for May 5–6 at Lions Municipal Golf Course in Austin.
