Regional field stacked as Albany finishes sixth

By David H. Waller

The Albany High School boys golf team turned in two of their best rounds of the season at last week’s regional tournament but fell just short of advancing to state, finishing sixth in a highly competitive field.

The team posted rounds of 327 and 323 over the two-day tournament—scores that in most years would have been enough to move on. But this year’s Region II competition was stacked with strong teams, including two that shot below 310 both days and 14 that finished under 320.

“This is the best region I’ve ever seen,” said head coach Tate Thompson. “Those scores would’ve advanced us in almost any other region—and even won in some—but we just ran into some really great golf this year.”

Albany was one of the few teams in the field to improve on day two, ending just 14 strokes behind third place, the final qualifying spot for state.

Freshman Aiden Vickers led the team on the second day with a round of 79, despite playing through a possible stress fracture sustained in a recent baseball game. Thompson praised the effort, calling it a strong performance under tough circumstances.

Junior Huffman Heatly delivered the team’s best round of the tournament with a 77 on day one, followed by an 80 on day two. Senior Ty Richards shot rounds of 81 and 82, Clay Chapman turned in 84 and 82, and Connor Smith posted 85 and 87. Vickers opened with an 86 before his 79 on the second day.

The team, made up of one senior, a junior, a sophomore, and two freshmen, now turns its attention to next year with high hopes and valuable experience gained.

“These guys are hungry to get to state,” said Thompson. “They played well, they’ve seen the level of competition, and they know what it’s going to take.”

With several promising younger players returning and a few junior high athletes showing potential, the future looks bright for Albany golf.