WHEELING - Madonna coach T.J. Brancazio figured his guys would have to play out of their minds to make a run at Class A defending champion Charleston Catholic.
That didn't happen during Tuesday's first round of the West Virginia High School Golf Tournament at Oglebay's Robert Trent Jones Course.
The Blue Dons had three scores in the 80s and sit in second place at 15 back. The Irish, who shot 236, were led by Christian Casingal (75) and Aaron Persily (76), the lowest scores in the class.
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TEE SHOT — Madonna’s Thomas Gianni watches his tee shot during Tuesday’s opening round of the West Virginia State Golf Tournament at Oglebay Park.
-- Jim Elliott
Madonna's Alex Colantonio shot 80, the fourth-best score in Class A.
''It would take a small miracle,'' Brancazio said of a comeback during today's second round. ''Charleston Catholic is very good.''
The Blue Dons trailed the Irish by 18 after last year's first day and wound up 19 back.
Fact Box
West Virginia High School Golf Championships
(at Oglebay's Jones Course, Par 72)
Class AAA
University 225, Wheeling Park 229, Cabell Midland 235, George Washington 238, Washington 243, Huntington 248, Shady Spring 250, Elkins 260
Cole Hand, WP72
Thadd Obecny II, WP73
Eric Wirth, Univ74
Cale Wheeler, Univ74
Chris Williams, Win74
Will Evans, GW75
Jacob Beahrs, CM75
Craig Buchannon, OH76
Trent McPherson, Univ77
Seth Kinner, CM77
Robert Fleming, Wash78
Alex Schreckengost, PS79
Ryan Mumaw, Wash80
Kris Webster, GW80
Thomas Frazier, Hunt80
Ryan Albaugh, SS81
Austin Florence, GW83
Mark Wilcox, CM83
Madison Erskine, GE84
Drew Green, SS84
Fisher Cross, Hunt84
Alex Baird, Elkins84
Chase Toppins, Hunt84
Scott Hand, WP84
Landon Perry, SS85
Dylan Mumaw, Wash85
Pat Burgess, Wash85
Braden Hammond, Elkins86
Alec Atha, Hunt86
Logan Lojszczuk, Brk87
Dakota McComas, SS87
Drew Call, GW88
Hutton Light, CM88
Dalton Crislip, BU89
Alex Hambel, Hurr90
Kolin Hopwood, Elkins90
Owen Elliott, Hedge91
Chase Voithofer, Univ93
Kelsi Trippett, Elkins104
Dylan Wojcik, WPDQ
Class AA
Poca 246, Roane County 249, Grafton 254, Fairmont Senior 257, Scott 260, Westside 270, Wyoming East 278, Lincoln 296
Travis Covert, Poca78
Sydney Snodgrass, RiC78
Evan Smith, Blue78
Sterling Fitzwater, FS80
Marco Oliverio, Bpt80
Alston Spears, RoC81
Nick Sinclair, FS81
Cameron Wilson, NM81
Lucas Ware, Graf82
Ike Judy, JM82
Cam Moore, RoC83
Mitchell Crutchfield, Graf83
Alex Hamrick, Poca83
Chad Honeycutt, Scott84
Cole Moore, RoC85
Hunter Owens, Westside85
Steve Loudermilk, Poca85
Evan Butcher, Poca86
Travis Gibson, HH87
Hunter Justus, WE88
Alex Boggs, Scott88
Sterling Chafin, Scott88
Hunter Simmons, RoC89
Zach Musgrove, Graf89
Drew Ward, NC89
Ryan Holcomb, Linc90
Cory Bowles, Westside91
Zac Summers, Graf93
Dakota Hood, WE93
Drew Bragg, Westside94
Aaron Grant, Scott95
Gage Hannah, FS96
Bailey Mohr, FS97
Bruce Staton, WE97
Matt Landes, Key98
Matt Tucker, Linc100
Kaitlyn Saunders, Westside102
Chase Pressley, WE103
Mikoyla Prunty, Linc106
Frankie Spadatore, Linc122
Class A
Charleston Catholic 236, Madonna 251, Buffalo 254, St. Marys 263, Greenbrier West 275, Richwood 289, Moorefield 294, Notre Dame 300
Christian Casingal, CC75
Aaron Persily, CC76
Cory Hoshor, Buf79
Alex Colantonio, WM80
Quincy Fraley, Moor81
Michael Rogers, WM82
Joseph Deskins, TV82
Ben Collie, PC82
Blaik Caplinger, Buf83
Corey Wells, TC83
Austin Cunningham, GC83
Coleman Lamp, SM84
Jordan Covelli, CC85
Ryan Bennett, Rich88
Thomas Gianni, WM89
Robbie Harper, SM89
Philip Wilson, ND89
Chandler Fitzwater, GW89
Drew Wells, SM90
Austin Ransom, GW92
Bradley Harris, Buf92
Thomas Stanley, WC92
Jackson Ellis, CC93
Nick Mazur, WM94
Justin Estep, GW94
Braden Johnson, Rich95
Korey Foltz, EH96
John Casto, Mont97
Drew Ridgeway, ND99
Drew Patton, Buf99
Josh Richard, SM103
Colleen Connolly, GW104
Gus Patterson, Moor104
Mason Mullens, Rich106
Dustin Seabolt, Rich109
Tanner Carr, Moor110
Luke Gains, SH111
Noah Carr, Moor112
Jordan Brown, ND112
Alex Demary, ND 118
Michael Rogers shot 82 despite two double bogeys and a triple for the Blue Dons.
Of note, Buffalo's Blaik Caplinger carded an ace on hole No. 11. He shot 83 and trails leader Casingal by eight.
The battle at the top in the state's largest class should make some compelling viewing for today's final round.
Two-time defending champ Wheeling Park (229) trails University (225) by four strokes with Cabell Midland (235) and George Washington (238) nipping at their heels. All told, 35 strokes separate the top team from the bottom team (Elkins at 260) among the eight in the class.
For the Patriots and Hawks, both members of the same conferences and the same region, Tuesday simply provided more of the same.
Familiarity.
''Every tournament it seems like we play them,'' said University's Cale Wheeler, who carded a 74, tied for the third-best score in the class. ''It's definitely a rivalry. I think we're the best two teams in the state.''
In the last three weeks, Wheeling Park won the OVAC Class 5A Tournament by 12 strokes on University at Oglebay, then the Hawks turned around and beat the Patriots by five last week at the regional at Preston Country Club.
They're back on Wheeling Park's home fairways for this one.
''They're the best team in the state and on top of that, they get to play their home course,'' Wheeler said. ''It's real tough. It's one thing to beat them, but on their home course, it (would make) it all that much better.''
Wheeling Park's Cole Hand shot 72 and was the only player in the field to make par. Teammate Thadd Obecny II, a junior who is a two-time overall medalist in this event, was second at 73, followed by the University duo of Wheeler and Eric Wirth, along with Winfield's Chris Williams, all at 74. GW's Will Evans and Cabell-Midland's Jacob Bearhs both shot 75.
Poca (246) dashed out to a three-stroke lead on Roane County (249), led by Travis Covert's 78, which tied Ritchie County's Sydney Snodgrass and Bluefield's Evan Smith for tops in the class. Roane County's top scorer was Alston Spears with an 81. Fairmont Senior is third, eight strokes back at 254.
