Published: October 03, 2009 08:59 pm      

Tigers ready to make return to Class AAA state tournament

BLUEFIELD, Va. — Jack Hickman had a four-tournament stretch this season where he was the medalist each match for the Princeton Tigers.

Yet, the biggest shot of his season was a five-foot putt during a team playoff last Monday at Berry Hills Country Club in Charleston that pushed the Tigers to the Class AAA state tournament for the fourth time in the last five years.

“I made a par, I went up and down. I made a five-footer, a very stressful five-footer,” said Hickman, with a laugh. “There were a bunch of people that came out and watched the playoff hole.

“The chip (there) was a lot more stressful, but once I got over the putt, I felt much better. It was very interesting, but I’m glad I made it.”

So were the rest of the Tigers, especially since Greenbrier East had been a menace to Princeton all season long.

“Sometimes a team has a bad day and a couple of kids from Greenbrier East didn’t have their best days,” Princeton coach Pat Haye said. “It was good to beat a rival, Greenbrier East is our closest rival as being a Triple A school and they’re good guys to play.

“We got to play them five times this year, they beat us four out of five times, they whipped us so that was great.”

When it counted most, the Tigers were able to pop the lids on...an Arnold Palmer Tee, a sports drink sold in golf clubhouses, and the celebration was on.

“As soon as we won the hole we ran back (to the clubhouse) and we bought some Arnold Palmer drink,” Sean Parker said. “It was like soda water, and we shook them up and we cracked them open just like champagne.”

Much like the Colorado Rockies’ recent run to the National League playoffs, even the Tigers weren’t sure a state tournament berth would be the end result of this season. After all, the four players that scored best at the regionals are all sophomores.

“We were just really young,” said Alex Quick, who shot an 81 at regionals, one behind classmate J.J. McPherson. “I wasn’t really expecting it so I’m really excited.”

Over the last five years, Haye has taken the Princeton golf team to the state tournament four times, finishing second in 2007, fifth in ‘06 and sixth in ‘05.

It didn’t happen last season, but Chandler Beavers was able to qualify as an individual and led after the first day of the two-day event which is held at the Speidel Golf Club at Oglebay Bay in Wheeling.

“It’s exciting for these guys and the team, we kind of went in without high expectations,” Haye said. “We were hoping we would be able to go as team, I figured we would have a couple of individuals that would qualify, but to go back as a team is just icing on the cake for these guys.”

Four of Haye’s pupils are now playing at the college level, including Beavers and Haye’s son, Daniel, at Bluefield State. Jeffery McGraw is at Concord, while Victor Lohr plays for Bluefield.

The current squad, which includes sophomores Hickman, Quick, Parker and McPherson, are ready to make their own mark on Princeton golf.

“We were definitely very anxious, but we knew we could do it,” Hickman said. “We wanted to make our own mark, this is a new group of guys, the last group of guys were Chandler and Jeff and Daniel, but we wanted to start our own new little tradition.”

That quartet, along with lone senior Uriah Argyrakis and junior Brandon Fulp — who isn’t in the top five rotation — are well on their way to doing just that.

“We all had potential to make it, but we’re all pretty young except for Uriah,” said McPherson, whose 80 was Princeton’s best score in the regionals. “We’re a little experienced, but I knew we could do it. It was just a matter of doing it.”

“I’m pumped, especially after what I shot and to still have an opportunity to go, it’s exciting,” said Argyrakis, who wasn’t pleased with a regional score that was too high to qualify among the top four. “It’s an amazing feeling.”

While George Washington rolled to the Region III title with a team score of 303, Princeton and Greenbrier East tied with 337s, meaning the second team from the region to qualify for states would come in a playoff.

“We weren’t really that on, I think more Greenbrier East was actually off and we played about average,” Parker said. “They gave us an opening and we took it and went with it, but it was a tough course.”

All five players on each team bogeyed the playoff hole except for Hickman. His par was enough to send Princeton back to Charleston.

“It was very exciting, I probably would have made it anyway, but it’s a lot better to make it as a team,” McPherson said. “It’s exciting to go to a playoff and finish in an dramatic way.”

The drive back from Charleston was one that Hickman won’t soon forget.

“The ride home in Pat’s van was really something,” Hickman said. “It was the quickest two-hour ride you could possibly have, we were all excited and we were all talking and we were making plans. It was fun.”

Princeton will join seven other teams, and eligible golfers from other schools on Tuesday and Wednesday in Wheeling in a tournament that includes 144 players, all seeking to win state championships in three classifications.

That will include Bluefield freshman Evan Smith, who will compete in the Class AA portion of the event.

The goal for Princeton — on a course known for fast greens and a tight layout — is a top four finish, which Haye thinks is realistic for a young team. Two-time defending champion Hurricane is the tourney favorite.

“As far as going back to Wheeling, it’s a fun event for them,” said Haye, whose Tigers have benefited the last five years from the teaching of swing coach Rick White. “You get to play a lot of golf, the six and seven hour rounds compared to what they play, but none of them have played this course before.

“With four out of five being sophomores, hopefully for the next two years this will give them some experience. We don’t have high expectations where we finish. I gave them a goal of top four, that would be fantastic.”

No matter what happens this week, the future appears to be bright for the Princeton Tigers. Much like the recent past.

“They’re a great bunch of young men, they’re respectful,” Haye said. “I enjoy taking them all over the state to play because they love golf, and then they are respectful to me and to people and that’s what I like about this bunch. They have a great attitude and that’s part of golf.

“The future looks fantastic with these young guys here.”

Believe it. The players share in Haye’s optimism.

“We’re definitely really excited about this year and the years after,” Hickman said. “We’re hoping we can really contend to not only get to states, but win the states and hopefully get us a ring.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com