Alexandria’s girls placed second in the Class 4A-5A North sub-state tournament at Twin Bridges Golf Club in Gadsden, earning a state bid.
“Obviously, we were really proud of them,” Alexandria coach Craig Kiker said. “I think I said this at the county tournament: it comes from their hard work. It comes from the hours that Coach (Brenard) Howard spends teaching them how to play.
“I think a lot of the credit goes to him and goes to their work ethic.”
The Valley Cubs were only four shots back of Mars Hill Bible, which shot a 250 to claim the 4A-5A North sub-state championship.
“It was a tight race,” Kiker said. “We played almost as well as we could have, I think. We may have left some shots out there, but that’s our best team score up to this point. So, it was a good time to have it.”
Maggie Hedgepeth paved the way for the Valley Cubs by shooting an 81. Nevaeh Foster shot an 85 and Avery Prickett shot an 88 to round out the scores for Alexandria.
“That’s kind of been our thing, we don’t have really any one person that’s really going to blow it away,” Kiker said. “We just kind of rely on all three of them being consistent.”
Isabel Rogers of White Plains shot an 81, but that was not quite enough to advance to state as an individual in the tough field.
Savannah Sandlin of Oneonta won low medalist with a 2-under 70. Cherokee County’s Ellie Cothran was the other individual qualifier with a 72.
In Class 5A boys, Alexandria placed fourth overall. Cleat Forrest shot a 76 for the Valley Cubs as they posted a total score of 322.
Randolph won the North sub-state tournament with a team score of 304. Scottsboro advanced with a score of 320. Southside’s score of 321 placed them in third.
For Alexandria, Jamarcus Stokes, Fisher Prichard, and Pierson Otralek all shot an 82. Karson Faulkner’s 83 rounded the scoring for the Valley Cubs.
“It was a great day to play golf,” Kiker said. “I think it’s probably as hot as it’s been all year, so I think a couple of our girls were pretty fatigued at the end just because we haven’t played in quite this much heat and humidity yet.”
The Valley Cubs will now head to the state golf tournament in Auburn on Monday and Tuesday. Kiker mentioned he had not checked the other scores yet, but it wasn't about what other teams are shooting, it is about “us and the course.”
“We’re just going to try to minimize our mistakes,” Kiker said. “That’s kind of been our theme all year is try not to take big numbers and minimize your mistakes, take bogey where you have to take bogey and move on. It’s a tough course, I know that. I’ve been to a state tournament down here a couple of times and it’s a tough course.
“We’re looking forward to the challenge.”
