Monroe Central

The Bears golf team traveled to Blackford in a 3-way match against Blackford and Blue River. The Bears shot a team score of 176 and won their season opening match. The Bears were led by Cohen West shooting a 41. Behind him was Bentley Thornburg 43, Coltan West 46, Hayden Taylor 46, and Maddox Taylor 46. The Bears will host Muncie Central on Wednesday, 4/17 at Hickory Hills. From The News Gazette: HARTFORD CITY — Cohen West was disappointed Saturday. After weeks of practice, heavy rains for several days left Hickory Hills Golf Club unplayable. The Golden Bears’ opening event — their invitational on their home course — was canceled. Three days later, when he and his teammates were finally able to hit the links, he finished with a chip and a giant grin. West chipped in from the fringe for a par on the ninth hole Tuesday at Blackford Golf Club to close out a team-best round of 41 and lead the Monroe Central High School boys golf team to victory in its season opener. “Pretty good. It was pretty good,” he said, his understated words belying the smile he flashed after pulling his ball out of the cup. “I was just feeling good and my chipping felt dialed. I read the green a little bit and just hit my shot.” It was a moment he was ready for after Saturday’s Monroe Central Invitational was canceled. “I was devastated on Saturday that we couldn’t have our meet, but it felt good to finally get out here,” West said. The Golden Bears had all four of their scoring players in the 40s to win easily with a 176. The host Blackford Bruins shot a 211, and Blue River Valley rounded out the three-team field at 238. “I think they did great,” said MCHS coach Chandler Hoel. “First match of the year after our first one got rained out, it was kind of cool to see them out on the golf course again. … I think they’re mentality was good. They’re just shaking the rust off and I think they’ll be good the rest of the year.” West was up and down through the course of his round, opening with a par on the 292-yard, par-4 first hole before playing the next three holes at 5 over par. He notched his first birdie — he had two of Monroe Central’s three birdies — on the 345-yard, par-4 fifth hole. He then parred the sixth hole before striking for birdie again on the 475-yard, par-5 seventh. A double bogey took away West’s shot of breaking 40 and his first shot on the 137-yard, par-3 ninth hole that runs along the south side of Indiana 26 went long, leaving him with a chip back downhill toward the hole. His second shot rolled to the front fringe. Instead of taking out his putter, West chipped from the fringe and watched his ball land, roll toward the cup and gently tap the pin before falling in. “I feel like I’ve practiced enough with chipping that I don’t like putting from that far anymore,” said West, Monroe Central’s No. 3 player who hit his final shot from about 20 feet. “So I just do chipping instead off the fringe.” The chip in secured match medalist honors for West by two strokes over teammate Bentley Thornburg and three over Charlie Crabtree of Blackford. “These guys, they love practicing chipping,” said Hoel. “They always have competitions in practice. So it was really cool to see that coming to fruition on the course.” Thornburg had the only Golden Bear birdie of the day that didn’t come from West, recording his on the 470-yard, par-5 third hole. He was 1 over par through his first four holes — he started on No. 2 — before playing the next three at 4 over. He then parred the ninth hole en route to finishing with a 43. Coltan West and Hayden Taylor, playing from the No. 2 and 4 spots, respectively, each carded totals of 46 to round out the Monroe Central team score. Rigley Braun’s 53 did not factor into the team total. “I’m excited to see what the rest of the year holds for us,” Hoel said. “They want to win county, conference, sectional. That’s a big goal, but I think these guys can do it. “Just keep putting that work in in practice, practising every day. Keeping the mentality right. I think that’s the most underrated part of the game. These guys have been doing great so far this year. I’m excited to see what the rest of the year holds.”