Center Grove girls edge Franklin for sectional title

<p>Lucy Young wasn’t totally sure whether her short birdie putt on the 18th green Friday was a do-or-die moment, but the Center Grove senior wasn’t willing to leave anything to chance.</p><p>Her make pushed the Trojans into an overall tie with Franklin at 338, and Center Grove wound up walking away with the title by virtue of the low fifth score in a thrilling sectional battle at The Legends.</p><p>&quot;I kind of heard (coach Cale Hoover) talking about it,&quot; Young said. &quot;He didn’t say it loud enough that I could completely hear what he was saying; I heard, ‘Make the putt and tie.’ So I wasn’t really sure what that meant at that point, but I thought I might have to make it.&quot;</p><p>Young’s clinching putt concluded a two-team race that was neck-and-neck throughout.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>The Trojans got an early boost when Lanie DeHaven turned in an 84 out of the No. 5 spot, but Franklin gradually pulled ahead thanks to solid finishes from Ellie Beavins (83), Liv Parramore (86) and Ava Ray (89).</p><p>That left the Grizzly Cubs four strokes ahead with the final group still to come in — but Young was able to make up the difference, finishing with a 76 compared with an 80 from Franklin’s Taylor Drake.</p><p>Meg Fosnot had an 86 for the Trojans, Maddie Heineman added a 92 and Lauren Pagel delivered the crucial fifth score with a 93.</p><p>Victory was especially sweet for Center Grove, which had lost the county tournament to the Grizzly Cubs on the same course.</p><p>&quot;It was really exciting,&quot; Young said. &quot;I was really glad that we played better in this one.&quot;</p><p>The overall total wasn’t quite what Hoover was hoping for, but he was happy with how his team battled back after a rough start to the round.</p><p>&quot;We had a couple of people get off to horrifying starts,&quot; Hoover said. &quot;I joke with them — ‘You’ve got an old wrestling coach; we will be tough.’ And we just talked about, ‘All right, we’ve got to stay in there; we’ve got to battle.’ &quot;</p><p>Whiteland grabbed the third and final regional berth with a total of 400. Bri Harwell paced the Warriors with an 88, and Allie Watson added a 96.</p><p>&quot;I’m pretty happy with the way the team stuck together,&quot; Harwell said.</p><p>Roncalli was sixth with a total of 423, but Kathleen Ameis (90) did earn an individual spot in the regional, which the Rebels will host at Smock Golf Course next Saturday.</p>