<p>HENRYVILLE</p><p>Even within the context of golf’s hit-or-miss nature, it’s fairly amazing that only twice in Indiana history has a boys team won four consecutive regional championships.</p><p>On Thursday, Center Grove became the first to claim a fifth straight.</p><p>Alex Heck’s round of 69 was good for medalist honors and helped the Trojans post a team score of 291 at Champions Pointe, a full 10 strokes clear of runner-up Floyd Central.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery<p>"I don’t even think the boys know it," Center Grove coach Matt Rodman said of his team’s historic victory. "It’s a big-time accomplishment, just the consistency that the program is starting to develop. Just year in and year out, knowing that we can be competitive here and have a chance to win is good to know."</p><p>Columbus North claimed the third state qualifying spot. Whiteland placed 13th as a team with a 352.</p><p>Rodman said the team goal coming in was for everyone to shoot 76 or lower, and the Trojans accomplished that en route to their historic victory. Caleb Tidd posted a 73 out of the fifth spot in the lineup, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 12th hole. Luke DeHaven turned in a 74, with Mitchel Sanders and Peyton Short each adding a 75.</p><p>Heck, though, had the hottest hand. He made the turn at 33 after holing back-to-back birdie putts on the eighth and ninth, then played the back side at even par to turn in the lone sub-70 round of the tournament.</p><p>"When I made the turn, I knew I was hitting my irons pretty good," Heck said, "so I had a lot of confidence going into the back nine for sure."</p><p>Franklin’s Damon Dickey will also advance to state as an individual after finishing with a 71. He and Heck were the only two players in the field to break par Thursday.</p><p>Dickey got off to a strong start playing out of the first group of the morning, getting birdies on the fifth and sixth holes to make the turn at 34. He bogeyed 10 and 11 but got one shot back with a birdie on the 14th to get back under par and put the first red number of the day on the board.</p><p>"I definitely got into a rhythm in the foursome we were in," Dickey said. "That put me under a few, and I just kind of had to coast in after that."</p><p>Dickey’s Franklin teammate, Quin Edwards, finished with an 83, while Greenwood freshman Jackson Watkins carded a 77 in his regional debut.</p><p>"I just tried to keep it smart and hit 3-woods off the tee," Watkins said. "I think I took driver four times the whole course. The putting was a little off today, but I’m overall really pleased with the round, especially being a freshman."</p><p>The Warriors, playing the first regional in school history, were led by an 83 from Zach Ricketts. William Davis wound up at 88, followed by Jacob Johnson at 90. Walter Brady and Max Pressler each shot 91.</p><p>Coach Dan Gibson was pleased with the performance turned in by his team, which returns its top four players next spring.</p><p>"We got a late draw and it was like a 7 1/2-hour round, a real long, hot day," Gibson said. "I’m really proud of the guys with how they battled out there; it’s a tough golf course. We beat five teams that have been here before, so I think we made a pretty good showing."</p><p>Roncalli was seventh with a 332, led by rounds of 78 from Luke and Mark Poole.</p><p>For Center Grove, the win sets the table for another run at a state championship. The Trojans, second last year after winning their first crown in 2017, figure to go in as an underdog for the first time in a couple of years, but they’re feeling good about their chances against rival Carmel and the rest of the field next week.</p><p>"We’re playing our best golf at the right time," Rodman said. "If those five boys play the way they did today at the state tournament, we’re going to be super competitive."</p><p>"Obviously, we want to go out and beat Carmel," DeHaven added. "That’s our number one goal, to win another state championship. That’d be amazing."</p>
