If this isn’t the biggest day in Stewart County sports history, we would like to know what beats it. So much happening, a quick summary:
SCHS Boys Golf – STATE Champions / Ayden Smith – Individual State Runner-Up
SCHS Girls Golf – STATE Runner-Up / Shelby Smith – Individual STATE Champion
STATE CHAMPIONS!
After years of coming so close – finishing 3rd, 4th, runner up last year, the Stewart County Boys bring home the BIG Trophy. They are the TSSAA Class A Boys Golf Champions, and the 1st team in school history to win a State Championship in any sport. They beat perennial powerhouse Signal Mountain by 13 strokes. It was tight most of the day with Signal Mountain holding the lead until about half way through the back 9. Our boys never wavered, and stretched out the lead at the end. The Seniors led the way. Ayden Smith fired two brilliant rounds of 73-73 (including 3 birdies in the last 4 holes) to finish in a tie for 2nd. as Individual Runner-Up. (more later). Landon Wallace closes out his high school career with an 8th place finish, shooting two geat rounds of 76-76. Hayden Howell was a few spots back in 11th, shooting 76-78. Senior Bo Atkins shoots a steady 80-81 for a top 25 finish. Glenn Tanner closes out the day with an 86 and finishes 45th.
STATE Runner-Up!
The boys aren’t the only team bringing home hardware, as the Stewart County Girls are the TSSAA Class A Runner-Up. The girls battled all day but fell 10 strokes shy of Cascade, who won the title. The girls finished 26 strokes ahead of 3rd place Signal Mountain. SCHS was led by Shelby Smith, who shot a 77 the first day, and a sizzling one over par 71 today, good for the Individual State Championship. Shelby birdied the 1st playoff hole to bring home the title (more later). Natalee Wyatt finished in 8th place with scores of 76-88. Jaclyn Rose finishes a fine high school career with a 21st place finish. Like the boys team from last year, the girls team will be one of the favorites to bring home a championship of their own next season.
Congrats have to go out to our coaches on building one of the best golf programs in the state. In the couple years since joining the team, Coach Austin Byrd has helped lead the continued success of this program. And after so many years of coming close, a big congratulations to Nick Wallace. All the work and effort he has put into this program needs to be recognized. What he has built here is nothing short of a dynasty. They are going to run out of room in the gym because of all the banners this program is hanging. SCHS sports has a Hall of Fame now – we know a coach that is very worthy of consideration.
We can’t let our Individual Champions (Ayden and Shelby) go unnoticed, we will do something a little later for them. Knowing both of them, they would want the team to go first too