Photo: The Hokes Bluff girls golf team gathers for a photo after finishing fourth out of eight teams at the AHSAA Class 1A/3A girls state golf tournament last Tuesday (May 14) at the Shoals RTJ Golf Course in Florence Pictured, from left: coach Jeff Noah, Ellie Doss, Kenley Staats, Makayla Bearden, coach Michelle Bishop. (Submitted photo)
By Chris McCarthy, Publisher/Editor
Hokes Bluff placed fourth out of eight teams at the 1A/3A girls state golf tournament last Tuesday (May 14) at the Shoals RTJ Golf Course in Florence.
The Lady Eagles, who were making their first state tournament appearance, shot an overall score of 321, including a 160 round in Tuesday’s nine-hole competition.
Makayla Bearden, who finished eighth overall, paced Hokes Bluff with a five-above-par score of 126, followed by Kenley Staats at 151 (15th place) and Ellie Doss (19th) at 204.
“I thought that all three of our girls played very well,” said Hokes Bluff coach Michelle Bishop. “Ellie definitely played a lot better than she scored.”
Bishop pointed out that having Silver Lakes as a home course helped prepare her team for the challenging Schoolmaster Course in Florence.
“Just with the elevated greens and the openness, Silvers Lakes is a tougher course,” she said.
Bishop took pride in the fact that Hokes Bluff was the top finisher for public schools behind Tuscaloosa Academy, Lindsey Lane and Mobile Christian.
“All three of those teams were [at the state tournament] last year in the same seeding, so we were definitely honored to be there,” she said.
Prior to state, the Lady Eagles finished third at sectionals at Dogwood Hills and second at sub states at Silver Lakes.
Bearden (eighth grade), Staats (junior) and Doss (seventh grade) all will return next season.
“We’ll be competing in Class 4A/5A since our school will be moving up to 4A, so it will be a challenge,” said Bishop. “But we’ve got a couple of younger girls that will join this group next year, so we should have at least five or six girls on the team.”