Bury your head in the sand or keep grinding.
Belpre golfers choose the latter.
As a result, the Golden Eagles are on the brink of capturing a Tri-Valley Conference divisional crown. They took a major step forward Tuesday night after producing a 14-stroke victory in a dual match with Waterford.
"Our philosophy is that the next hole is your first hole," Belpre coach Scott Miller said. "Forget what just happened, move on to the next hole and play it."
Belpre could not have picked a better night to record their lowest team score of the season.
At Lakeside Golf Course in Beverly, freshman Sam Petty earned medalist honors for the second straight match after carding a 3-over par 37. Jesse Whittington and Brennen Ferrell also broke 40. Hayden Plummer made his score of 42 count even though he started out with an 8 and a 7 on his first two holes.
"Hayden was 1-over for his last six holes and that's the kind of thing that can happen when you don't let a couple of holes get you down," Miller said.
Natalie Perry (43) and her brother Alex (45) also posted respectable rounds as part of the varsity lineup, while Jackie Cunningham turned in a career round of 41 at the junior varsity level.
With four league opponents remaining on the schedule, Belpre remains unbeaten at 12-0 in the TVC. They are the same four opponents the Golden Eagles have defeated handily earlier in the regular season.
An outing can turn on you on any given day, but the Golden Eagles know if they stick to their philosophy then the Hocking Division is theirs for the taking.
They will know about their fate after Tuesday's match at Oxbow Golf and Country Club against Federal Hocking and South Gallia.
"None of the schools left on our TVC schedule have come within 30 strokes of us," Miller said. "I've seen stranger things happen in this game, so I am not counting anything yet.
"We still have two weeks left before sectional, so we need to make sure to keep focused."
The Big Reds had the upper hand against the Patriots during the Top Flite Junior Tour's High School Series. Lately, however, the Patriots have put on a surge and defeated the Big Reds in a tri-meet last week at Marietta Country Club.
"If you would have asked me three weeks ago, I would have said we were playing a little better," PHS coach Don Snider said. "But right now South is playing better than us."
Parkersburg is the defending champion after South had claimed the first three titles in succession. Each school will be represented by eight golfers. The Big Reds must win at least four matches to retain the cup.
"My kids have received a confidence boost the last couple of weeks," South coach Sherry Morris said. "They have started to jell both in practice and out on the course."
