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City Cup exchanges hands: Parkersburg defeats Parkersburg South, 5-3

By Kerry Patrick 5 min read

MINERAL WELLS - Switching ownership of the annual City Cup was truly a team win for Parkersburg.

As Big Red golf coach Vince Guice prepared his roster for Monday's City Cup challenge against Parkersburg South at The Links at Woodridge, he received suggestions from both his coaching staff and several of his top golfers. The answers matched one another.

The lineup did not disappoint as PHS won five of the eight matches against two-time defending champ Parkersburg South in the Ryder Cup format.

"I asked each individual assistant coach along with each of my top four golfers Dominic (Way), Andrew (Matheny), Jack (Louden) and Gavin (Fling) and asked them who their top eight would be - they all came up with the same eight," Guice said.

South posted the first point of the afternoon when its No. 3 golfer Cooper Sams defeated Andrew Matheny, 7 and 6.

Both Louden and Way won their matches, but their respective opponents Jackson Ruble and Cooper Welch battled the full 18 holes.

Needing 4 ½ points to take the cup outright, PHS gained a 3-1 edge when Jackson Brown defeated Carter Strothers, 5 and 3.

Three matches remained out on the course, but the two girls representing PHS both had a firm handle on their opponents. Two newcomers to the format, freshman Katie Ann Lemaster defeated Garrett Cline 4 and 2, while senior Camille Tatterson defeated Tyler Wingrove 5 and 3.

The Patriots earned one additional victory when Colt Scott defeated James D'Eramo 3 and 2.

Sams, who lost in his only other City Cup appearance two years ago as a sophomore, remembers losing his first hole then pulling off three impressive chip shots on the front nine to set the tone for his match.

"My opponent caught me on a good day," Sams said. "I was just playing super well. I was hitting the ball off the tee box really well with the driver - any club, really.

"I lost the first hole, pretty bad, actually. Then we tied the second hole. I made par on the third hole and that's when it flipped. I am really bad at putting, but became really good at chipping."

Louden's win as the No. 1 seed did not start out well. He fell behind two holes on the front nine then pulled even with a par on No. 11. Once in the lead, it was just a matter how long Ruble would push the match.

Down one hole going to the 18th hole, Ruble decided to be a risk taker but hit a shot into the water which negated any hope of winning the hole.

"I was struggling a lot with putting," said Louden, who began his senoir year in style by receiving the Sportsmanship Award as recognized by the Callaway Junior Tour. "I just told myself to calm down and focus. Then I was able to come back and get ahead of him. (Ruble) definitely made it a match at the end."

In a back-and-forth affair, Way trailed Welch late before pulling even on the 16th hole. The two golfers tied on No. 17. Still square heading to the tee box at 18, Way's approach shot landed on the green beyond the pin. Welch's approach shot was short of the green and finished with a bogey, while Way two-putted for par and the win.

"In my first year golfing last season, I lost to Cooper," Way said. "You look through the scorecard, and it was even the entire match. I also wrestle and I think that benefits me with the mental game. So I just trusted my abilties.

"I don't get to play much golf during the summer. I'm a little more busy with wrestling and other things. It takes a while to get settled in with golf, but I feel over the past month I've kind of figured out my game."

PHS carries a group of six girls as part of its roster. That same contingent competes at today's MSAC Girls Tournament. Lemaster and Tatterson have momentum on their side with their results from City Cup. Tatterson decided to put her soccer career on hold in her senior year and pull out the golf clubs in a competitive capacity for the first time since middle school.

"I wanted to go out my senior year doing something I wasn't going to be super stressed out about," Tatterson said. "I have had so much fun this past month (of the regular season). I'm just so glad to be out here, even if I don't shoot the best.

"Today, I don't know what my score was. I didn't really know where I stood against my opponent."

This year's City Cup marked the debut of South's interim golf coach, Holmes Marty. He stepped in one day before the season started.

"It would have been terrifying if I didn't have an amazing group of parents and an amazing ex-coach in John Badgley," said Marty, who has a coaching background at Blennerhassett Middle School. "I've just been blessed to have such great people here at Parkersburg South, who are very supportive. We have a lot of good, young golfers.They are very competitive and they lift each other up.

"I've either coached or coached against these kids in basketball, or just known them through the years. They have been absolutely welcoming."

City Cup

At The Links at Woodridge

Parkersburg 5, Parkersburg South 3

Jack Louden (PHS) def. Jackson Ruble, 2-up

Dominic Way (PHS) def. Cooper Welch, 1-up

Cooper Sams (PS) def. Andrew Matheny, 7 and 6

Easton Wolfe (PS) def. Gavin Fling, 3 and 2

Jackson Brown (PHS) def. Carter Strothers, 5 and 3

Katie Ann Lemaster (PHS) def. Garrett Cline, 4 and 2

Colt Scott (PS) def. James D'Eramo, 3 and 2

Camille Tatterson (PHS) def. Tyler Wingrove, 5 and 3

Starting at /week.