Norwalk, Edison wrap up NOC season

HURON TWP. — Norwalk was fighting for pride. The Truckers entered Thursday's final Northern Ohio Conference boys golf event tied for sixth in the team standings. Norwalk was tied with Huron and at Sawmill Creek Golf Course, the two teams each shot a 374. The Truckers used the fifth golfer tiebreaker to squeak ahead of Huron, both for the day and in the final team standings. That still didn't please Norwalk coach Derek Pigman. "At this point of the season, a bubble team like ours can really find their groove or they can take a back seat," Pigman said. "Today, we took a back seat." Perkins won the season-long team championship with 22 points, beating out Bellevue's 20 points and Vermilion's 19 points. Clyde (12 points) was fifth, Norwalk (7) finished sixth, Huron (6) took seventh, Edison (5) was eighth and Port Clinton (0) finished ninth. "I'm really impressed with those top teams accepting the challenge of Sawmill and making the most of it because this place can bite you," Pigman said. "When it does, it's hard to shoot a good score. All our guys found the trouble and paid for it in the long run. "I got to see my guys take some really great shots, but you've gotta be ready to fight for an entire 18 holes at Sawmill." Bellevue took home the win Thursday, scoring a 321. Perkins totaled a 323 while Vermilion (324) was third. Clyde (357) finished fifth, Edison (360) was sixth, Norwalk took seventh ahead of Huron and Port Clinton (398) was ninth. Columbian's Kyle Hepp was Player of the Year, beating out Perkins' Kyle Schaefer by one shot. Other first-team selections were Vermilion junior Sam Riddle, Bellevue senior Blake Sutherland, Bellevue junior Jackson Decker and Vermilion senior Noah Penton. Second-team picks were Columbian sophomore Carter Everhart, Perkins junior Ty Obergefell, Vermilion senior Jackson Fahr, Huron senior Grant Humphrey, Perkins senior Colton Kelley and Clyde sophomore Carson Gillmor. Norwalk was led by Cohen Shoop's 90. He was followed by Avery Reitzel's 92. "Going forward, we can use this as a stepping stone for what really matters now, which is getting guys out of sectionals," Pigman said. "We're really going to have to focus on getting off the tee better and putting ourselves in less difficult spots from the get go. "But the courses don't get any shorter, so it's not always a matter of taking a different club." Jarrett Scheid carded a 95 and Caleb Thompson shot a 97. "We've got plenty of talent on this team," Pigman said. "These guys are super enjoyable to be around and I look forward to working with them every day. I'm grateful for all the camaraderie the coaches and players in this league provide. I'm glad to be a part of it." Owen Price fired an 86 to lead Edison while Eli Hermes added an 88. "Today was one of our best rounds at Sawmill," Chargers coach Shayne Fischer said. "It was good to see how much our senior-laden team has improved over the year." Also for the Chargers, Brooks Ballah and Mason Harmes each finished with a 93. "I hope our team sees how good they could be if we just learn to manage ourselves around a golf course," Fischer said. "Today showed how much lower we can score when we do that." LEAGUE RESULTS TEAM SCORES 1. Perkins, 22 points; 2. Bellevue, 20; 3. Vermilion, 19; 4. Columbian, 17; 5. Clyde, 12; 6. Norwalk, 7; 7. Huron, 6; 8. Edison, 5; 9. Port Clinton 0 FIRST TEAM NOC Kyle Hepp, 10, Columbian; Kyle Schaefer, 12, Perkins; Sam Riddle, 11, Vermilion; Blake Sutherland, 12, Bellevue; Jackson Decker, 11, Bellevue; Noah Penton, 12, Vermilion SECOND TEAM NOC Carter Everhart, 10, Columbian; Ty Obergefell, 11, Perkins; Jackson Fahr, 12, Vermilion; Grant Humphrey, 12, Huron; Colton Kelley, 12, Perkins; Carson Gillmor, 10, Clyde HONORABLE MENTION NOC Ian Krecic, 12, Perkins; Mason Roszman, 11, Columbian; Paul Murray, 11, Huron; Mitch Newsome, 12, Clyde; Kaden Beard, 11, Bellevue; James Gish, 12, Bellevue THURSDAY TEAM SCORES 1. Bellevue, 321; 2. Perkins, 323; 3. Vermilion, 324; 4. Columbian, 333; 5. Clyde, 357; 6. Edison, 360; 7. Norwalk, 374; 7. Huron, 374; 9. Port Clinton, 398 INDIVIDUAL SCORES (TOP 10) 1. William Cooper, Bellevue, 77; 1. Ty Obergefell, Perkins, 77; 3. Kyle Hepp, Columbian, 79; 4. Kyle Schaefer, Perkins, 80; 4. Jackson Fahr, Vermilion, 80; 4. Blake Sutherland, Bellevue, 80; 7. Jackson Decker, Bellevue, 81; 7. Noah Penton, Vermilion, 81; 7. Sam Riddle, Vermilion, 81; 7. Grant Humphrey, Huron, 81