By STEVE WILLIAMS and HUNTER CHASE

Forsyth Country Day, sparked by competition among teammates, blew away the rest of the state in the second round of the North Carolina Independent Schools 2-A State Tournament May 15 for their second straight state title.

"They were kind of competing against each other," said Joe Dillon, FCD’s first year coach. "Nobody really played well that first day but they gutted it out, and that was probably good for us. We really got into a rhythm that second day."

FCD junior Alex Yates took the individual medal for the second straight year, shooting 75-70. His closest competition came from teammates Bill Jackson (75-72) and Patrick McConville (77-70). Robert Quick (78-74) also finished in the top five.

"We put our best round of the year together in the second round of the state tournament," Yates said. "We knew if we played well, nobody could beat us."

The Furies fired a two-under-par 286 in the second round after shooting 305 on day one and leading by only five. Their 591 total left second-place North Raleigh Christian 24 shots in the wake.

Dillon said FCD got an early insurance policy in the second round when senior Ryan Simons posted a 77. Although it didn’t count in the team score, it was vital.

"Simons posted a good score early and that immediately relaxed the rest of the team," Dillon said. "They hear what their teammates are doing and they all feed off that."

Although he made only three birdies in two days, Yates was spectacular in his steady play. He suffered only four bogeys in 36 holes. In the second round he hit all 18 greens in regulation and scored three birdies to offset a lone bogey.

"That was one of the best tee-to-green rounds I’ve ever had," Yates said. "I never got into any trouble."

Forsyth Country Day’s toughest competition all season may have come from PACIS conference rival High Point Wesleyan.

"We’re 2-A and all the teams in our conference are 3-A," Dillon said. "They (Wesleyan) have got some really good golfers on that team."

The Trojans, playing in the 3-A State Tourney at the same time the Furies were playing in the 2-A, came up 10 shots short of giving the PACIS a sweep of the NCISAA state titles.

Powerful Charlotte Providence Day fired a second-round 294 at River Run Country Club in Davidson to race past Wesleyan and claim the title.

Providence Day trailed Wesleyan 301-309 after the first round, but got a four-under-par 68 from Banks Wood to spark the second-day surge. Wood, the state’s top-ranked junior and a N.C. State signee, won the individual medal with a 141 total. Teammate Alan Burnette was second at 146 (73-73).

Matt Parker of Wesleyan was third at 150 (75-75).

Parker, a junior, finished the season with a 71.7 stroke average.

"This team looks like it’s set for next year," Wesleyan coach Tim Eller said. "It’s been a real solid team this year."

All the top six players are expected back. In addition to Parker, the team is made up of junior Rocky Manning, who shot 75-86 in the state; sophomore A.J. Eller (76-84), sophomore Tyler Littman (76-77), sophomore Adam Trask (88-80) and freshman David Martin (74-80).

"We battled Forsyth Country Day pretty close most of the year," Eller said. "They’re the 2-A state champs and we’re the 3-A runner-up. That’s a pretty strong conference."

VASS – Jerry Richardson of Burlington Williams rolled in a nine-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff with Nathan Ward of Hickory High School to win the state 3-A championship at Woodlake Country Club May 15.

The sophomore picked up the first individual state championship for Williams since Neil Braxton won in 1982.

Richardson and Ward, a freshman, ended regulation play tied at even par 144. Both golfers had two-putt pars on the first playoff hole, the par-5, 18th.

After watching Ward drive the ball 100 yards past him on the second hole of the playoff, a 356-yard, par-4 with water running all along the right side, Richardson lofted an eight-iron from 160 yards to the left of the hole.

Ward's approach shot found the fringe, 25 feet from the hole.

After Ward's putt rolled several feet past the hole, Richardson made his slight left-to-right putt to win the 13th playoff in the 63-year history of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association golf championships.

Richardson had parred the hole in the two regulation rounds over the par-72, 6,283-yard Palmer Course at Woodlake.

"I was laying back," Richardson said of his 3-iron off the tee on the second playoff hole. "I didn't want to mess with the water. I didn't hit it as solid as I did the first two rounds, and instead of a 9-iron into the green I used an 8.

"I was just trying to play well to help my team win. If I won the individual title that would be good too."

In the team event, Burlington Williams, the defending state champions, spotted Hickory an 11-stroke lead after the completion of the first round. With Ward carding a 74, Hickory shot a four-man score of 299 on the first day. Williams, with Richardson posting a one-under 71, had a team total of 310.

Williams made a run at Hickory on the second day, carding a 292, with Scott Kornegay firing a 70. But Hickory, led by Ward's identical 70, posted a second-day total of 298 to record the five-stroke win, 597-602, over Williams. Richardson shot 73 for Williams the second day.

"We shot what we are capable of shooting today (292)," Williams coach Tommy Cole said. "I was disappointed with our play yesterday, except Richardson, but we showed a lot of character with the way we came back in the second round - 292 is a good round.

Matt Crews’ 74 and Mark Wilson’s 75 were other counting scores in the Bulldogs’ second round.

"But you have to hand it to Hickory - they shot two consistent good rounds."

High Point Andrews recorded a 304-312 – 616 to finish in a tie for fourth, Central Davidson shot 310-310 – 620 to tie for sixth and Eden Morehead came in with 318-322 – 640 for tenth place.

Dustin Barr of South Iredell (fourth with 73-74 – 147), Jeremy Ray of Winston-Salem Parkland (tied for fifth, 73-75 – 148) and Rodney Thomas of Central Davidson (tied for fifth, 72-76 – 148) also placed in the top 10.

First-day leader John Walston of Fike followed up his opening-round 69 with a second day 80 to finish in a tie for sixth.

Before 1986, the NCHSAA championship was an open tournament with just one title at stake. In 1986, the tournament was divided into three classifications, and in 1998 expanded to four. Included in the 12 previous playoffs, were three-time winner Chuck Merriam's defeat of Leonard Thompson in 1964, and Scott Hoch's win over Chip Beck in 1973.

Broughton Rolls in 4-A; Reynolds’ Lewis Runner-up

Raleigh Broughton used a record-shattering performance to grab an unprecedented fourth consecutive NCHSAA state 4-A title May 15 at Pinehurst Course No. 6.

The Caps fired a two-day total of 569 over the par-72, 6,603-yard Fazio layout, breaking the previous state record by 11 strokes, which Broughton set in winning the first title of its four-year run.

Three teams, including Broughton in the early 1970s, have won three consecutive championships in the 63 years of the event.

With senior Rand Williams taking medalist honors with a 136, Broughton outdistanced second-place finisher Winston-Salem R.J. Reynolds by 48 strokes. Broughton led by 26 strokes after an opening round 287. The Raleigh school bettered that the second day with a 282.

The best four scores of six are used to determine team total.

Williams carded a six-under-par 66 the first day and came back with a solid 70 on the second to win the individual championship. R.J. Reynolds’ Andrew Lewis matched Williams' 66 on the second day, but an opening round 73 left him in second place in the individual competition.

Lewis' 66 was his low round of the season. He opened the tournament with a quadruple bogey on the first hole, but went 9-under-par over the remaining 35 holes.

Broughton had five golfers finish in the top 10 of the individual competition. Defending champion Brendan Todd of Green Hope finished ninth with a 4-over 148.

Russell Killough of Charlotte Independence set a state record with his opening round 65, but he ballooned to a 77 on the second day to finish third with a 143.

Greensboro Grimsley and West Forsyth finished in a tie for fourth. West Forsyth carded a consistent 314-314 - 628, while Grimsley carded 317-311 in posting its 628.