David Moore
Contributing Writer
The Pocahontas County High School Warrior golf team returned to the Lewisburg Elks Golf Club September 30 to compete in the Region 3 Championship.
The PCHS Warriors took on nine other Class A high school golf teams, and, at the end of the day, Charleston Catholic and Webster County high schools, along with two individuals, would be eligible to compete in the West Virginia State Golf Championship at the Speidel Golf Club at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling.
Pocahontas County High School sophomore David Gibb was one of those individuals.
“My goal was to get back to Wheeling,” Gibb said. “Going into the tournament, I was a little nervous, but I knew that as long as I played my way, everything would be fine.”
In fact, Gibb returned to the Region 3 Championship with high expectations placed on him.
“Dave Gibb will be the man to beat for the individual score,” said Richwood High School coach Dave Hicks.
In last year’s Region 3 Championship, Gibb made a splash as a freshman by shooting a 74 (+4) and qualified for the State Golf Championship as an individual. Once there, Gibb placed third among all Class A golfers in West Virginia.
For this year’s Region 3 Championship, Gibb was placed in the feature group, alongside David Zachwieja, of Charleston Catholic; Indy Eades, of Midland Trail; and Rigel Wilson, of Webster County.
Wilson took the day with a score of 74 (+4), which was the lowest score of the Championship. Gibb finished second overall with a 76 (+6), while Zachwieja finished with an 87, and Eades rounded out the foursome with a 92.
Pocahontas County native and Charleston Catholic’s coach Sam Helmick and his team took first place at the Championship with a team score of 250, followed by Webster County High School with a team score of 254.
Ethan O’Dell, of Greenbrier West, scored an 84 and will join Gibb at the State Golf Championship. Meanwhile, PCHS freshman Michael Kane finished with a score of 119, while PCHS sophomore Talon Shuttleworth finished on a 140.
“I didn’t start off very well today,” Kane said. “After the first two holes, though, I was able to settle down and started to play better.”
“There were a lot of players golfing today,” added Shuttleworth. “I played okay. I made friends with a couple golfers from Mount View High School.”
Kane and Shuttleworth were competing in the Region 3 Championship for the very first time.
Kane and Shuttleworth hope that next year will see the PCHS golf team qualify for the State Golf Championship – as a team.
“I’m really happy for David,” Kane said. “I hope he wins it all this year. I just hope next year we can bring a State Championship back to Pocahontas County as a team.”
Gibb will be playing for the title of West Virginia State Golf Championship Low Medalist over two days, October 8 and 9, at Speidel Golf Club at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling.
Photo courtesy of Jenny Harnish of the Register Herald.