Eli Ortego takes Division III boys golf title, leads Ascension Episcopal to team crown

LAFAYETTE – Quite likely the youngest team ever to compete in the Allstate Sugar Bowl LHSAA State Golf Championships is this year’s most successful in the boys’ Division III section.

Hometown squad Ascension Episcopal got its four counting scores from two freshmen, an eighth grader and a seventh grader here Tuesday, with that group posting the low round of the tournament and running away with the Division I title with a 306-301—607 score.

Freshman Eli Ortego backed up his opening-day 70 with a one-under-par 71 over the 6,398-yard par-72 The Wetlands course, and his two-day 141 total was good enough for a one-stroke win over John Hayden Wood of Episcopal in the chase for individual honors.

Ascension Episcopal, which finished third last year in Division IV before moving up one division, had all three of its counting players finish in the top 11 in the individual standings. Freshman Jude Ardoin posted a one-over 73 Tuesday, tying for the fourth-lowest round in the field, and eighth-grader Canon Clark shot a 77 Tuesday with that twosome tying for ninth at 155. Jay Mendell, a seventh-grader, added an 80 to his opening 76 and finished 11^th individually at 156.

As a team, Ascension Episcopal’s 607 score left them at 607 for the two rounds and left them with a big 25-stroke margin over runner-up and defending champion University High. U-High, which won last year’s title with a 617 score, entered Tuesday’s final round eight strokes behind Ascension Episcopal but shot 318 in the final round to finish at 632.

Ortego entered the final round with a two-shot lead over Wood but was only up by one when Wood eagled the par-five 11^th hole and Ortego birdied. But Ortego’s lead ballooned back to three shots on the par-four 15^th when he birdied and Wood bogeyed, and Ortego survived bogeys on the final two holes to win by one shot.

Buoyed by Wood’s runner-up individual finish, Episcopal finished third at 652 and Isidore Newman, last year’s runner-up, moved up one spot in the final round to finish fourth at 679.

Wood had the low round of the day, firing a two-under 70, and he and Ortego were the only players to break par Tuesday. Wood’s two-under 142 was six shots clear of two players tying for third – August Drummond of Loyola Prep (75-73—148) and Mikey Landry of St. Charles Catholic (76-72—148). Clayton Brown of University was fifth at 76-73—149 and Tanner McKenzie of Pine finished sixth at 73-77—150.

2018 ALLSTATE SUGAR BOWL LHSAA STATE GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
Division III Boys Final Results
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
At The Wetlands (6,348 yards, par 72), Lafayette, La.

TEAM STANDINGS
Ascension Episcopal 306-301 – 607
University 314-318 – 632
Episcopal 330-322 – 652
Isidore Newman 339-340 – 679
Loyola Prep 331-349 – 680
Menard 390-415 – 805
Calvary Baptist 423-424 – 847
Lakeside no score

INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS
 
Eli Ortego, Ascension Episcopal 70-71 – 141
John Hayden Wood, Episcopal 72-70 – 142
August Drummond, Loyola Prep 75-73 – 148
Mikey Landry, St. Charles Catholic 76-72 – 148
Clayton Brown, University 76-73 – 149
Tanner McKenzie, Pine 73-77 – 150
Luke Haskew, University 75-76 – 151
Drake Hoffpauir, Loreauville 77-76 – 153
Canon Clark, Ascension Episcopal 78-77 – 155
Jude Ardoin, Ascension Episcopal 82-73 – 155
Jay Mendell, Ascension Episcopal 76-80 – 156
Becker Ferrer, Isidore Newman 77-81 – 158
Henry Googe, Loyola Prep 78-81 – 159
Colby Dupuis, Pine Prairie 79-80 – 159
Walter Anderson, University 84-79 – 163
John Swacker, Notre Dame 82-82 – 164
Max Rathle, Isidore Newman 83-83 – 164
Luke Foster, Episcopal 86-79 – 165
Joe Patterson, Episcopal 82-85 – 167
Burke Alford, Loyola Prep 80-88 – 168
Winston Dupree, University 79-90 – 169
Jonas Valentine, Jena 84-87 – 171
Will Torres, St. Charles Catholic 85-87 – 172
Miles Merlin, Isidore Newman 83-90 – 173
Bode Hinds, Ascension Episcopal 88-86 – 174
Ethan Lawson, Episcopal 90-88 – 178
Coy Fortenberry, University 89-90 – 179
Matt Opotowsky, Isidore Newman 97-87 – 184
Ben Vanderlick, Menard 91-94 – 185
Konrad Marks, Isidore Newman 96-89 – 185
Troy Hunt, South Beauregard 93-98 – 191
Michael Smith, Lakeside 91-101 – 192
Chase Jennings, Calvary Baptist 92-100 – 192
Peyton Brookshire, Calvary Baptist 92-101 – 193
Brody Crumpler, Lakeside 94-99 – 193
Carter Higgins, Calvary Baptist 98-96 – 194
Jason McCollister, Episcopal 101-95 – 196
Brooks Anderson, Menard 102-98 – 200
Jackson Beckman, Loyola Prep 98-107 – 205
Jacob Whittle, Menard 89-119 – 208
David Hoover, Menard 108-104 – 212
Michael Angelo, Loyola Prep 113-112 – 225
Hunter Harris, Calvary Baptist 141-127 – 268
Jacques Roy, Menard 142-134 – 276
Aiden Cormier, Calvary Baptist 152-128 – 280