By MIKE DEAK
Sports Editor
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WARSAW — It’s not too often a state champion could be the drop score during a conference dual. While Warsaw’s boys golf head coach Ben Barkey laughed off the proposition of taking the three-over 38 of Tyler Ostrom off the board as the fifth score, that just how good his side were against Northern Lakes Conference rival Wawasee. The Tigers shot an absurd 148 at Stonehenge Country Club Thursday night, easily outdistancing Wawasee’s 181.
“It shows the maturity level of my team, the professionalism they take when they go out and play,” stated Barkey, who spent a better portion of the match watching his JV confident his varsity could do its job. “The kids know the routines and the expectations. I don’t have to watch over them or police them.
“We’re like a big family here.”
Barkey decided to pull the 38 from Tim Ahlersmeyer from the official score, but it didn’t matter as his team looked razor sharp in its first NLC matchup this spring. A 36 from Jon Schram led the field, and 37s from Jonny Hollar, playing in the fifth position, and brother Bennett, were more than Wawasee could handle.
“The biggest thing for us is the five guy (Hollar), which is something we have been looking for. And done by the same guy, which is the consistency we have been looking for,” Barkey said.
It was the fourth of a guaranteed eight times the two schools will take to a golf course at the same time, meeting in five invitationals this season including the Culver Academy Invite this Saturday, plus the NLC and Warsaw Sectionals down the road. A chance to play the Stonehenge course interested Wawasee head coach Steve Coverstone, which will play host to the sectional on June 1.
“We were hoping to come in here to show the guys we can play this course at the sectional, and we didn’t get the job done tonight,” Coverstone said. “Too many big numbers.”
Coverstone didn’t have much to say about his team’s production, however, as several triple bogeys or worse plagued its rounds. A 42 from Dylan Cousins became the top score for the Warriors, with 45s from Derek Zurcher and Luke Jackson and 49s from Tristen Atwood and Mason Germonprez on the report card.
While Warsaw (5-0, 1-0 NLC) had just two double bogeys or worse in the entire night, Wawasee (8-5, 1-2 NLC) had four doubles and a triple by the third hole, and had a pair of 10s in its scores. Coverstone hopes course judgment and approach will change with just three weeks until his team returns with the season on the line.
“It’s a whole different golf course than what we play,” Coverstone said. “A lot more trouble. You have to think your way around. We had balls left, right and places you just can’t hit it. That is something we just can’t do.”

At Stonehenge (Par 35)
WARSAW (148)
Tyler Ostrom – 38
Bennett Hollar – 37
Tim Ahlersmeyer – 38
Jon Schram – 36
Jonny Hollar – 37

WAWASEE (181)
Derek Zurcher – 45
Dylan Cousins – 42
Tristen Atwood – 49
Luke Jackson – 45
Mason Germonprez – 49

Junior Varisty
WARSAW (163)
Jared Essig – 38
Will Petro – 41
Ryan Cultice – 42
Viraj Gokhale – 42
Brandon Ekkert – 42

WAWASEE (195)
Maclain Herr – 47
Tyler Kissinger – 48
Cole Love – 50
Kaleb Perry – 50
Jordan Melching – 52