WARSAW — Friday’s Warsaw Boys Golf Sectional was all about second chances.

Last year’s finish left a bad taste in the Tigers’ mouths, and with four of the top five returning from a team that fell short of regional advancement for the first time in more than two decades, they were determined to redeem themselves in 2017.

Mission accomplished.

Warsaw not only earned a berth at its home regional next week but did so with flare, winning the program its first sectional championship since 2013 with a score of 309. Plymouth and Culver Military finished second and third, respectively, with identical scores of 319, but the Pilgrims edged out the Eagles for runner-up honors on a fifth score tiebreak when Grant Clady’s 86 trumped Stefan Rasch’s 96.

Triton finished a stroke behind Northfield’s 329 for sixth, Manchester carded 338 for seventh, Wawasee was eighth with a 352, Tippecanoe Valley placed 10th with a 360, and Whitko posted 362 for 11th place at Rozella-Ford.

“I think it’s a lot of redemption. They were really disappointed last year,” said first-year Warsaw head coach Rich Hadadd of his team’s championship finish, the program’s 27th overall.

“It’s been a learning year but an awesome year with these young men. More than anything, they’re great young men. They’re good golfers, great young men. I’m proud of them and happy for their success.”

Ironically, the only golfer not among last year’s top five for Warsaw paced his team in his first-ever sectional Friday. In fact, he paced the field.

Senior Luke Johnson posted a 4-over-par 74 for low medalist honors, and he was all smiles afterward. Johnson started his round on a high note when he chipped in for birdie on No. 1 at Rozella. He went on to finish with four birdies and seven pars on his way to a career-low Friday.

“On the first hole I chipped one in, and I was like, ‘Hey, it’s going to be a good day,’” recalled Johnson. “It was just getting out there and having fun and knowing the course. That was my mindset today.”

“Luke has gotten more consistent as the season has gone on. So to see as a senior… for him to not be on the sectional team last year and then come in here and not only be on the team and be a solid contributor but then to be medalist, it’s so exciting for him,” said Haddad.

While Johnson went low, Luke Delp carded 77, Sam Yeager turned in a 78, and Timothy Rata shot 80 for the Tigers. Thomas Meier’s 83 was the team’s fifth score.

“To have our worst score be an 83 shows the depth and the consistency of the team,” Haddad said. “When you have a team that’s that deep, and they’re all playing good golf, you’re going to put up a good team score.”

Warsaw will host the regional round of the tourney at Stonehenge next Thursday at 8 a.m.

Triton’s Kreft advances

If Friday’s sectional was about redemption for Warsaw’s team, it was also about redemption for Triton top flighter Braden Kreft.

Kreft just missed a 3-foot putt on 18 to finish with a score of 78, and the senior Trojan was forced to wait while the final scores came in to see if that score would be good enough to get out.

After the last few golfers trickled in, Kreft and Columbia City’s Nick Decker played off on 10 for the last of three individual berths out to regional. Kreft finished the par 4 playoff hole in five to beat out Decker by a stroke and extend his senior season.

“It’s like coach said when I was walking to Hole 10: It’s a redemption shot,” said Kreft of his playoff. “It’s easy to look at that putt on 18 if you miss it and just point to that. There are a lot of shots throughout the round you can point to, but it was just a blessing to be able to go to that 10th hole and have a shot.”

Decker teed off first on 10 and drove the fairway, while Kreft went long and had to scramble from near the fairway on the adjacent hole at Rozella. His second shot got hung up in the trees, but he stayed calm and chipped on in three. Decker airmailed the green with his second shot, then chipped short before getting on in four. Both two-putted, and after shaking hands with Decker, Kreft was embraced by a gallery of Triton golfers and supporters around the 10th green.

“We talked about this morning it was going to be a grind all day, and a grind it was. It was kind of a blessing in disguise. I was like that all day: I was scrambling, getting up and down,” explained Kreft of the playoff. “When I went over there, it kind of calmed my nerves to know that I’d been in that position a lot before today. I was able to get up there, put it on the green and two-putt for the win.”

After his number one completed his regional-qualifying playoff, Triton head coach Jack Carpenter carried Kreft’s bag back to the clubhouse, and the Triton senior reckoned that must’ve meant his coach was pretty pleased with him.

He praised the Trojans boss — who has guided the Class A program to five regional qualifications and state finals appearances in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 — after his round Friday.

“Coach Carpenter is an amazing guy. He gets about an inkling of what he deserves in adoration and appreciation for what he puts in,” Kreft said. “This program is not where it is without him. I know he hates the spotlight, but while he’s away from me here, I’m going to say how much he means to this program and to me personally as the best coach in the world.”

Isaac Wall shot 81 for Triton, Beau Hepler carded 85, and Spencer Johnson posted an 86. Bryce Swihart carded 89 as the rest of the Trojan lineup finished out the season.

Warriors close

Like Triton, Wawasee was a long shot to get out among the top three teams at sectional, but the Warriors were hoping to at least get number one Zach Leedy out Friday. Leedy, who has been so consistent for the team all season long, struggled however, posting a 90 to close out the year.

“Zach had a bad day,” said Wawasee coach Steve Coverstone.

“Top three individuals, that’s what his goal was, but he just had one of those days where nothing went right. He putted bad; he didn’t hit it that good. Scores add up when you do that.”

Evan Dippon turned in another 90 for Wawasee, while Dillon Drake shot 89. Sophomore Jared Krugman’s 83 was the Warriors’ best score. Cameron Brill shot 105 in his final round with the team, but everyone except Brill is expected back next year.

“The encouraging news is our sophomore number four player shot 83, shot 39 the second nine. He’s finally starting to break through and figure out how to play. We’re looking forward to next year,” said Coverstone.

“I think we got a lot of good experience this year, and we’ll come back — if they work this summer — a lot tougher next year.”

Tippy Valley was paced by Jeremy Julian’s 85, while Cade Brouyette shot 87. Noah Hoffman carded 92, Crhis Schipper shot 96, and John Young shot 100.

Whitko got an 82 from Tim Gensch. Kaleb Busz shot 85, and Cade Bechtold shot 89. Cole Cmar’s 107 rounded out the Wildcats’ score.