Golf: Four county boys heading to Junior Championship semifinals

The REPORTER

An all-county semifinal lineup at the Boys State Junior Championship is still possible, if the weather would just cooperate.

Play continued Thursday at the Indiana Golf Association’s Howard Bailey Junior Golf Tour event, which is taking place at Purdue University’s Kampen-Cosler Course. Even with the weather delays, the tournament was able to get the Round of 16 matches finished, and two quarterfinal matches were completed.

Four Hamilton County players advanced from the 16s to the quarterfinals, with each one making it to a separate match. Westfield had two of those winners: Alec Cesare beat Evansville’s Luke Johnston 6&5 and Will Harvey defeated Monrovia’s Titus Boswell 2 up.

Noblesville’s Jacob Modleski reached the quarterfinals with a 3&2 victory against Garrett’s Carter Demske. In the lone all-county Round of 16 match-up, Carmel’s Jackson McCullough got past Fishers’ Cole Starnes in 19 holes.

Two other Westfield golfers made it to the Round of 16. Matthew Shull fell 4&3 to Bloomington’s Nick Bellush, while Jake Cesare lost to Tipton’s Maverick Conaway 2 up.

In quarterfinal play, both Harvey and Modleski were able to finish their matches with victories and advance to the semifinals. Harvey was a 4&3 winner over Crown Point’s Sam Carraher, while Modleski beat Bellush 3&2.

At last report, Alec Cesare was leading Middlebury’s Silas Haarer 2 up after 11 holes. McCullough and Conaway were playing another quarterfinal match, which was all square after 13 holes before it was halted.

The tournament is scheduled to finish tomorrow with the semifinal and championship matches.