There will be one guarantee once the Indiana Golf Foundation’s Boys State Junior Championship is finished today: The champion will have a Hamilton County connection.
Four local players have made it to the semi-finals of the annual event, which has been taking place this week at Purdue University’s Kampen Course. All four advanced with Thursday wins in the third round, then in the quarter-finals.
Westfield’s Alec Cesare is not yet in high school, but has already made a name for himself with his appearance in the semi-finals. Cesare beat South Bend’s Alec Patterson in 21 holes to advance to the quarter-finals, then had an easier time, beating Franklin’s Damon Dickey 2 up.
Cesare will play Russiaville’s Ty Gingerich in the semi-finals. Gingerich just graduated from Guerin Catholic, giving him a county connection. Gingerich beat Carmel’s Shoji Fujita in another 21-hole third round match, then was a 2 up winner in the quarter-finals over Avon’s Tyler Nickol. In the earlier third round match, Nickol beat Noblesville’s Connor McNeely, an incoming sophomore at Guerin Catholic, 4 & 2.
Noblesville’s Jacob Deakyne, a quarter-finalist at this event last year, improved upon that by making the semi-finals. The recent NHS graduate and Purdue-Fort Wayne commit defeated Sellersburg’s Westin Allen 1 up in the third round, then staged a comeback over another Sellersburg golfer, Carter Smith, to win 3 & 2 in the quarter-finals. Smith had beaten Westfield’s Drew Pickering 4 & 3 in the third round.
Deakyne was 2 down after nine holes, but won four straight holes to take a 2 up lead. He then made birdies on the 15th and 16th holes to clinch the match. Deakyne also made an eagle on the fourth hole during his quarter-final match.
Deakyne will play Carmel’s Nick Dentino in the semi-finals. Dentino won a marathon third-round match over Tipton’s Griffin Hare, prevailing in 23 holes. The IHSAA individual champion and incoming freshman at Purdue then beat Williamsport’s Peyton Snoeberger in the quarter-finals 1 up. Dentino clinched the match by winning the 12th hole and held the lead from there.
The semi-finals begin at 8 a.m. today with the match between Cesare and Gingerich. Deakyne and Dentino will then begin their match at 8:08 a.m. The championship match will begin shortly after the semi-finals are finished.
