The REPORTER
Westfield’s young golfers had a productive time in West Lafayette on Wednesday, as four of them advanced to the Round of 16 at the Indiana Boys State Junior Championship, which is taking place at Purdue University’s Kampen-Cosler Course.
The match play portion of the tournament began on Wednesday with 64 players, and the draw was whittled down to 16 after two rounds of play. In addition to the Westfield success, one player each from Noblesville, Carmel and Fishers advanced to the Round of 16, giving Hamilton County seven players left in the draw.
The Westfield winners started with Alec Cesare, who advanced 3&1 over Zionsville’s Andrew Wall. Will Harvey beat Tipton’s Gavin Hare 2 Up, and Jake Cesare needed 21 holes before he got past Zionsville’s Adam Melliere. Two Westfield golfers faced off in the second round, with graduate Matthew Shull beating incoming junior Jack Harris 2&1.
Noblesville’s Jacob Modleski edged out Middlebury’s Brock Reschly in 19 holes to advance to the 16s. Fishers’ Cole Starnes beat Evansville’s Thomas Broshears 3&2, and Carmel’s Jackson McCullough defeated Bargersville’s Brody Holubar 2 Up.
Two other county golfers fell in Round of 32 play. Fishers’ Mattingly Upchurch fell to Middlebury’s Silas Haarer 2 Up, while Westfield’s Cohen Steill lost to Evansville’s Luke Johnston 1 Up.
First Round
In first round action, Upchurch was a winner over Indianapolis’ Eli Wessel (who plays for Guerin Catholic), while Steill beat Grabill’s Wes Opliger 2&1. Alec Cesare defeated Nappanee’s Earl Williams 4&3, Harvey beat Upland’s Aaron Fulda 6&4, Modleski was a 4&3 winner over McCordsville’s Elijah Lemmon, Harris edged Roanoke’s Landon Snyder 1 Up, Shull got a 3&1 victory over Granger’s Henry Ashley, Starnes sailed past Fort Wayne’s Gavin Haiflich 7&5, McCullough beat Noblesville’s Alex Peck 2 Up, and Jake Cesare beat New Castle’s Gracen Huffman 4&3.
Two Westfield golfers dropped first-round matches: Cam Kooi lost to Lafayette’s Sam Peter 1 Up, while Ryan Cesare fell to Fort Wayne’s Ryan Parker 1 Up. Carmel’s Joseph Armfield fell to Tipton’s Maverick Conaway 6&5, and Indianapolis’ Nathan Benson (who plays for Hamilton Southeastern) dropped a 19-hole match to Fort Wayne’s Justin Hicks.
In today’s Round of 16 matches, Alec Cesare plays Johnston, Harvey takes on Monrovia’s Titus Boswell, Modleski will face Garrett’s Carter Demske, Shull plays Bloomington’s Nick Bellush, Starnes and McCullough play an all-county match and Jake Cesare takes on Conaway. The winners of these matches play in the quarterfinals later today.