The team had been in this situation many times. For the third straight year, the Green Hope men’s golf team went into the second day of the NCHSAA 4A State Championship firmly in the top three with a desire to win the state championship.
The previous two seasons, the team had finished second in the state, last year they finished just two strokes back of Pinecrest, the 2023 4A state champs. In 2022, Green Hope finished three strokes back of Charlotte Catholic, the 2022 4A state champs. This time though, the team looked to change the script as they were only five strokes back of Pinecrest going into the second day.
In addition to the team state championship, another close race teed off on Tuesday. Jake Lewis (‘24) began the second day with a two-shot lead as he went for the individual 4A state title. He shot an impressive 66 on day one, the best out and back of any player at the tournament from either day. In an interview with the GH Falcon, Lewis stated, “I was really happy with how I played the first day and was happy to put both me and Green Hope in a position to win going into the second day.”
In preparation for the second day, Falcon golfers used various strategies to stay ready. Lewis rested after his 18 holes and then went out and practiced in the afternoon. Other golfers used visualization so they were confident on the second day.
Unfortunately for Lewis, the second day started poorly. After his superb first day, he boogied the first hole taking away his lead over the pack. Though it wasn’t the start he hoped for, he was able to refocus and close strong. Lewis stated, “I was very happy with how I battled back after a bad start to the second round.”
During the second day, the conditions worsened– making an already difficult course even tougher. After good weather on the first day, the second day brought inclement weather. Lewis commented, “A challenge for everyone there were the rain delays during round two. We ended up being at the course from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. so I had to stay mentally focused while waiting around.”
On the team side, New Hanover and Broughton were separating themselves from the Falcon, leaving Green Hope in a tough battle for third. Broughton High started the day 14 strokes behind Green Hope but behind a 68 from Smith Summerlin, Broughton was able to close the gap. At days end, Broughton and Green Hope both shot 584, giving them both a third-place finish in the state.
After states, Coach Nathaniel Denton reflected on the championship saying, “We didn’t accomplish our main goal of winning the state championship, but our day one at the state was the best single day of postseason play in the school’s history.” For the season on the whole Denton expressed gratitude toward the seniors stating, “This season, our senior leadership stepped into a very unselfish role allowing there to be more camaraderie than in years past.”
Though the team nor Lewis were able to accomplish their dream of a state championship, they still enjoyed the team experience. Lewis mentioned hanging around the house with the team after a great day one as his favorite memory from this season.
