In today's Times-Journal. I must admit it is fun to cover state championships. Enjoy
State champion!
Dobbins wins D-II boys state golf title
By PAUL BOGGS
Sports Editor
SUNBURY — Morgan Dobbins admitted he rode the roller-coaster of emotions on Saturday.
It turned out to be, in the end, the best ride of his life.
In a historic achievement in Jackson High School and Jackson County sports history, Dobbins — a senior at JHS — captured the Division II individual state boys golf championship on Saturday at North Star Resort in Sunbury.
Dobbins fired a two-day, three-over-par total of 147 to win the state championship, becoming the first Jackson County high school sports athlete to win an individual state title.
He is also the first Jackson High School state champion — in either an individual or team sport.
Dobbins fired an even-par 72 on Friday to take a one-shot lead over six competitors, followed by a three-over-par 75 on Saturday which concluded with a near-crushing triple bogey on the 18th hole.
However, his Saturday 75 — amid difficult playing conditions — held up for the state championship, as the half-dozen golfers which shot 73 on Friday couldn’t equal or lower that amount on Saturday.
In a sport — and pressure situation — in which every shot looms large, Dobbins’ score of 147 was two strokes better than two-time runner-up Tyler Hohman of Columbus DeSales.
Hohman had a 76 on the second day, as Jake Heinen of Hunting Valley University School and Ronnie Stump of Dayton Oakwood shot 77s toward two-day tallies of 150.
Adam Bogdan of Oakwood and Grant Weaver of Apple Creek Waynedale wound up with 151s, and three others — including Scott Smith of University School and Alec Tahy of Kettering Alter — added 152s.
All of the aforementioned players, with the exception of Weaver with a 78, shot 73 on Friday.
But none could overcome the cold and wind for a 73 or lower on Saturday, or even a 74 which would have forced a playoff with Dobbins.
Dobbins, proudly displaying his gold medal around his neck, simply smiled when asked how it felt to claim a state championship.
“It’s unbelievable and indescribable,†he said in an interview with The Jackson County Times-Journal. “But it sure hasn’t set in yet. But given some time to set in, it feels great. It means so much to me, because this was always my goal and I worked so hard for it. Each thing runs through my mind separately. I’ll be sitting there and all of the sudden, I’ll think about it. It’s hard to think about it all at once.â€
This was Dobbins’ first state tournament appearance, as Jackson was a Division II golf program this year following several seasons as Division I.
Dobbins had qualified for the Division I district meet his first three seasons, but narrowly missed advancing to the state all three times.
But, he certainly made good on his fourth — and final — opportunity at state.
And, Dobbins did so despite playing an emotionally excruciating waiting game.
Of the top seven players following Friday, he finished first on Saturday with his 75.
He held the clubhouse lead at 147, but his final hole resulted in a triple bogey 7, thus jeopardizing his victory at the time.
“I thought I had thrown away the state championship on the last hole,†he said. “I thought I had played so well for 35 holes, and then on the last hole had given it away. It was an awful feeling. Just awful.â€
But all worries were erased about an hour-and-a-half later.
“I waited and waited and waited for all the scores to come in,†said Dobbins. “I realized what the other kids shot compared to what I shot with my last hole. And I realized how good I played actually. I know I played well.â€
He was actually even par for the second round — and the entire tournament — entering the 36th hole, but the unfortunate and untimely triple bogey brought him down to three-over.
After rallying for back-to-back birdies on the par-5 16th and par-3 17th, which put him back at even par, Dobbins’ second shot on 18 sailed into a greenside sand trap, and was shockingly embedded in the bunker.
“I hit the tee ball right down the middle, I had 188 yards to the flag dead into the wind for my second shot, and I hit it a little heavy. It hit short of the green and bounced into the bunker. When I got up there, my ball was embedded,†he said. “I didn’t think I could get it out on my first try. I actually thought about hitting it out backwards into the fairway, just trying to get it out somehow.â€
But he elected to take a swing at it, and it unfortunately stayed in the sand.
Twice.
“I hit it the first time and it stayed in the bunker. Then the second one stayed in the bunker,†said Dobbins. “I finally got it out on my third try, but at that point, I’m thinking I didn’t know what I’m doing. I got up to the green, two-putted and walked off.â€
In his own words, Dobbins then signed his scorecard and — understandably upset — quickly sought solitude.
“It tore me down,†he said of the 18th hole. “I did something I hadn’t done all week. I was tore up about it. I sat there for an hour-and-a-half thinking about it.â€
But with no scores which would have nudged him reporting in, Dobbins’ dejection was replaced with elation.
“It was a whole different feeling. It was awesome. I can’t describe it other than it was unbelievable,†he said. “And the people that came up and watched were just as excited as I was.â€
Dobbins’ fan gallery was estimated at 100 people, which included his parents, Tim and Beth Dobbins; his coach, veteran Jackson High School golf coach Keith Wilson; and several family members and friends, including former Jackson High School head football coach Shane Wolford.
“There were probably 80 to 100 people on every hole,†said the state champion. “I had a lot of support.â€
That support group got their money's worth from Dobbins both days.
His back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 on Saturday proved critical, as did a stretch of 10 straight pars from holes six thru 15.
He also bounced back from a double bogey on one with a birdie on two.
“On 16, I hit a good drive, a great second shot, knocked it up there and made birdie. On 17, I hit it about a foot from the cup and made birdie,†said Dobbins. “Then I parred six thru 15, but on those holes, I had a lot of good looks at birdie. I was hitting it good and hitting it close. At that point, I was hitting it good, and I’m really not thinking about making any mistakes. I was steady and in a good spot.â€
The top spot to be exact, as his momentum carried over from the opening round.
Dobbins, with a workman-like 72 on Friday, offset two bogeys with two birdies to stake a one-shot lead over six other players.
He carded a 36 on each side, giving him his third consecutive postseason round of 72.
And not in ideal conditions, either.
The competitors teed off on Saturday morning amid a 32-degree temperature — right at the freezing point.
It was cold, it was windy, it was even damp, said Dobbins.
“It was a grind, especially with the weather,†he said. “That’s the thing, though. All of those times that my dad and I or the guys out at (Jackson’s home course of) Franklin Valley (Golf Club), if it was 40-degrees and sunny, even if there’s snow flurries, we’ll go out and play. And that’s about how it was like the last two days. It got up to about 40 degrees, about 10-to-15-mph winds, it sprinkled a little bit but it was cold more than anything else.â€
The weather didn’t faze Dobbins.
He parred the first seven holes on Friday, and after three-putting for a bogey on eight, responded with a birdie on nine.
Then, following three more pars, he chipped in for birdie on 13.
Dobbins said he “caught a real good break†on that particular par-4.
â€I didn’t hit it real far off the tee, it was kind of a poor tee shot, but I got it up around the green and chipped in,†said.
He bogeyed 16, but sandwiched that between key pars at 14, 15, 17 and 18.
Dobbins didn’t think about leading, he claims, as much as adhering to Coach Wilson’s philosophy of “fairways, greens and two-putt.â€
“I didn’t really think about having the lead. It was more about going out and just hitting golf shots, taking one shot at a time and keep doing what I did the first day,†he said. “Hit solid shots, hit greens, make the putts I can. Just staying in my own little world, not thinking about too much and hit shots that I know I’ve hit before.â€
He did just that this weekend.
Now is when it will all sink in.
“It’s awesome, and I’ll take all of this in for a little bit longer,†said Dobbins.
He also informed The Jackson County Times-Journal of his verbal commitment to continue his golf career at the collegiate level — at Bowling Green State University of the Mid-American Conference.
“I’ll probably be signing with them on Nov. 11,†he said. “After that, I just want to work hard through college and try to make the best at what I can.â€
He said a state championship has been a lifelong dream, which began when he was a toddler and taking on Franklin Valley Golf Club.
“This is more than just four years of high school for sure,†said Dobbins. “I’ve been at it since I was three or four years old, out at the golf course with my dad and all of his friends. It’s been a lot of hard work and time. It’s a great way to finish off everything."
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