The Shadow
BATH COUNTY, Va (VR) – The Bath County High School golf team made its return season one to remember on Monday, pulling out a dramatic victory over Ridgeview in a match that came down to the fifth scorer. Both teams’ top four players tied with a combined 203, forcing the tiebreaker that gave BCHS the win by six strokes.
Thursday’s result secured Bath County a spot in the regional tournament, which will be played on their home course Monday, October 6, with tee times beginning at 9 a.m.
There were plenty of highlights along the way. Ryan Ratcliffe birdied the par-3 second hole to set an early tone. Michael Keyes reached the par-5 fifth hole in three shots for the first time this season and calmly two-putted for par. The most dramatic moment belonged to Akio Long. Slotted as the No. 4 seed, Long needed a par on the final hole to keep Bath County’s hopes alive. His tee shot landed on the left fringe, but he pulled out the putter and rolled the ball to within tap-in distance for his lone par of the day. That effort kept the match tied and brought Draven Whitmore’s score in as the deciding factor. Whitmore’s steady round became the difference-maker, delivering the victory for BCHS.
Atticus Stauffer claimed honors for the day’s longest drive, while Long and Whitmore both managed to post the lowest scores on the course’s toughest hole, the par-4 sixth.
The match nearly didn’t happen at all, as the weather forecast called for cancellation. But a 2:00 p.m. decision to play proved wise, as the contest went off and ended with one of the most memorable finishes of the season.
Now it’s on to Regionals for the Chargers, with a chance to keep this storybook comeback season rolling on their home course.
