EAST LANSING -- For the second straight year, Traverse City St. Francis will have to play some catch-up in the final day of the Division 4 state finals.
The defending champion Gladiators fired a 299 Friday at Michigan State's Forest Akers East and trail front-running Kalamazoo Hackett's 286.
"Kalamazoo Hackett played awesome; 286 is a phenomenal score," Glads coach Ken Hornyak said. "Our 299 is right what we wanted to do. Being 13 off the pace is a decent lead, but we're pretty confident. Basically, every player has to pick up three or four shots."
That essentially turns today's final round into a match-play scenario for St. Francis.
"Andrew Walukonis made that exact statement," Hornyak said. "He told the team we have to focus on our individual rounds and play right with their competitors."
Walukonsi paced the Glads with a 72, good enough for fourth overall as an individual. Tony Casciano had 73, Patrick Colburn shot 75 and Keadon Hornyak and Mike Bork each had 79.
Harbor Springs and Manistee Catholic Central are tied for eighth with 324 while Glen Lake shot 326 for 11th.
"What we're doing is looking to move up the standings," Lakers coach Fred O'Brien said. "There are a bunch of teams right around us."
Glen Lake had a 73 from Matt O'Brien, who carded two birdies on the par-71 course. Matt Abramson shot 83, Steve King had 84 and Paul Watkowski shot 86.
The 326 was the second-lowest score of the year for the Lakers, who made their first finals appearance since 2003.
Harbor Springs had a 78 from Tyler Parkins while Duke Dyksterhouse had a 79, Peter Breighner shot 82 and Alex Green carded an 85.
Manistee Catholic Central's low round was a 74 from Zach Bialik. Nick Kolanowski shot 81, Zach Smith had 82 and Zach Luomala had 87.
Individually, Lake Leelanau St. Mary's Paul Bardenhagen had 74, Brandon Vizina from Inland Lakes shot 77 and Charlie Olson from Suttons Bay had 79.
Area teams also competed in the Division 1, 2 and 3 state finals.
n In Division 1, Traverse City West's John Cannon shot 80 at Michigan State's Forest Akers West. The individual leader is Northville's Wes Gates at 71.
n Petoskey shot 344 as a team at the Division 2 finals at Grand Valley's The Meadows. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep leads with 316.
Joey Garber had 78 for the Northmen, Ian Haven 83, Jamie Braddock 88 and Hunter Pulaski 95.
Gaylord's Zach Rygwelski is one shot off the individual lead after a 73.
-- Grayling's Taylor Desenfants sits in second place heading into the Division 3 final at Eastern Michigan's Eagle Crest. Desenfants shot 76 and trails the leader by three shots.
Print this story
E-mail this story
