Leon wins regional boys golf title, FWB second

TALLAHASSEE — With a back-nine rally, Tallahassee Leon High got a chance to play for its first team title at a state golf tournament.

It has been 32 years since a Tallahassee prep team has won a title.

The Lions, shooting a 296, edged Fort Walton Beach by two shots in the Boys Region 1-2A Tournament at Killearn Country Club. Jacksonville Fletcher finished third.

Gulf Breeze, despite counting all four scores in the 70s, finished fourth, 10 shots behind Fort Walton.

Only the top two teams advanced. Pace High's Tyler Klava fired a 1-under 71 and will go as an individual, making this his third consecutive state tournament appearance. The tournament is Nov. 3-4 at Silver Springs Shores in Ocala.

"All we stressed from day one was to finish strong," said Leon's elated head coach Tommy Sabourin. "To be in third place and seven strokes down, that performance we put on the back side, not only did we catch them, but we improved."

Thomas Joiner shot 3-under-par on the back nine and Branden Collins shot a 1-under-par 35 to bring Leon back from another devastating disappointment. Joiner finished second in the individual standings with a 69, and Collins was sixth with an even par 72.

"He told me we were one stroke out of second at the turn," Joiner said about Sabourin. "I knew we had to get a couple birdies going."

Joiner will make his second trip to the state tournament. He was on the 2005 Tallahassee Maclay team that qualified.

When asked what, if anything, he will pass along to his teammates about that experience, the senior smiled and said he will tell his teammates to remember to remain in the moment and not get too down on themselves.

It's also the advice that fueled Neptune Beach Fletcher's John Bohme, who birdied his final hole of the afternoon to tie Klava with a 1-under-par 71. Bohme said the conditions were right for scoring and he took advantage.

"It feels great," Bohme said about making it back to the tournament where he finished tied for 37th as a freshman. "There were lots of good players. The competition was tough, and you have to play the course. That's what I did today."

Fort Walton Beach advanced to its first state tournament, largely due to the ball striking of Brett Ochsenreiter and Kyle Andre. Ochsenreiter had the low round of the day with a 68.

The team lost to Gulf Breeze by four shots in last week's District 1-2A Tournament at Tiger Point East, but collectively the Vikings played their best round of the season Monday afternoon.

"I'm very proud of our effort," said Fort Walton Beach head coach John Lavin. "We had some kids who responded when the pressure was on. I'm more proud of that than anything."