Chattanooga Christian's Lake Johnson watches his tee shot at 18 Wednesday in the City Prep golf tournament at Bear Trace in Harrison.
Chattanooga Christian's Scott Stevens tied teammate Lake Johnson for the boys' title in the City Prep golf tournament at Bear Trace in Harrison.Chattanooga Christian seniors Lake Johnson and Scott Stevens are almost inseparable.
They both grew up at Black Creek Club and remember getting autographs from Nationwide Tour golfers who have gone on to become stars on the PGA Tour.
The Black Creek buddies shared medalist honors in the two-day Matt Cunningham Baylor Preview. Johnson has the first-place medal at his house and Stevens the second-place hardware, because there weren't two first-place awards.
They shared medalist honors again on Wednesday.
Johnson and Stevens each shot a 3-under 69 to win the Best of Preps City Championship at the Bear Trace at Harrison Bay.
"It's like we're meant to tie every time," said Stevens, who will play for South Carolina next year. "It's kind of weird. But it's kind of cool though too."
Their scores, in addition to a 79 from Wil Manuel and an 88 from John Alston almost provided a CCS sweep of awards in the boys competition. The Chargers finished at 305.
"It was pretty different today because we've never had the opportunity to compete as a full team," said Johnson, who gave a verbal commitment Tuesday to play for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga starting next fall. "It was fun to be rooting on the other guys instead of us just being here as individuals."
Baylor finished with a 304, just one stroke better than the Chargers, but several strokes from the target score set by Red Raiders coach Gary Partrick.
"I have no idea how we won," Partrick said. "We are very fortunate because we did not play well. We had two guys that did their job. We're very fortunate to have beaten teams like CCS, Notre Dame and Walker Valley. There was some very deserving teams."
The Chargers finished as runners-up. Walker Valley placed third at 306 with Dylan Lillard pacing the Mustangs with a 1-under 71, and Notre Dame finished fourth with Zac Bombassi also posting a 71.
"That 304 is the highest number that I can remember for a winning score in this tournament," said Partrick, whose best score was a 71 from Chase Roswall, and had No. 5 starter Matt McKenney finish with the next-best team score of 76. "Our goal is to break 300 every time we tee it up and that wasn't done today."
Partrick has a similar goal for his girls team -- to break 150 every time they play.
The Lady Raiders, with junior Katherine Holmes earning medalist honors with a 2-over 74, nipped Cleveland by one stroke. Holmes' score and a 77 from Tia Teiniketo -- a newcomer this year from Finland -- beat the Cleveland duo of senior Heidi Barringer, who shot 75, and freshman Rheagan Hall who shot a 77.
The Girls Preparatory School placed third with Mary Melissa Manuel carding a 75 and Emily Blake an 80. Signal Mountain placed four by counting an 81 from Taylor Gardner and an 83 from Haley Buttram.
"That was a good day and it was nice to win," Partrick said of his young ladies. "We were within one of that target, and it was good to have a little pressure where it meant something at the end.
"Oh, and I just found out, that's the first time Tia carried a bag and walked 18 for the first time in her life. It's a little warmer and more humid here than her home in Finland."
Johnson and Stevens are accustomed to Chattanooga area weather. They know the courses too. And they're arguably the two best high schools golfers in the Chattanooga area on Tennessee side of the state line.
"CCS has the two stud ducks on the pond," Notre Dame coach Jeff Fisher said before the tournament began.
They proved it Wednesday by winning.
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6484. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.