Division I

Carter Toms carded a bogey-free 5-under-par 67 to help pace his C. E. Byrd team to the first-day lead in Division I of the state championships Farm d’Allie course.

Toms made an eagle on the 528-yard par-5 fourth hole and added three birdies on the back side to take a six-stroke lead in the individual chase heading into Thursday’s final round. Teammate Philip Barbaree, the returning individual champion, is alone in second place after posting a 1-over 73 over the 6,516-yard course.

Byrd, the two-time defending team champion in Division I, also got 78 scores from Marshall Laborde and Reed Sikes on the way to a 296 team score. That was good enough for an 11-stroke lead over St. Thomas More at 307, while West Monroe and 2015 runner-up Catholic High of Baton Rouge are tied for third at 310.

Barbaree, though, had the shot of the day with a hole-in-one on the 161-yard 13th hole.

Matt Weber of St. Thomas More, Brady Bennett of Zachary and Zack North of West Monroe are tied for third at 3-over 75, and Ray Poche of Fontainebleau and Stewart Perrilloux of Catholic-Baton Rouge are tied for sixth at 4-over 76.

Congratulations to the Boys’ Golf Team for their 2^nd place finish at the District Golf Tournament.

They will now move on to Regionals next Tuesday.

This week the Zachary Golf Team competed at the Metro Golf Tournament at The Island in Plaquemine.

The team as whole tied with Dutchtown High for third place.

The team now advances to regionals next week at LSU.

Congratulations also to Tyler Armstrong who placed 3^rd third in the individual ranks hitting even with the greens this year.

It’s early in the prep golf season, but Zachary High coach Kenny Langlois likes what he’s seen so far from his young team.

The Broncos finished one shot short of advancing to the regional tournament a year ago, and Langlois thinks that disappointment has fueled his team’s competitive approach heading into this season.

“I think that made them hungry this year,” Langlois said. “Their work ethic needs to be strong for them to be an excellent team, and the guys are starting to realize that. They’re working hard.”

 Full Story in the Plainsman-Advocate

Langlois is relying on veteran leadership from Brady Bennett. The team has no seniors and Bennett is the only junior. The squad also features three sophomores and one freshman after losing only one player from last year’s team.