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Suncoast Pinellas News

East Lake and Dunedin to represent Pinellas at state tournament

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BY ERIC HORCHY

THE SUNCOAST NEWS

Published: October 25, 2008

Some of them may not have been the prettiest looking scorecards that East Lake and Dunedin players ever signed to turn in following Monday's Class 2A, Region 4 tournament at Wentworth Golf Club, but with windy conditions on a tight, unforgiving course, the final results for both teams were as beautiful as it gets.

The two programs combined for a Pinellas County sweep at regionals to gain berths into the 2008 FHSAA State Golf Championships held on Oct. 28-29 at Providence Golf and Country Club in Davenport.

It's the first time that two county teams have made it this far in the same year since Palm Harbor and Countryside pulled off the feat in 2000. Only two Pinellas County teams have ever won boy's state golfing titles - Clearwater in 1968 and Seminole in 1976.

East Lake head coach Terry O'Reilly said a day before regionals he was hoping to see the all-Pinellas finish and got his wish. It is now East Lake's second consecutive trip to states after finishing as runners-up to Plant High in 2007. The Eagles eventually finished tied for 12th at states then.

"Realistically, I'd be disappointed if we were not Top 10," O'Reilly said about where he would like his boys to finish in a loaded field that includes perennial juggernauts like Olympia High and Nease High. "If it's Top 5, we'd definitely have a great tournament."

Richard Edmonds, the first-year head coach at Dunedin, expressed similar sentiments heading into the season's final tournament.

"There's no way there can be a let down now," he said of his golfers' mentalities as they play through their rounds Tuesday and Wednesday. "The goal was to get to states and they just keep grinding it out. They understand team golf and that every stroke matters."

East Lake had the similar aspiration of reaching states and endured a string of injuries along the way this season that put a return trip in jeopardy.

"At the beginning of the year, I thought this was the best team on paper that East Lake has ever had," O'Reilly said. "We had to fight through some injuries and we played an extremely difficult schedule."

Both the East Lake Invitational and Hawkins Invitational at Sebring included some of Florida's premier golf programs and have the Eagles prepared for what they will be up against in Davenport.

East Lake's starting five will be Dustin Dingus, Terry O'Reilly Jr., Linzy Clark, Logan Hand and Jake Johnson. Only O'Reilly was present during last year's trip to states.

Dunedin will play Justin Foster, Travis Huston, Mark Benard, Westin Jensen and Andy Norris. Each is making their first-ever trip to states.

Both coaches said their boys are prepared and fully capable of posting low scores to shake up the field competing at the long, 6,950-yard Davenport course.

"I think we're peaking at the right time," Coach O'Reilly said. "We probably have just played three of our best tournaments of the year."

Eric Horchy can be reached at 727-815-1071 or ehorchy@suncoastnews.com.

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