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School Sports
Demons capture Fike's first 3-A golf crown By Tom Ham | Senior Staff Writer WEST END -- Triggered by a steadfast senior and a focused freshman, Fike High's boys golf team seized the 2008 N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A Championship on a sun-splashed Tuesday on the Foxfire Resort and Golf Club's East Course. And as Zach Gliarmis, the senior at the top of the lineup, emphasized: "This is not a Cinderella story." "We knew we could do it," the Golden Demons' only senior explained. "We did, and that's what makes it better." Trailing by two shots going into Tuesday's final round, Fike fashioned the day's best score of 302 for its low four individuals and charged from second place to the championship by six shots with a 609 total for the two rounds or 36 holes. Gastonia Forestview, the opening-round leader, finished second at 305-310--615. Forestview also wound up second in 2007 when the fifth score for each team declared Hickory the state champion. Rounding out the 2008 top five were Burlington Williams (309-308--617), Southeast Guilford (315-304--619) and Hickory (308-314--622). Fike modestly celebrated its first golf state championship after runner-up finishes in 1965 and 2004. The Demons also claimed the school's first team state title since the 1999 baseball team won the 3-A crown. The Demons presented veteran head coach Jim Boykin, in his 25th season as Fike's golf coach, his first state championship. However, Boykin noted he telephoned his wife and closed the conversation with the words: "We're state champions!" "Then, it hit me," he added. "It feels wonderful. I'm happy (for the players)." NO CINDERELLA FEAT With Gliarmis, junior Ryan Yarbrough and sophomore Spencer Whitt back from the 2007 team that finished eighth, Boykin agreed the Demons' performance should not be linked with a Cinderella feat. Fike entered as the NEW 6 Conference and East Regional king and, said Boykin: "I felt like we were one of the better teams -- not the best but one of the best." However, the Demons emerged the best in 2008 as Gliarmis grinded to a 2-over-par 74 over the 6,500-yard, par 36-36--72 Foxfire East layout. Bailey Rose, that focused freshman in the bottom slot, finished the deal with a 75 after struggling to an 86 in Monday's opening round. Sandwiched between Gliarmis and Rose were freshman Coalter Paxton with a 76 and Whitt with a 77. Yarbrough, Monday's Fike leader with a 75, came in with a 79, while sophomore Matthew Ellis shot 80. Scores for all six members of the lineup counted in at least one round. Gliarmis, with birdies at Nos. 13 and 15, played the tougher back nine at 1-under 35. Rose birdied Nos. 8 and 13. Paxton stood 4-over after four holes, but stayed at 4-over with the aid of birdies at Nos. 6, 12 and 17. Whitt finished 5-over without a birdie. GLIARMIS STEPPED UP "I feel like I stepped up and did my job," Gliarmis proudly said. Rose handled immense pressure. "There was a lot of pressure," the lanky freshman admitted. "But I was playing well at the time. I knew I couldn't give up because (the outcome) could go back to the fifth or sixth score." Of rebounding from Monday's struggles, Rose responded: "It happens to everyone. I just figured I would play my game and go out there focused. I played pretty well." Boykin generously dished out praise. "I got choked up in talking with Zach and thinking about all that he did," Fike's coach noted. "Chances are 50-50 that you're going to play better as a senior. However, I think not doing well in the conference tournament and not making first-team all-conference inspired him. "Was Bailey strong or what? Spencer is fighting a hook and did a good job of shooting 77. Coalter came through." MINIMUM DRAMA Drama was at a minimum although Fike players waited for more than an hour before the final scores for Hickory and Burlington Williams players were posted. The Demons quickly learned they had passed Forestview. "We didn't play well," Forestview coach Ken Beaty said matter-of-factly. "We didn't feel any pressure; you know how golf is. It was the stress level, the course was pretty tough and Fike played extremely well." Fike players were encouraged by Boykin's observation of "we're right where we want to be" after Monday's first round. "We wanted to hit fairways," Boykin revealed final-round strategy. "We talked about keeping their heads in it. The front nine was easier and we needed to put up pretty good numbers and then hold on when we played the back. Little did I know that Zach would go out and shoot 1-under back there. " With Fike and Forestview among the early finishers, Boykin proudly observed: "We did what we needed to do. If (the state championship) happens, it happens." State-championship expectations increased for Fike players as the top first-round performers from Burlington Williams and Hickory turned in higher second-day scores with the exception of Williams freshman Robert Register, the individual champion. "It's a little disappointing," Register said of Williams' third-place finish. "We felt like we needed to break 300 today to win it. We feel like we could have won it if we had played a little better." CHAMPIONSHIP COMBO But Gliarmis at the top and Rose at the bottom produced a championship combination for Fike that proved encouraging if not inspirational. "When you have a guy at the front playing well and a guy at the back playing well, it helps everybody," Boykin reasoned. "This team is just so mentally tough; they just hung in there. They are darned strong A-minus and B-plus players. "This team is together and very, very focused. The effort has been there and the mental make-up is unique. Sometimes, they don't like to see you approach them. But they are all very coachable kids and they listen to you." And, Tuesday afternoon, they returned to Wilson with Fike's first state championship in the sport of golf. "It's beginning to sink in now," mused the grinning Boykin. hammer@wilsontimes.com | 265-7809
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