Geneva goes low, blisters Mill Creek, Batavia

Cole Oosthiuzen is the defending Western Sun Conference boys golf most valuable player. Senior classmate Reese Pagel is a solid player in his own right.

On most afternoons, their matching 2-over-par 38s would have anchored a dual-meet scorecard.

The scores were earmarked for the recycling bin Thursday afternoon at Mill Creek in Geneva. In a critical early-season showdown, Geneva had a pair of level-par days from Jeff Paustian and Dalton Braden.

Then there were Andrew Cisco and John Hanson. Cisco, a sophomore, was medalist with a blistering 2-under-par 34, and Hanson, the Vikings' seventh man, was also in red figures with a 35 as Geneva blitzed archrival Batavia 141-150 in the league opener for both teams.

The Vikings are 1-0, 1-0; Batavia fell to 0-2, 0-1.

"Geneva did the job of holding home court," said Batavia coach Tim DeBruycker. "(Wednesday at the Geneva Invitational) showed the golf course was susceptible to scores like this. Both teams had the capability of shooting a score around 145."

Batavia snared the team title over Geneva at its 16-team tournament on Wednesday on the tiebreaker, but it was a Scandinavian rout on Thursday. Batavia held the early advantage after the lead group, but Paustian and Thompson, the Vikings' third- and fourth-rated players, combined for a 72 to turn the momentum.

"I buried a 30-footer on the last hole (the 18th, the teams played the back nine) for birdie," said Paustian. "I knew I had to play well. I was sticking it close all day."

Geneva was then assured of no worse than a collective even-par day when Cisco came home on his 3-birdie afternoon.

"I could have made a few more (birdies)," Cisco said. "I was just hitting it close and making the putts. I started off well with a birdie."

With the Vikings solidly in the red, Hanson, a senior role player, polished off the Vikings' brilliance with another 3-birdie round.

"I'll do what's best for the team," said Hanson, who is seeking inclusion in the Vikings' six-man tournament squad.

The calendar may say August, but it was a clear indicator the Vikings are not about to surrender their defending conference-championship status.

"This is what high school golf is all about," said Geneva coach Bill Koehn. "The rivalry is still there. Both programs want to be the best, and I think we are the two best teams in the conference."

For Batavia, which had its two-year league run ended last year by Geneva, Nick Michael had a dream start to lead the Bulldogs. The junior eagled the par-4 10th hole and settled for a level-par 36. Shawn Steurer, Collin Huber and John Vacek all carded 38s to complete the Bulldogs' team scorecard.