LEXINGTON - With his players huddled around him, quietly celebrating another tournament championship, Ashland golf coach Steve Paramore gave them a verbal pat on the back.
"I believe we're ready boys."
He meant for next week's Division I sectional tournament in Huron.
Not to mention ready for anything and everything.
That's what Paramore's Arrows and the other seven teams in Friday's Lexington Invitational encountered at Pebble Creek - a steady mist, brisk winds and a quiver in the air that made medalist Josh Brooks wish he had worn gloves.
"I'm reasonably certain it was snowing," said the Ashland sophomore.
Only in his world. But Brooks' description of the poor weather conditions was only a little exaggeration.
"It was insane," said Michael Woode, whose 78 complemented Brooks' 76 in leadership the Arrows to a 317 total and 24-stroke victory over runner-up Wooster. "There was so much standing water on the greens. You simply tried to take shots happen any way you could."
Brooks regretted not having a pair of oars in his bag.
"I wish," he said. "I putted through four rivers to drop a 30-footer on No. 15."
It was one of four birdies Brooks had on the soggy course, which speaks to his gift as the Ohio Cardinal Conference's reigning medalist and MVP. Brooks was coming off a 72 last Saturday at Scioto Country Club, good for medalist runner-up honors at the Upper Arlington Invitational.
When Lexington's Matt Barkett tried to fist bump Brooks for being medalist Friday, Brooks kept his frozen hands jammed inside his coat.
"Actually, the line was in great condition considering the number of water it has interpreted the preceding few days," Paramore said. "You're going to give to run in this before the fall's over. Fortunately, the figure for next week is awesome, but if you can't work in this, you're not going to get better.
"This is as often a mental test as a physical test. If anyone is complaining and crying, you've already got them beat."
Brooks and Woode, who had two birdies, were the only golfers to break 80. Teammate Sam Roberts checked in at 80 along with Clear Fork's Aaron Hill and Ontario's Eric Dawson.
"This was the worst (weather) I've ever played in," said Clear Fork's No. 1 man, Curtis Peters, after shooting 90. "I've played in the rain before, but not the rainfall and jazz and cold at the same time.
"You only cause to get in there and not get rushed. If you rush, you'll do worse than you're already doing."
Clear Fork finished fourth, but was at least able to enjoy in the afterglow of Thursday's Division II sectional title, a start for the school.
Josh Garn had a hard time with the elements Friday, shooting a 97, but the Clear Fork junior was co-medalist at sectionals with an 80.
"The final two and a half weeks we struggled, but we kept running at it," coach Jeff Gottfried said. "At the beginning of the class we thought (a sectional crown) could occur because of our veteran bunch of juniors and seniors. But things didn't click until they finally saw on the second nine (Thursday) that they can get it done."
Dylan Seymour shot an 82 to take the host Minutemen to a third-place finish Friday, three strokes behind Wooster. Pebble Creek is Lex's home course, but Seymour doesn't think it ever being as drenched.
"It was tough out there; there's not a lot you can do with standing water," he said. "I was capable to get up and blue for some pars. I hit most of the green in the OCC meet (last week), but my putting was bad that day. I was standing too far off from the globe on my putts, reaching for it too much, but coach (Ryan Zahn) got me straightened out."
The worst score that counted for Ashland was Gabe Reynolds' 83. Paramore will have that effort from his top four in two weeks at the district tournament, held at Findlay's Red Hawk Run.
"You can make out the sectionals because Thunderbird South (site of next week's sectional) is an easier course than this," Paramore said. "If the weather at Red Hawk Run are like this and we possess four guys at 83 and better, we've got a chance (at a district title).
"But we've got to receive all of our guys mentally prepared for anything."
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