OAKWOOD, Ga. — Cherokee Bluff's Alisa Pressley became a three-time winner while North Hall’s Daley Williams won a three-way playoff against teammate Grant Scroggs and defending champion Tanner Stephens from Lakeview Academy to win the Hall County Championships on Tuesday at Chicopee Woods Golf Course.
Williams, Scroggs, and Stephens all finished regulation with 1-under par 71s but Williams sank a short birdie putt after a great chip on the Par 5 9th on the School course on the first playoff hole.
“Playing (the playoff) with some of my best friends, and to be able to beat them in a playoff, that was a cool moment,” Williams said. “This is definitely very big for the program and the team to win it.".
The effort by both Williams and Scroggs was also enough to propel the Trojans to the team win, holding off Gainesville 288 to 297. It ended the Red Elephants' 13-year stranglehold on the title while also capturing the first team title for the Trojans since 2007.
“The three seniors have set the standard this entire year,” North Hall boys coach Jason Hughes said. “Something clicked with the entire group about two weeks ago and they have been playing outstanding golf. (Winning Hall County) is probably a culmination of all the hard work they have put in but I also think it could be the catalyst moving forward the rest of the season.”
Williams agreed.
“The whole year we've circled this tournament,” he said. “It's a big deal to us to be able to win this.”
Stephens was looking to defend his 2023 title and was one off the lead after Monday’s opening round. Williams and Scroggs both trailed first round lead Nick Greene by two strokes coming into Tuesday.
Greene struggled to a 41 on Tuesday to finish sixth with a 74, three shots back. Cherokee Bluff’s Bryce Horton and Gainesville’s Shay Mangalat finished tied for fourth with 1-over 73s.
For the girls, the Lady Trojans continued their recent domination of the tournament, winning their fifth title in a row. They fired a 261 to beat Cherokee Bluff by eight shots, the third straight season the Lady Bears have taken second.
Pressley fired a 3-under 69 for the two days to capture her third consecutive individual title.
North Hall’s MaKayla Jones finished third with an 82, eight shots behind teammate Lillie Mallis, who was second with a 74, to lead the Lady Trojans. Samantha Roper of Cherokee Bluff took fourth (86) while Flowery Branch’s Sadie Bishop was fifth with a 96.
“This definitely means a lot to me,” Jones said. “It's my senior year; our fifth Hall County championship in a row for the girls. So definitely it’s just a really special moment.”
The Lady Trojans took a slim four-shot lead over Gainesville into Tuesday. But the Lady Bears shot a 129 in the second round while the Lady Red Elephants fired a 139 to drop to third.
BOYS
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD
Daley Williams, North Hall, 71*
Grant Scroggs, North Hall, 71
Tanner Stephens, Lakeview, 71
Bryce Horton, Cherokee Bluff, 73
Shay Mangalat, Gainesville, 73
Nick Greene, Gainesville, 74
Brigham Ralston, Gainesville, 75
JT Chestatee, North Hall, 75
Henry Kopydlowski, Gainesville, 75
Wyatt Lee, North Hall, 77
Jack Kempker, Lakeview, 79
TJ Harris, Cherokee Bluff, 79
Landon Mealor, Flowery Branch, 79
Colton Keller, Cherokee Bluff, 80
Tanner Seabolt, North Hall, 80
JT Bunch, Lakeview, 80
(* -- won in a playoff)
TEAM LEADERBOARD
North Hall 288
Gainesville 297
Cherokee Bluff 316
Lakeview Academy 333
Flowery Branch 362
Chestatee 370
East Hall 470
Johnson 564
GIRLS
INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD
Alisa Pressley, Cherokee Bluff, 69
Lillie Mallis, North Hall, 74
MaKayla Jones, North Hall, 82
Samantha Roper, Cherokee Bluff, 86
Sadie Bishop, Flowery Branch, 96
TEAM LEADERBOARD
North Hall 261
Cherokee Bluff 269
Gainesville 294
Flowery Branch 311
West Hall 330
East Hall 372
Johnson 391
