EVANSVILLE — Castle golf coach Josh Kain had a meeting with his staff before the season.
The purpose was to map out the spring. But the longer the conversation went, the more the excitement level increased. The coaches believed this group had the potential to be among the most talented teams across the state. And with it coming legitimate aspirations of standing on the podium at Prairie View Golf Club.
If that wasn’t already proven obvious this season, it was cemented on Thursday.
No. 6 Castle posted a blistering 283 to win the sectional championship at Helfrich Golf Course. Not only is it the first title for the Knights in 11 years – it is the lowest team score from anyone in the Evansville sectional since 2014 (North’s 276 at Fendrich). The closest opponent on this day was 19 shots behind.
“We found good kids at the right time and put it all together,” Kain said. “We thought, at any given 18-hole tournament, we could have two guys pushing par or better. We just haven’t done that (until today). Usually what I see is if one guy gets hot, then it starts feeding off on the other guys.”
Castle earned this championship by having the deepest lineup in the field.
Southern Indiana commit Layne Cunningham posted a 2-under 69 with only a single bogey. Ball State signee Brayden Lamborne overcame a pair of doubles to shoot a 73 (three birdies on his closing nine). Brady Fiester had a 75 with three circles and Jace Reiter added a 79 for good measure. Those four would have won the title themselves by six.
How the ceiling rose to impressive heights was Alex Cook. The freshman dropped a five-under 66 to earn sectional medalist honors. It is the lowest individual score since this sectional moved to Helfrich in 2019. He didn’t record a single bogey.
“My thought process through the whole round was not individually,” Cook said. “Just do it for the team. Make as many pars as I could. I hit my irons really well and didn’t have any stressful long par putts. My putting was really good.”
If you don’t already know his name, best to hop on board now. Cook hit a ridiculous 17 greens in regulation, with birdies at 3, 4 and 15. The highlight was an eagle at the par-five 11th. This performance follows an already impressive debut at the high school level. The freshman was the Southern Indiana Athletic Conference medalist at Sultan’s Run on May 27. He also shot a 67 to win the Hall of Fame Invitational at Rock Hollow on May 2.
“You just don’t know (his limit),” Kain said. “He’s got the full package. An even-keeled player who is not scared to go low. He’s a great kid and a great golfer.”
Where Castle can ultimately finish this season remains to be seen. The Knights turned heads with a 16-shot victory in the Hall of Fame before earning fifth in the Spring Preview a week later. They’ve since added SIAC and sectional championships to the ledger. Castle will be the favorite to do the same on June 11 in the Country Oaks Regional.
Step one, though, was completed with this performance.
“This team is special,” Cook said. “We have such a great bond. We feel like a big family. It’s just really special.”
What other teams advanced to the IHSAA regional?
Castle had the trophy locked up before the closing stretch. The question was who would join them at Country Oaks?
Memorial finished second with a 302. Not only was it a season low for the Tigers – it was also their best team score since Tucker Smith became head coach in 2023. Grayson Coughlin was the sectional runner-up with a 3-under 68. The senior dropped a shot at the par-4 second before going on a stellar run: five birdies over the next 15 holes. Coughlin nearly forced a playoff, but his birdie putt above the hole at 18 slipped past, ultimately three-putting for bogey.
Andrew Bishop was “a rock star” with a 76 from the four-spot – the junior was even par following an eagle on the par-5 13th – to ensure second place. Reed Johnson (78), Jaxon Ball (80) and Jake Brackett (83) rounded out the scoring for Memorial.
“A great round by the guys,” Smith said. “Definitely proud of Grayson Coughlin. Heck of a round by him. We truly believed, out of all the kids (assistant coach Collin Brinker and I) have coached together, this was probably a group of guys that has the most talent. It was just a matter of putting a full round together by the entire team.
“If we can get everyone on the same page, we can definitely post a sub-300 score.”
The final spot belonged to a program that had waited two decades for that moment.
Boonville shot a 306 to clip North by four shots. Leading the way was the duo of Mason Mills and Cash Willis. The former fired a 72 with four birdies. The latter navigated a roller coaster round to shoot 73 (four birdies offset five bogeys or worse over the first 10 holes). William Whyte (80), Emmitt Roy (81) and Wyatt Belcher (83) rounded out the scoring, ensuring the Pioneers a spot in the regional for the first time since 2006.
What elevated a third-place result was how close the program had been in recent years. Boonville was fourth by a single shot in 2024. It missed advancing by two in 2025. This was the culmination of multiple years of hard work.
“It means everything to us,” Boonville coach Adam Wadsworth said. “Going on individually is fantastic, but these guys doing it as a team is really special. Cash brings so much calm and poise. He never lets the conditions or course get the best of him. Mason brings so much experience and passion. He cares so much and shown it this year.”
Which individuals advanced to the IHSAA regional?
North’s streak of nine straight championships came to an end. The Huskies still claimed two of the three advancing individual spots to Country Oaks. Hank Schreiber posted a 69 (three birdies) to finish tied for third overall, while Emmett Sunderman shot a 76. Mount Vernon’s Brennan Austin earned the other spot with a 71.
The final team standings at Helfrich: Castle 283, Memorial 302, Boonville 306, North 310, Mater Dei 319, Mount Vernon 321, Reitz 323, Central 328, Evansville Christian 341, North Posey 352, Harrison 371 and Bosse 419.
Kyle Sokeland is a sports reporter for the Courier & Press. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @kylesokeland or email at kyle.sokeland@courierpress.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Castle, Memorial, Boonville advance from IHSAA boys golf sectional at Helfrich
Reporting by Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press / Evansville Courier & Press
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By Kyle Sokeland, Evansville Courier & Press | USA TODAY Network
