Boys golf: Barbs win sectional title, earn first state appearance since early 1980s

DeKALB — Jack Paeglow said he felt no weight on his shoulders as he prepared to drive off the tee on a Hole 1 playoff for a chance at medalist honors at the DeKalb boys golf team’s home IHSA Class 3A Sectional at Kishwaukee Country Club Monday.

The pressure wasn’t there, because the Barbs posted a team score of 305 to qualify for the Class 3A State Golf Tournament, set to be played at Bloomington’s The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course.

“I wasn’t that nervous at all really," Paeglow said. "I was just trying to make a score. I didn’t really care if I won it or not, I knew I was going to state and that’s all we needed to do.”

DeKalb coach Brad Kerkman said that he and former coach John Cordes believed this was the first time the Barbs have qualified for state since 1982. IHSA records are incomplete, but 1982 is listed as a team state qualifying year for DeKalb.

“They are truly passionate about it and I wouldn’t say anybody had a career round today," Kerkman said. "It’s not like there was any surprise. All of those kids are completely capable of shooting those numbers. Tough conditions, cold, windy, they got pushed back an hour from their tee time, so there (was) some adversity today.”

Paeglow's drive off the tee for the playoff landed about a foot in front of the bunker just short and to the right of the green on Hole 1. Paeglow chipped and two-putted to defeat McHenry's Truman Keppy for medalist honors following 18 holes of 72-stroke play.

“I knew that we were playing well when we were on Hole 6," Paeglow said. "I heard that ... we were all all three over or under and knew we had a really good chance because the first five holes are our hardest holes and I figured we’d be solid coming in.”

Barrington (310) and Lake Forest (311) were the other two teams to qualify for state.

Danny Franzene bounced back from an off day in the regional meet to post a 79 for the fourth score, just behind a pair of 77s from Will Schimbke and James Keck.

“We played out here multiple times before today, just to get ready," Franzene said. "We knew how everything was playing, the greens, and we got it done.”

Franzene added: "It’s like, a really cool moment.”

Kerkman was especially impressed with Franzene, who perservered through a stretch of bogeys to go sub-80.

“He hit his first green on 14 I believe it was, first green in regulation," Kerkman said. "He shot 79, he made seven bogeys in a row, but he just kept grinding out the round.”

Paeglow, who has played his last two years at state as an individual, is elated to have his teammates set to play with him this year.

“It’s going to be a lot more fun with the team with the team down at state because the last two years I was down by myself," Paeglow said. "You look at the teams that are there and you think ‘man it sucks that my team’s not here’ because it’s a lot more fun. It’s going to be a lot of fun. Senior year, I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.”

By the numbers: Brett Paeglow's score of 81, had it counted, still would have left the Barbs as sectional champions.

Beyond the stats: Five players were set to battle at 10:30 am Tuesday morning for the final state spot, as another playoff was not able to be played due to darkness.

They said it: “I learned a lot coaching under him (Cordes),” Kerkman said. “Just his demeanor. He used to coach basketball too. I coached basketball. It’s a completely different demeanor. This isn’t a rah-rah sport. You can’t give all these inspirational quotes because it’s a five-hour day. It’s just having the demeanor ad showing the kids the confidence in not getting stressed out. I think that feeds off the kids and I learned that from him.”

Up next: The Barbs will play as a team at the Class 3A state meet this coming Friday and Saturday.