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BY JESSE SMITHEY
They set the stage for themselves Thursday.
All the Kingston and CAK boys golf teams have to do Friday is complete the final steps and find their way into the spotlight.
Both Kingston and CAK played their way atop leaderboards Thursday in the first round of the TSSAA State Golf Championships in Sevierville.
Kingston, looking for its first state golf championship since repeating in 1999 and 2000, takes a 10-shot lead into Friday’s second-and-final round of the Division I-A State Tournament at Sevierville Golf Club’s par-72 River Course.
CAK, meanwhile, is very much en route to win its fifth consecutive state championship. The Warriors lead the Division II-A boys’ tournament by eight strokes over Webb-Bell Buckle.
CAK shot 2 under as a team over the final four holes of play Thursday to remain in front. Kaleb Wilson, the reigning state individual champion in Division II-A, shot 1-under 71 to lead the Warriors. He’s part of a three-way tie, individually, for second place and is just one shot back of first-round leader Conner Brown of Webb-Bell Buckle.
Jackson Hughey (75) and Benjamin Johnston (76) were seventh and tied for eighth, respectively, for CAK on the leaderboard by first round’s end.
FBA’s Cooper Roberts was sixth with a 74.
Having finished runner-up the past two seasons, Kingston stormed to a first-round lead and shot 1 under as a team on the closing four-hole stretch on the River Course to preserve their advantage.
Blake Woody paced the Yellow Jackets with a 2-over 74, which placed him in solo fifth on the Division I-A leaderboard individually.
Will Bacon and Colby Johnson pitched in 77s and were tied for eighth heading into Friday.
Tennessee men’s golf commitment and defending champion Evan Woosley-Reed (Cascade High) shot a 6-under 66 to lead the pack.
North Greene junior Aidan Collier is two shots back of the lead. Collier finished runner-up as a freshman in 2019 and fourth last fall.
GIRLS TOURNAMENTS
The Kingston girls golf program, making its first state-tournament appearance, was in third place after Day One in Division I-A, but Kingston was 22 shots back of leader Summertown’s 4-over 144.
Brylee Crouse led Kingston with an opening round of 11-over 81 at the Highlands Course at Sevierville Golf Club. Kailey Lane’s 85 rounded out Kingston’s 166 total.
Gordonsville’s Sophie Linder led all players in the girls Division I-A tournament. The Ole Miss commitment shot a 7-under 63 to take a seven-shot lead in the final round.
McMinn Central’s Kerigan Klauber had the low score from the 5Star Preps coverage map on Thursday with an 80, placing her in a tie for fifth.
Crouse, Elizabeth Moody (L&N Stem) and Lorien Sweet (Greenback) were tied for seventh at 81.
Inclement weather struck the area late in the day Thursday and play didn’t finish in Division II-A, in which CAK was in third place behind Providence Christian (first place) and Trinity Christian when play halted.