G-E-T edges Arcadia by single stroke to earn final berth to golf sectional


            Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau senior Caleb Lightfoot sent his approach shot toward the green at a WIAA regional tournament at Skyline Golf Club in Black River Falls last Tuesday. The Red Hawks advanced to sectionals with a fourth place finish.             (Times photograph by Benjamin Pierce)

As the final group in the second pairing of teams approached the 18th green at a Division Two regional golf tournament at Skyline Golf Club in Black River Falls last Tuesday, most everyone watching knew what was on the line.

None of Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau’s golfers could do anything about it, as they had all finished their rounds in the prior group. But as they followed along on the scoring phone application, they knew what was happening, too.

Arcadia junior Cole Sobotta was entering the 18th and final hole–a par from him would grant the Raiders the final spot at the sectional meet, and a bogey meant a playoff with G-E-T for the final spot. A double bogey granted the Red Hawks the last berth.

Sobotta scored the latter, and G-E-T advanced to the sectional by edging Arcadia 369-370.

“It was coming down to the wire there, and the kids were watching the app as well. Everybody knows it never truly comes down to the last golfer in terms of winning or losing by a stroke,” G-E-T coach Rick Schmidt said, “But unfortunately for that situation the one that gets singled out is that last one.”

The Antigo sectional meet was set for Tuesday at the par-71 Bass Lake Golf Course in Deerbrook, where G-E-T will play with the teams ahead of them at last week’s regional–McDonell Catholic/Regis (333), Black River Falls (355) and Bloomer (367).

The Red Hawks were led by senior Caleb Lightfoot, who carded the fourth-lowest score of the day with an 84. Lightfoot has been the difference this year for G-E-T, Schmidt said.

Lightfoot tied with Black River Falls’ Mike Antonelli for the lowest score on the front nine with a 3-over-par 39, which included back to back birdies on holes five and six.

“His irons were pure, his accuracy was there, and that consistency is what he’s been striving for. He’s just been on,” Schmidt said of Lightfoot.

Senior Boden Bratberg shot a 93 for G-E-T, which also got a 95 from junior Christopher Wagner and a 97 from senior Lance Jumbeck. 

“Caleb has been the one who has been consistent, but the other golfers have gotten better, which is important and what you want as you’re moving into tournaments... but we just needed to piece it together, and things worked out at regionals,” Schmidt said.

On the ride to the course last Tuesday, Arcadia assistant coach Mike Sobotta was telling his golfers about the toughest part of the course in holes 12,13 and 14. They were Cole Sobotta’s best three holes and powered a comeback on the back nine to lead him to an individual berth to the sectional meet.

Despite the tough last hole Sobotta stayed composed to shoot a 5-over-par 41 on the back after a 10-over-par 46 on the front, a turnaround that didn’t surprise his coach. He said the junior will face a competitive field at the sectional but has a shot to advance to state as an individual.

“You could see his maturity after getting a little frustrated on the front there, but on the backside he brought it back. He could have easily cashed it in and shot a 95 and said forget about it,” Sobotta said.

Arcadia wanted a team berth after winning its first Coulee Conference title in more than 10 years, but Sobotta said Tuesday wasn’t their best performance. Junior Dustin Klonecki scored a 93, sophomore Joey Theis shot a 94 and junior Sid Halvorsen shot a 96.

“They really put forth a good effort, things just didn’t go very well today,” Sobotta said. “There’s no guarantees in golf, I guess, and this is just a good example.”

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