Vermilion's Riddle tops PC invite field with a 74

PORT CLINTON — Sam Riddle played at Catawba Island Club three times over the summer, but the Vermilion sophomore had his best round on the challenging layout Monday. Riddle fired a 2-over-par 74, winning medalist honors by five strokes at the Port Clinton Classic. Riddle, whose grandma is a member at CIC, was coming off a 46 at the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division shootout hosted by Vermilion last Friday. That was fourth on his team and 20th overall. "I never feel loose, but today I really did," Riddle said. "I played this weekend. I had a big down on Friday. I went out this weekend and really dialed in my swing. I went out with my dad and he helped me a lot." Vermilion finished third as a team with a total of 339. Pettisville won the event with a 335 with Kalida right behind at 336. "It was a good day," Vermilion coach Joe Schneid said. "My kids have been up and down at the beginning of the year. We're gaining experience. The two par 3s on 13 and 14 are brutal with the wind, but we fought through that and had a pretty good day." Riddle said it felt like everything was working for him. He hit 17 of 18 greens. "Putts were falling and I hit almost every single green," Riddle said. "If I had a putt, I knocked it down. Obviously, I had a couple missed short putts, but I managed to play well today." Noah Penton added an 82 for the Sailors. That was good for seventh overall on the tough par-72 course. "Noah has been really consistent all year for us," Schneid said. "He's a three-year starter, so we look to lean on him a little bit. He knows that and takes pride in it." Like most golfers, Riddle thought he could have done better. He's looking for that consistency after a 72 at Bob-O-Links Golf Course earlier this season. He also struggled at Oberlin, tallying an 86. "Very impressed with Sam," Schneid said. "It's unbelievable. Coming off, he didn't think he played his best round. He was counting strokes he wished he had back. That's a heck of a round." Landon Booker added a 91 for Vermilion while Adam Gerber rounded out the Sailors' scoring with a 92. "We're getting stronger as a team," Schneid said. "Last week was a tough week for us. We took some lumps, but we're hoping to grow from it mentally and physically. They're getting tougher and tougher as the year goes on." Huron's Grant Humphrey was third overall with a round of 81. That was two shots behind second-place Paul Stechschulte from Kalida. "Grant has been really consistent for us all season," Huron coach Toby Miller said. "He drives the ball a mile. He has really improved his short game and that is a credit to him and all the work he put in this offseason. I'm excited to see how he performs down the stretch in league play." Bellevue finished seventh as a team with a 363. Preston Spurlock paced the Redmen with an 88 while Blake Sutherland and Sam Cooper each carded a 91. "This was not our best showing," Bellevue coach Luke Spurlock said. "Hope with a few days off we can get back to work." Perkins was just one shot behind Bellevue. Colton Kelley and Kyle Schaefer each finished with 86s for the Pirates. Ty Obergefell carded an 87. "It is just such a well-run tournament top to bottom," Perkins coach Tim Zapadka said. "It's a privilege that we get to play in it each year. Big thanks to the entire staff at CIC for putting up with us each year. "The course is such a great test for our guys and gives us many opportunities for conversations about playing strategy and skill level going forward." Margaretta was ninth with a 371. Phinneus Headley led the Polar Bears with a 10th-place finish at 83. Huron struggled after Humphrey. The Tigers were 12th as a team with 380. After Humphrey's round, the next-best score for Huron was Paul Murray, who shot a 90. "We have a lot of young guys that have had to step up and fill the shoes of our seniors from last year," Miller said. "It's a great opportunity for them to grow. We are getting better each time we play. Our goal is to be playing our best golf at the end of the season." Clyde finished 15th with a 390 with Nico Carroll's 88 topping the Fliers. Norwalk shot a 407. Emytt Graffice led the Truckers with a 98. St. Paul finished with a 437. Mason Beatty's 88 was best for the Flyers. Port Clinton tallied a 440. Carter Thompson led the Redskins with a 99.