Familiar faces, shared courses, and a mutual respect for the game set the tone Tuesday as the Midway Raiders and Clinton Dark Horses met at Lakewood Country Club in a county matchup that both programs hope becomes more common moving forward.
When the round settled, it was Midway that came away with a 314-368 victory, using course familiarity and a balanced lineup to separate itself on the scorecard.
“We looked pretty good yesterday,” Midway head coach Will Faircloth shared. “We’re real familiar with Lakewood, we practice out there sometimes and try to play a match or two out there a year. I think we had three guys in the 70s and a couple guys in the low 80s, so we performed well.”
That comfort level showed throughout the Raiders’ lineup.
Senior Jonathan Stephenson led all golfers with a 75 to earn medalist honors, while Chase Jackson and Connor Jackson each followed with rounds of 79. Luke Best added an 81, and Asa Richardson finished with an 88 as Midway placed all five scoring golfers under 90.
It was the type of collective effort Faircloth believes is coming together at the right time.
“We’ve got two or three guys at the top that are really good golfers, and they’ve continued to get better to hone their game toward the end,” he explained. “The younger guys are starting to show some resilience and are dropping scores every week, so we’re getting better at the right time.”
Clinton, meanwhile, stayed tightly grouped but could not quite match Midway’s scoring depth.
Graham Dirks paced the Dark Horses with a 91, while Gage Raynor and Cullen Lewis each carded a 92. Brady Warren followed with a 93, and Palmer Williams rounded out the scoring group at 101.
For Clinton head coach Eddie Gray, the focus remains on development — something he views as a victory in itself.
“It’s hard,” Gray said. “You’re not gonna win every time you go out there. But as long as they’re improving and working on their game, we’re happy. If they’re all playing better at the end of the year, that’s a win for us.”
Gray emphasized that growth in golf, particularly at the public school level, often comes down to opportunity and experience.
“The younger they start, the better,” he explained. “We don’t have a lot of middle school programs, but maybe that’s something we can look at in the future. If they start earlier, by the time they’re juniors, they’re breaking 80 instead of breaking 90.”
Even in defeat, the message inside Clinton’s program remains steady.
“We’re working, man,” Gray added. “We’re gonna work. That’s all we can do.”
Tuesday’s match also reflected a bigger picture both coaches would like to expand — more county-wide competition.
“We’re gonna look at trying to get everybody together a couple times next year,” Gray said. “Maybe have some county tournaments so these guys can play together and play some of the courses around here. We’ve got four courses — we need to use them.”
Faircloth agreed, pointing to both familiarity and competition as key benefits.
“I’ve known Coach Gray forever, and we used to be in the same conference,” Faircloth noted. “The boys know each other, and it’s always good to play county teams. I’d love to get something like a county match going every year — something traditional.”
As the season winds toward its final stretch, Midway continues to sharpen its form with conference and postseason goals ahead, while Clinton remains focused on steady growth and long-term development.
“We want to win the conference championship, finish strong these next couple of weeks, and then compete at regionals and states,” Faircloth said. “These guys are playing well right now.”
And for both teams, Tuesday’s round offered more than just a result — it provided a glimpse of what the future of county golf could look like when competition and community come together.