BY WENDI REARDON PRICE
Clarkston News Sports Writer
The Wolves have been busy on the greens the last few weeks with finishing in the top five in the state championship, finishing second at regional and winning the league title.
The Clarkston Boys Varsity Golf team finished the season taking fourth place at the MHSAA Lower Peninsula Division 1 Golf Finals at Forest Akers West after two days of the championship tournament.
The Wolves finished Friday with a 307 and Saturday with a 312 for a 619 total.
Detroit Catholic Central finished in first place with 581; Grosse Pointe South, second with 597; Plymouth, third with 610; and Birmingham Seaholm rounded off the top five with 636.
Senior Brady Dice finished his high school career in seventh place for top individuals with a 75 on Friday and 74 on Saturday for a 149 total.
“I am trying to do the same thing I have been doing all year – playing golf, relaxing, I don’t want to over do it,” Dice said preparing for the state championship.
“I am really excited from the team standpoint because I am the only who has played in the state championship with our other senior Noah Sampson. When we were freshman I kept playing and he wasn’t able to. I am excited for all of the guys – it’s their first state championship. It’s going to be a good experience for all of us.”
He added from a personal standpoint he wanted to finish high school on a high note.
“It’s been a very good season for me so I want to add one more accomplishment to it,” Dice said.
Sophomore Patrick Deardorff finished the state championship with a 78 and a 74 for a two day 152 total. Sampson finished 75 and 80 for 155; sophomore Noah Bridgeman, 79 and 85 for 164; and sophomore Harry Bowman, 83 and 84 for 167.
The Wolves qualified for the state finals by finishing their regional tournament at Dunham Hills Golf Course in second place, June 1.
“I was definitely happy we qualified,” said Dice, adding their score of 314 wasn’t one of their best days. “We had a couple of us who played well and picked up where we fallng behind in a few spots. We ended up taking second by one shot over third place. We sat around thinking if ‘I hadn’t made this we would have ended up taking third.’ We realized at that moment every shot mattered.”
He added Sampson and him already realized from previous years every shot matters but for underclassmen it’s easier to understand once they experience it.
“During our team meeting before we went out, Coach (Pete) Gallagher and I tried to explain you don’t know what everybody else is doing,” Dice shared. “So no matter if you are tapping in for a birdie or a double bogey – every shot counts so take your time and focus on everything. One shot could determine the whole tournament for you.”
During regionals, Dice led the team finishing with a 72 par, tied for third place top individual.
Bowman finished with a 79; Bridgeman, 81; Deardorff, 82; and Sampson, 89. Gallagher received 2017 Regional Coach of the Year.
Detroit Catholic Central finished the tournament with the regional crown with a 285 and Hartland finished in third place, 315.
The Wolves finished the regular season with their final OAA Red match at Pine Knob Golf Course, May 24.
Clarkston was tied with Birmingham Seaholm going into the match. Seaholm finished the first league tournaments in first place and Clarkston was close behind by one or two shots.
“We knew if we wanted to win the league overall we would have to win the last three,” said Dice.
It worked and the Wolves defended Pine Knob winning the tournament and the league championship with 302, by two strokes to edge out Seaholm.”
“We buckled down and got it together which was awesome because we ended up winning it at home,” said Dice. We all played great, and it’s been a few years since we won it.”
Dice and Sampson finished with a par of 73. Bowman and Bridgeman both finished with a 78 par. Deardorff shot a 79 and junior Terry Fortuna had a 85.

  Clarkston Boys Golf, MHSAA LP Golf Finals, MHSAA LP Golf Regionals, OAA Red