With four golfers breaking 80, the Celebration boys claimed their first Orange Belt Conference (OBC) golf championship in five years and fourth in school history with a 299 team score Monday afternoon at Royal St. Cloud Golf Club.
On Tuesday, individual medalist Caden Challacombe shot a four-over 76 to pace the St. Cloud Lady Bulldogs (375) to their seventh straight girls’ OBC title with a commanding win over second-place Harmony (409).
The Storm boys were led by senior Ethan Badillo, who shot a one-over par 73 to tie St. Cloud’s Espn Pool for medalist honors. Badillo won two-hole playoff to claim medalist honors.
Braden Plaisted and Jeremiah Bianchi shot 74 for the Storm but it was George Aguilera (78) who secured the championship. St. Cloud’s top three scores of Pool, senior Alexander Owens (74) and Ethan Parish (75) kept the Bulldogs within one stroke of the Storm for the team championship couldn’t post the winning fourth score as Celebration took the team title by 11 shots (299-310).
All four Celebration players posting counting scores earned All-OBC honors, as did Pool, Owens and Parrish. Harmony junior Cesar Gandia (81) earned the final conference spot.
Both Badillo and Pool posted outstanding rounds as the match was played under extremely blustery conditions on the long 6,609-yard course. Badillo went out in a three-over 39 on the White course, but caught fire on the Blue nine with eight pars and an eagle on the 505-yard, Par 5 13th.
Pool, playing the group in front of Badillo, had four birdies and five bogeys.
On the second playoff hole, Badillo barely cleared a high grass in the right rough; while Pool found the fairway. Badillo sent his second shot over the green on the right side; while Pool came up short of the green. Both players chipped on and missed their par putts; but Pool missed a three-footer for a double bogey and Badillo tapped in from two feet for the win.
“It started off a little rough, but I really settled down after getting the eagle on 13. I actually played pretty solid on the entire back nine,” Badilla said. “As far as the playoffs, I can’t speak for Espn, but I can honestly say it was a case of the nerves for me.”
Celebration’s win denied St. Cloud a fifth straight boys’ title. The Bulldogs, who advanced to the state championship last year, won titles from 2019-22.
The senior added that he was also proud of his teammates. “Our first goal was to win OBCs and all five of us played well (senior Will Cooper shot an 82 not in the team score). This was a good test for us as we get ready for districts.”
About the only drama in Tuesday’s girls’ tournament was which St. Cloud player would win the individual championship. Challacombed birdied her final hole to tie freshman Maddie Burda for the low round. On the first extra hole, Challacombe birdied again to prevail. For her round, Challacombe had 10 pars, two birdies and six bogeys over the 5,389, par-72 course. Burda countered with eight pars, three birdies and seven bogeys.
The performance of Challacombe and Burda was just part of the St. Cloud dominance. Sophomore Karolyna Adams, who won the OBC individual title as a freshman, was third (79.) Tess Sheive shot 94 for the fourth counting score to also earn All-OBC, as did Nadia Burda (103). Those five players were joined on the All-OBC team by Harmony’s Alyssa Kane (95), Aryana Persaud (98), and Ally White (103). It should be noted that St. Cloud’s Olivia Siegel (88) and Sophia Rivera (100), who played as alternates, would have earned All-OBC honors based on their scores.
District play begins next week. On the boys’ side, Celebration returns to action next Monday (Oct. 23) in the Class 3A, District 7 tournament at Cleveland Heights Golf Club in Lakeland. Bartow and George Jenkins will join Celebration among the favorites. St. Cloud is the host school for the 3A-6 event Tuesday (Oct. 24), where Harmony and Tohopekaliga will compete along with district powers Winter Park and Lake Nona. To advance to regionals teams must place in the top three in districts. Three at-large individual spots are also up for grabs among non-qualifying teams.
The St. Cloud and Harmony girls’ team will play in the 3A-7 tournament on Monday at Royal St. Cloud.
OBC FINAL TEAM SCORES
Boys: Celebration (299), St. Cloud (310), Harmony (358), Gateway (395), Tohopekaliga (526)
Girls: St. Cloud (325), Harmony (409), Celebration (466)
OBC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Boys
Ethan Badillo, Celebration, 73* (won in playoff)
Espn Pool, St. Cloud, 73
Jeremiah Bianchi, Celebration, 74
Braden Plaisted, Celebration 74
Alexander Owen, St. Cloud, 74
Ethan Parish, St. Cloud, 75
George Aguilera, Celebration, 78
Cesar Gandia, Harmony, 81
Girls
Cayden Challacombe, St. Cloud, 76*
Maddie Burda, St. Cloud, 76
Karloyna Adams, St. Cloud, 79
Tess Sheive, St. Cloud, 94
Alyssa Kane, Harmony, 95
Aryana Persaud, Harmony, 98
Ally White, Harmony, 103
Nadia Burda, St. Cloud 103
