By GALE CAVNESS
pressbox1.com

DYERSBURG - Needing a little something extra to climb above the pack, Martin Westview got a lift from an unlikely source to win the District 14 A-AA golf title.

Madison Hughey, the Chargers’ fourth seed, turned in his best effort of the season to give Westview the lift it needed to best Gibson County and Dyer County, secure the district title and earn a regional tournament berth.

Regional competition will be held next Tuesday at the Tennessee River Golf Club in Decaturville.

Fourteen schools participated in the tournament held at The Farms. Competition was interrupted twice because of rain, delaying the event about an hour.

Jordan Hayes posted a round of 78 to pace Westview. According to Lyle Larue, the team’s first-year coach, that’s something he’s done all year.

"Jordan’s been our leader," Larue said following the match. "We’ve been riding his back. The other boys get confidence off of him."

With Hughey shooting "10 or 12 strokes better than his yearly average," the Chargers finished with a team score of 332. Gibson County was four strokes back (336), followed by Dyer County (340).

Milan, the defending team champion, was three shots behind the Choctaws with an overall score of 343.

Dyersburg, the host team, had some unexpected events occur, too. A scoring error resulted in a player disqualification and an injury forced another team member to withdraw. The events eliminated the Trojans from team competition and, for the first time in 10 years, a spot in regional competition.

"We had a player strain an oblique muscle and another one sign an incorrect scorecard," said a disappointed Randy Coffman, DHS coach and tournament director. "It’s unfortunate."

Adding to the disappointment was the inevitable "what could have been" discovery that followed the scoring process. If Dyersburg’s scores would have counted, the Trojans would have edged Westview by one stroke to win the district championship.

The top three teams and top five individuals who were not a member of the advancing teams earn berths in regional competition.

Individuals to advance into regional play are Kyle Long, of Humboldt, David Messer, of Milan, Dyersburg’s Wes Newbill, Bradford’s Wes Dyer and Jack Bateman from Trenton.

Medalists of the day, the top five overall individual scorers, were Messer with a 73, Long (76), Newbill (77), Dyer County’s Adam Clark (77) and Hayes (78). Newbill won a two-hole playoff with Clark to break the third-place tie.

Boys 2007 District 14 A-AA All-District Golf Team

Jordan Hayes, Westview

Adam Clark, Dyer County

Kyle Long, Humboldt

Ryan Gammons, Dyersburg

Wes Dyer, Bradford

David Messer, Milan

Joseph Castellaw, Dyersburg

Chris Yeater, Dyer County

David Shepard, South Fulton

Wes Newbill, Dyersburg

Matthew McCulley, Dresden

Dakota Wilson, Milan

Taylor Maitland, Gibson County Taylor Strickland, Greenfield

Hudson Beard, Milan

Austin Smith, Westview