The dominance of Oak Hill Academy golf has been well-documented in recent years.
Six-straight Midsouth Association of Independent Schools state titles, a pipeline to Power Five college golf and pure domination on the course.
This year saw Raiders senior Collins Trolio experience his last hurrah in high school at Mossy Oak Golf Club in West Point, the home of the MAIS Class 3A state tournament, which ended Monday with Oak Hill’s seventh-straight title.
Trolio is headed to play for Ole Miss in the fall, but right behind him in the pecking order sits another future Rebel and a golfer who has impressed on the course this season: junior Jacob Blanton.
“It’s definitely coming to light,” Blanton said. “I work really hard and try to put up the best numbers I can. I know I can shoot the lowest numbers. I just have to keep working on it.”
Blanton currently has the lowest scoring average of anyone on Oak Hill golf this season with a 67.57, more than 4-under par on a par 72 course and more than 2-under par on a par 70 course.
That’s a scoring average professional golfers would dream of, but for Blanton, it’s a regular day at the golf course.
“This year, Jake has won two golf tournaments: the Oak Hill Invitational and North State,” Oak Hill Academy coach VJ Trolio said. “He’s done a really good job as a junior coming in and really competing with Collins over scoring average titles for the year. … I’m proud of Jake for being part of that tight-knit team.”
Golf for Blanton began nearly a decade ago, with VJ Trolio being there early on during his development as a player.
Since his arrival at Oak Hill, the culture of the golf program has been ingrained into his play. Internal competition for the Raiders is robust and challenging, but it’s made him a better golfer in the process.
“There’s been a lot of great players who have come out of Oak Hill,” Blanton said. “Cohen Trolio (VJ’s son and Collins’ older brother) and Wells Williams, they were my role models and the younger kids. We looked up to them. We watched them practice. We watched them play. We really just tried to do the same thing.”
On the course, Blanton is someone who lets his golf speak for itself.
Keeping a level head is crucial in golf, with the highs and lows of the sport taking a mental toll on golfers, but it’s something that Blanton has controlled well.
“Seventy-five percent of golf is mental,” Blanton said. “If I miss a fairway, I’m not going to slam a club and get all mad about it. I set expectations for myself every time I set on the golf course and I try to stick to those expectations. A bad day is going to happen. It’s just how golf works. … I just try to stay as calm as possible. You can’t let a bad shot affect your next shot.”
Off the course, he’s self-described as a “social butterfly,” always looking to find a way to not sit on the couch. From fishing to hunting, he always finds a way to keep himself busy.
Often, that means he’s hanging out with Collins, whether that be playing golf, or something off the course. The two are best friends and being competitive on course brings out the best in them.
“We live in a small town in West Point,” Blanton said. “There’s not much to do, but we always find something to do. I’m always doing something.”
His days are so often intertwined with the golf course, from practice to competition, that it’s a second home to him.
In a little more than a year, Oxford will turn into that second home, but lately he’s been focused on bringing home a seventh-straight state title for Oak Hill.
“A lot of people aren’t fortunate enough to play for a state championship,” Blanton said. “You take that into consideration, be thankful that you’re going to play in one. Even better, we have a really good chance to win.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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