WEST POINT — Just off the 17th green, Oak Hill Academy golf coach VJ Trolio was playing “867-5309/Jenny” by Tommy Tutone to some younger Raiders.
Right at the same time, his son, Collins, knocked down a long putt, pumping his fist as the ball fell into the cup.
On a Monday where conditions at Mossy Oak Golf Club were a bit rocky, Oak Hill golf was rolling as usual, putting VJ in a singing mood as the Raiders clinched the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Class 4A title, a seventh-straight state title overall.
“Mossy Oak is a little tougher on the greens,” VJ said. “With George Bryan winning the individual state championship, he’s our No. 6 guy, so he did his job. Seth Lockhart did his job and then, the rest of the team did a really solid job. They were all prepared, they played well and it’s good to get it done.”
The Raiders shot a 290 (2-over) as a team, 60 strokes better than runner-up Canton Academy.
Monday, by all accounts, was an ‘off-day’ for Oak Hill, with top golfers Collins and Jacob Blanton combining to shoot 3-over, but as this team has done throughout the season, the depth showed through.
Bryan won the individual competition as the lone player in the field to shoot under par, a 1-under day for him, and Lockhart’s even-par round was good enough for second place.
“That’s the great thing about what Oak Hill is doing right now,” VJ said. “It is deep and there are plenty of good players.”
A flurry of birdies on the seventh, eighth and ninth holes set the tone for Bryan’s round, and he played confident throughout.
“It was just keeping it below the hole and no three-putts, just two-putts,” Bryan said. “… I’m feeling pretty good. It’s a seven-peat.”
Lockhart’s consistency through the first half of the front nine was what got him going, and from there, it was smooth sailing to the final hole.
“I kept making long putts,” Lockhart said. “Our team is really good, really competitive, so second is good, but the goal is always first.”
Unlike other teams in a similar position, when you win seven-straight state titles, it becomes the norm rather than the exception to the rule.
Oak Hill loses Collins from their starting lineup as he heads to Ole Miss starting in the fall, but there are plenty of Raiders waiting in the wings for their opportunity.
Their eyes are already toward next season and keeping the streak going.
“It’s kind of a routine I guess,” Lockhart said. “… Absolutely. Eight in a row and even after some of our guys leave, we should have it locked down for the next several years.”
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