DUNN — With a collective performance that was more grit than glitz, the Fike High girls golf team resumed its role as NCHSAA 3-A East Regional champion with an impressive 11-stroke victory at Chicora Golf Club on Monday, Oct. 21.
Most impressive was the fact that none of the five Golden Demons in action Monday for Fike’s fourth regional title in five years was part of its last regional title in 2022 when it won its second straight state 3-A championship. Leading the charge at Chicora was freshman Loulie Harrison, who tied for fourth place, while sophomore Payton Durham, the lone holdover from last year, tied for sixth place. Another freshman, Kensley Hill, completed Fike’s scoring in the 46-over-par 259 team result on the par-71, 4,975-yard layout that none of them had played before.
After the graduation of four-year all-conference performers Bree Council and Avery Briley, Jones knew some talented freshmen were headed his way but they had some high standards to uphold. Fike had won four straight conference titles, including three in the 3-A Quad County Conference.
“Our conference probably didn’t expect us to win our conference, No. 1, and so those little — those, those young kids,” Jones said, searching for the right words. “Man, I don’t want to call them ‘little;’ they’re just young. They just came out with a little grit to them. They just played along and kept battling, fun to watch…