Green Devil duo coming on strong in late season

By Kristi Nixon

CLARION — Osage’s Jayden Scharper didn’t even have his putter.

The Green Devils’ senior had to borrow one from another coach at the meet and the result was a sectional runner-up finish to help lead coach Eric Goddard’s team to the team runner-up finish and advancing to Carroll Country Club on Monday, May 16.

“I guess I forgot it at the course or somewhere in my truck,” Scharper said. “I was thankful for one of the coaches who let me borrow one and I played good with it. I can’t thank him enough. The short game helped me out, but the putter as well. I don’t for sure know (which coach); I don’t want to say the wrong one and give the wrong credit, but yeah, I’m not for sure (who it was).”

Scharper also credits his family for keeping his spirits up.

“Definitely the support of my family,” said Scharper. “I haven’t been playing the best as I’ve should for what I usually have before and they kept cheering me on and telling me, ‘you’ve got this, get it out of your head,’ and today was one of those days and I pulled through. I thank them very much and I love them.”

He, like freshman Heath Voigt, have come on strong in the latter part of the season for Osage while shooting 334 as a team to finish only behind defending 2A state runner-up Grundy Center, which shot 312.

The Spartans had the overall medalist in Ashton Martens with a 36-38 – 74 and Dexter Whitehill’s 37-42 – 79 tied for the runner-up spot with teammate Ben Wegner and Scharper, who had rounds of 39-40.

Voigt, who didn’t have the best of first rounds with 48 after the first nine, started off the second nine with an eagle on hole No. 9 that propelled him to a 39 on the second round and an 87.

“It felt really good,” Voigt said. “It was a good start to the second round. The first round was really rough and I got to this hole and I was way over and made some good shots.”

Leo Klapperich shot a consistent two rounds of 40-41 – 81 and another 87 from Bodie Goddard (46-41) rounded out team scoring.

Voigt said that Klapperich has been good to practice with in his first high school season.

“He really helps me out,” Voigt said. “I mean, you shoot a good round, he’s all happy for you and stuff. He’s good competition in practice, he pushes you and is happy for you when you do well.”

More on this story and more photos will be found in the May 18 print edition of the Enterprise Journal.