LUCKY 13! BULLDOGS WIN DISTRICT AGAIN

No. 2 Mississippi Gulf Coast's remarkable dominance continues in golf, with the Bulldogs winning their 13^th district/region in the last 14 tries Tuesday in Holly Springs.

"It's awesome," Gulf Coast coach Brad Thornton said. "I was part of that streak as a player, and the past two years with these sophomores who definitely know what it means. They know the importance of it, and it's nice to have another region plaque to hang on the locker room wall. "

The Bulldogs beat No. 6 Meridian by six shots, doubling their first-round edge. They had four golfers in the top eight at Kirkwood National Golf Club.

The Bulldogs punched their ticket to the NJCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship, which starts May 17 in Joplin, Mo.

David Beard (Fr., Madison/Madison Central) finished second in the individual standings at 2-over. He was one shot behind Northeast Mississippi's Tate Dickerson, who claimed a spot in the national tournament along with the next four individuals who didn't make it with a team.

"David couldn't buy a putt all week, but he hit the ball extremely well," Thornton said. "Despite the putter not working for him, he had a chance on the last hole from about 15 feet to force a playoff."

Reeves Johnson (So., Madison/Germantown) finished tied for third at 4-over, with Chase Kaiser (Fr., Natchez/Cathedral) and Matt Wilkinson (So., Madison/Madison Central) tied for sixth at 6-over. Johnson joined Beard on the All-Tournament Team.

Gulf Coast led by double-digits heading into the back nine Tuesday, giving themselves some cushion down the stretch.

"Top to bottom, we played exceptionally well all day," Thornton said. "At one point, we had three golfers within one shot of the lead. I could not be more pleased with how they handled themselves. This golf course was a true test and they went out there and handled what we were supposed to do."

Thornton was part of championships No. 5 and 6 during this stretch of Gulf Coast dominance, which started back in 2008. The Bulldogs are headed back to Joplin, where they destroy the field in a preview tournament in October. Gulf Coast beat Kirkwood, which is the fourth-ranked team in the Bushnell Golfweek NJCAA Division II Coaches Poll, by 34 strokes at Twin Hills Country Club. 

The Bulldogs will be back there next month to try to make some more noise.

"When these guys get on a championship-level golf course and these guys know it's time to compete," Thornton said, "I wouldn't put my trust in anybody else."

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