BCHS golfers headed to state finals

Benton High School's golf team is going to the state finals for the second time in three years.
The Rangers finished third in Monday's sectional at Hickory Ridge in Carbondale, edging out Herrin by four strokes to advance to this weekend's tournament at Weibring Golf Course in Springfield.
Charleston won the team title with a score of 297. Belleville Althoff was second at 304 and Benton third with 306. Herrin finished up at 310 and Breese Mater Dei rounded out the top five teams with a 316. Only the top three teams advance to state.
Brendan Luster and Brad Hammond stroked 75s and Robbie Moore and Jared Shaw fired 78s for the Rangers on Monday.
The Rangers will be making their 12th state final appearance. Barely missing the cut a year ago, Benton last made a state final in 2016.
The Rangers advanced to the sectional by finishing second in the Marion Regional, played at Kokopelli Golf Course, last Tuesday.
Herrin won the team title with a 308, nipping the Rangers by two strokes. Marion was a distant third with 337, followed by Carbondale and Massac County.
Luster finished third as an individual with a 73. Collin Miller finished in seventh with a 78, Robbie Moore eighth with a 79 and Shaw was ninth with an 80. Hammond and Jared Owens were off the pace by two and three strokes, respectively.