A disappointing performance in last week\'s Northern Kentucky Athletic Conference tournament was apparently just the kick in the pants that the Ryle boys golf team needed.

"I told them you have to be patient and take advantage of the opportunities given," said Ehlen. "When you have the opportunity to make birdie, take advantage of it. When you\'re given the opportunity to save bogey rather than make a double, take advantage of it. I just wanted them to keep the high numbers out of play. A lot of it was damage control on a day like this and they did a very good job of doing it."Because of the windy conditions Ehlen had some special instructions for his team before Monday\'s round and even made up his own hole-by-hole sheet of the course that included spots where his players should hit the ball, spots where they could miss and pin placements, most of which were tucked in tough spots behind bunkers.

There wasn\'t much damage control to Erlewine\'s round. After shooting even-par 35 on the front nine, he went to 1-over early on the back nine, but worked it 1-under heading into the 18th hole. After hitting his second shot within about 35 feet on the 403-yard, par-4 hole he rolled his birdie putt to within about five feet and then had his par putt for a 69 sit on the lip. He tapped in for 70.

"I\'m a little disappointed, because 69 sure looks better than 70, but it\'s still good enough," said Erlewine. "It was pretty hard out there. I had step off the ball sometimes because of the wind. It was hard judging the yardage."

Erlewine credited some extra work on his driver for his round.

"It\'s been killing me all year, basically, but the past few weeks it\'s been clicking," said Erlewine, who hit 13 greens in regulation. "As long as I can get it in play, I\'m fine."

Said Ehlen: "No doubt in my mind Jordan is a very talented player and I think once he realizes how talented he is he can post numbers like he did today."

Senior teammate Chris Lally fired a 75 to finish second individually, while sophomore Chris Desmarais shot a 79, rallying from being 6-over through the first six holes and finishing par, birdie, par to break 80.

There was some mild drama to determine which team would finish runner-up. CovCath senior Mickey Sutton, who was playing in the final group that started its round on the first hole, needed at least a bogey on the 18th hole to allow the Colonels to advance. Sutton hit his second shot within about 15 feet and despite having a knee-knocking three-footer for par, sank it to give CovCath the final two stroke advantage.

There were also three individuals not on the top two teams who also qualified for state: Beechwoodsenior Drew Kinman, the Northern Kentucky Junior Amateur champ, who fired a 78; Dixie Heights freshman Blake Adkins, who shot a 79, and Gallatin County\'s Holden Rea, who carded an 80.

For Adkins it was a nice comeback from last week\'s NKAC tournament where he was forced to pull out of the event after 14 holes when he was struck on the head by an errant golf ball.

Adkins, who said he suffered nothing more than a bump on his head and not a concussion, was worried he wouldn\'t even be able to play in Monday\'s regional.

"I was pretty scared, because I didn\'t know what was going to happen," said Adkins. "I just wanted the chance to come out here and compete."

Adkins said the way he was playing in last week\'s NKAC tourney at the time of his injury gave him some confidence for the regional. Adkins was 5-over at the time he was struck.

"I thought if I could play like I did last week I might have a chance," he said. "I\'m pretty happy with myself to be honest. I didn\'t think it was that good of a round today, but the wind was brutal. My putting really saved me a lot."