GREENVILLE, OH – The Tri-Village Patriots boys golf team closed its regular season with a strong showing at the WOAC Tournament at Turtle Creek Golf Club, finishing second to Arcanum, which claimed both the tournament title and the 2026 WOAC league championship.
One week later, the Patriots followed that up with another runner-up finish, this time in the OHSAA Division III Boys Sectional Tournament.
“I’m really proud of our team and how well they played in these last two tournaments,” coach Logan Brubaker said. “Obviously Arcanum is really, really good, and congrats to them on winning the WOAC tournament. National Trail has been up there for a while, and Newton’s been good for a long time as well. We’re really young, but I thought we could sneak our way into that group and challenge those guys — and for most of the season we did.”
Tri-Village shot a 330 at the WOAC Tournament, with two golfers posting scores in the 70s.
“The league as a whole has gotten a lot better over the last few years, so it’s quite a challenge. This team seems to show up in big matches — they golf well when it matters most, and that’s something to be proud of.”
The Patriots carded a 337 on Tuesday at the sectional to finish second and will now advance to the district tournament to play played on September 28th at Heatherwoode Golf Club.
“Today’s conditions were really different from what we’ve seen most of the year — cold, windy and wet — and I was proud of how we battled,” Brubaker said. “Cohen did what he’s done all year long and led us. Reggie Osborne didn’t have his best stuff, but other guys played well and picked him up. I was really proud of the freshmen, coming into Turtle Creek, a course they’re not used to and play well. And it’s always good to get Brecken Gray back. We’re excited that we can move on. We have all underclassmen, so it’s a step in the right direction for our program.”
Leading the way
“It really starts with Cohen Burns,” Brubaker said. “He’s had a great year. He’s my nephew, so I’m hard on him and I challenge him. He didn’t have a great summer coming into the season, but he’s taken a major step forward. Qualifying for districts last year was a big confidence boost, and he played pretty well there. That confidence carried into this season — he broke par with a 35 against Franklin Monroe, shot even-par 36 several times and was in the 30s much of the year, averaging around 39 as a sophomore. As an uncle and a coach who’s spent a lot of time with him since he was young, it’s exciting to watch him play like this and carry himself the way he has on the course.”
Sophomore Reggie Osborne has also exceeded expectations, Brubaker said.
“We’ve asked a lot of him. He’s really hard on himself — he expects to be great every time he steps on the course, and that’s hard to do in golf. He had a short offseason, battled an injury and didn’t hit driver until right as the season began. So, to be a first-team all-league kid while only hitting driver the last six or seven weeks is really cool. He works as hard as any kid I’ve ever been around in any sport. He’s a great kid, high character, and I’m proud of his success. He shot a 79 at the WOAC Championship, and I’m excited to have him for two more years.”
Freshman Caleb Brinley rounds out the team’s all-league selections.
“We’ve asked him to be really good all year, and for most of the year he’s delivered,” Brubaker said. “He loves the game and he’s got a bright future. I’m excited to have him the next three years and watch him grow.”
Brubaker also pointed to Lincoln Dill and Ian Homan.
“Lincoln’s got the pedigree, being Brett’s son. He’s athletic, he’s got a great swing and he’s figuring this golf thing out the more he plays — he was really good for us today. And then a kid like Ian Homan, who’s been around it a while, can post a good number for us. He’s high character and just awesome to have around. Then we have a whole slew of freshmen who’ve been really good. I could go on and on.”
With no seniors on the roster and a district appearance in hand, the Patriots’ second-place finishes may prove to be just the beginning.
