MATTOON – Marquette Catholic's boys golf team has been on a mission throughout the season.

That mission comes to a close this weekend in Normal.

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The Explorers got an even-par 72 from senior Michael Holtz as the Explorers went on to win the IHSA Class 2A Mattoon Sectional Tuesday at the par-72, 6,690-yard Mattoon Golf and Country Club course, easily taking the championship with a team 310, 22 strokes better than runner-up Benton, who fired a 322. The host Green Wave finished third with a 345.

Drew SobolEast Alton-Wood River's Drew Sobol, playing as an individual, advanced to state with a 10-over 82, tying him with Mascoutah's Alex Gorman for a place in the state tournament.

“Drew's very excited about going to state,” said Oiler coach (and dad) Dave Sobol. “The course played very difficult today and golf is a mental grind as much as anything; you're out there on the course for five hours and there's no comparison to other sports as far as the mental grind goes.

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“Drew represents the game and the school very well; he may be the only athlete to qualify for state individually in two different sports in school history (Sobol also wrestles for the Oilers). It's a huge accomplishment.”

The top three teams and top 10 golfers from non-qualifying teams advanced to this weekend's IHSA Class 2A state tournament at Illinois State's D.A. Weibring Golf Club in Normal.

Metropolis Massac County took fourth with a 347, next-door Charleston was fifth at 348 and Columbia was sixth at 350; Salem and Breese Mater Dei (356), Herrin (357), Highland (360), Effingham (370) and Triad (381) rounded out the field.

Besides Holtz's 72, Nick Messinger turned in a 4-over 76 for the Explorers, followed by a 7-over 79 for Jack Patterson and a 11-over 83 for Kolton Bauer to round out the scoring for Marquette. Duncan McLain also fired a 19-over 91 and Sam Cogan had a 33-over 105 for the Explorers on the day.

This weekend's state tournament is a two-day, 36-hole event.

Carrollton's Noah Robinson had a 10-over 82 to advance to this weekend's IHSA Class 1A state tournament at Prairie Vista Golf Course in Bloomington as an individual. The Hawks' Lane Schnettgoecke and Metro East Lutheran's Jake Jump and Michael Fields had also advanced to the sectional, but failed to qualify for state.

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