AUSTIN — To a man, the Gatesville boys’ golf team looked like it had been through quite a battle by the time the final round of the state tournament wrapped up Friday at Roy Kizer Golf Course.

But the Hornets, sun-burned and worn out, grasped the prize they wanted.

Gatesville shot a final- round team score of 23-over-par 307 to hold off the rest of the field and claim the Class 3A state championship.

The Hornets’ 36-hole total of 38-over 606 was two strokes better than Graham in second place.

Gatesville finished in fourth place at the 3A state tournament the last two seasons, which heightened their craving for state gold.

But Hornets sophomore Jake Truss, who shot 4-over 146 for the tournament to lead Gatesville and finish fourth individually, said the team was still recovering from the grind of the final round.

“I don’t think it has quite sunk in yet,” Truss said. “We’re state champions, you know.”

Gatesville opened up a four-stroke lead by shooting 15-over 299 after the first 18 holes Thursday. Robinson moved into second place at 303, two strokes in front of Graham and Prosper tied for third.

But the Rockets, who claimed the 3A silver medal last season, fell back to fourth place after a final round of 35-over 319.

Graham posted the best final round at 19-over 303 to move up to second, while Longview Spring Hill shot 305 on Friday to claim the bronze medal.

By the midway point of the final round, it was apparent that none of the individuals or teams were beating the course and conditions.

Chance Cathey (center) and Gatesville teammates receive congratulations from supporters after winning the Class 3A championship. (Duane A. Laverty photo)

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Gatesville sophomore Jake Truss blasts from the snad on the final hole of his 2-over par round of 73 Friday at Roy Kizer Golf Course in Austin. Truss was 4-over for the two-day tournament, good for fourth place. (Duane A. Laverty photo)

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The state tournament golfers faced winds that gusted over 20 mph while temperatures pushed into the 90s on a humid afternoon.

So Gatesville coach Guy Dean told each of his players to continue to battle.

“I let them know that everybody out here is having to struggle,” Dean said. “They’ve had their good and bad moments, just hang in there and keep working.”

Truss did that as well as anybody.

The Hornet sophomore shot even-par on the front nine, and though he couldn’t muster any birdies on the back nine, he gave up only two bogeys on his way to a second straight round of 73 and a top-five finish.

Robinson falls back

Jacob Torans of Devine claimed the individual championship with rounds of 67 and 74 for a 36-hole score of 1-under 141. He was three strokes in front of Eric Garza of Falfurrias and Sean Romero of Texarkana Pleasant Grove in a tie for second place. Garza claimed the silver medal in a playoff.

Robinson junior Chase Chapman, who won the 3A individual state championship at 1-under 141 last season, shot 11-over 82 on Friday for a 36-hole score of 15-over 157.

Robinson senior Ryan Hixson led the Rockets in the final round with a 78, while Cody Kocian posted Robinson’s only other score in the 70s with a 79.

“After a couple of holes, since the wind picked up, our attitudes kind of dropped a little bit,” Hixson said. “We tried to do stuff that we normally wouldn’t do.”

Meanwhile, Gatesville had its rough stretches, but stayed steady enough to win.

Hornets Aaron Massey, Hunter Abbott and Preston Timmons each posted final round 78s.

Gatesville junior Chance Cathey, who finished third individually in 2008 and led Gatesville with a round of 1-over 72 on Thursday, slipped to 79.

Cathey fell from a tie for third place after the first round out of the top 10, but he was still all smiles at the end of the day.

“It just says that we have five solid golfers,” Cathey said. “All these other teams have four good players and one person that shoots in the 80s or 90s. If one person falters, we have other people to pick him up.”

cconine@wacotrib.com

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