By Randy Lefko
randy@claytodayonline.com

HOWEY-IN-THE-HILLS - Fleming Island High senior golfer Tyler Mawhinney was one stroke short, as was the Fleming Island boys' team at the Class 2A golf championships.
Mawhinney, attempting a second state title chase - he was the 3A champion in 2023 and the 2A runner-up last year - scorched the final nine holes of the two-day tournament at Mission Inn Resort and Club with five birdies in his last six holes to close the gap quickly. Still, ultimately, he fell a stroke shy of the state title. Mawhinney finished with a 5-under-par 140, with the leader, last year's champion Sohen Patel of American Heritage (Broward County), at 139. Patel also made the final nine holes a shoulder-to-shoulder battle with four birdies in his final nine holes, securing his second state title.
Patel's gap was established with a 2-under 70 first round, while Mawhinney shot a  1-over 73 on the first day.
In the team scoring, Fleming Island rallied to finish with a 604 team score, which also fell one shot short of a 603 by Bishop Moore Catholic's 603. American Heritage finished third at 617.
For the Fleming Island boys, Ryan Houck finished a 145; William McGready finished at 156; Carson Moore finished at 164; and Alexander Blom finished at 166.
The difference in the scoring was a 150 score for the Bishop Moore Catholic second finisher, with top scorer Jack Mokris equal to Mawhinney's 140.
For the girls' team, freshman Sophia Moody got her first ticket, and senior Shayla Abbas returned to the state tournament. Moody eventually finished in fifth place in the individual scoring with a 145 (72 - 73). Abbas had an injured foot before her region tournament withdrew in Round 2 at the 15th hole after firing a first-round 81.
In the girls' final day, Suwannee High's Ryan Donaldson, a senior, scored a 140 (73 - 67), scorched the day two round with five birdies in the final nine holes to eek out a one-stroke win against early leader Jaime Baker, a sophomore at Dr. Joaquin Garcia.