AUGUSTA, MI –– With a booming program behind him, T.R. Walters admits it’s often a struggle to finalize and roll out five varsity golfers on most match days. He also admits it’s a good problem to have. In another fortunate dilemma with a talented roster at his disposal, Walters rolled out a lucrative combination of five Gull Lake boys golfers that rose to the occasion and heated up late –– all of which powered the Blue Devils’ third straight SMAC Conference championship on Wednesday at Stonehedge Golf Club. “We’ve been in a lot of tough situations this year with tournaments, and I think some of that experience in playing some of those events has helped out,” said Walters, Gull Lake’s boys golf coach. “These guys get to play some quality golf courses, and when things are tough, they know they’ve been there before. “But they make it tough on me -–– I’ve got seven guys listed for my regional roster and it won’t be easy to figure out who my top five are.” Gull Lake, ranked sixth in Division 2, saw three of its golfers –– Joseph Blondia, Hank Livingston and Jaxon Chapdelaine –– earn all-conference medalist honors en route to a final score of 611, which was five ahead of second place Portage Central (616). Portage Central junior Ben Liddell captured first-place SMAC medalist honors after finishing with a final score of 144, one better than Blondia (145) and two better than Livingston (146). After being tied with Portage Central after Round 1 of the SMAC Championship (313-313), the Blue Devils hit the jets thanks to Livingston’s three-under 69 and Blondia’s one-under 71. After carding a quadruple bogey on the par 4 third hole, junior Luke Coffinger, Gull Lake’s No. 4 golfer, roared back to finish with a five-over 77, while Chapdelaine finished with a nine-over 81. “Luke Coffinger makes an eight on No. 3 but ends up shooting a 77,” Walters said. “And then Joey (Blondia) and Hank (Livingston) are just the model of consistency … Joey gets bumped down to the No. 2 spot today because Hank beat him and it’s just fun when you have those guys, and they work hard.” Livingston’s 69 was the best score of Round 2 –– the senior finished with four birdies on the day, including a two-under back nine. Coffinger finished 11th thanks to a two-day score of 161, while senior Carter Dominowski grabbed 30th with a score of 178. Junior Charles Wilke (88) and senior Chase Sommerfeld (81) also scored over the course of the meet. With a lineup loaded with talent, Walters says he’s had to take a page out of Houston University’s golf program –– one of the most successful in all of college golf. “They just always get a chance to play in and I kind of go with that old University of Houston approach in that some of the toughest matches we have, guys are trying to qualify to get in that four or five spot,” Walters said. “Every time I think I have it figured out, somebody else steps up their game.” This is all after Gull Lake’s No. 1 golfer from last season, Maxwell Vandermolen, moved to Florida for his senior year. The Blue Devils, who finished third at last year’s Division 3 state finals, have yet to miss a beat, though. How? Walters credits the squad’s competitive schedule. “There’s a reason we play in these tough tournaments, going to the east side, and playing all over the state to prepare us for when we get to regionals and the state finals,” Walters said. “That way, we’re ready to go.” Gull Lake has appeared in the state finals for seven straight seasons. SMAC All-conference Team Ben Liddell, Portage Central 144 Joseph Blondia, Gull Lake 145 Hank Livingston, Gull Lake 146 Isaac Scavarda, Loy Norrix 148 Griffin McClish, Mattawan 155 George Griswold, Portage Central 155 Brady Jensenius, Portage Central 158 Jaxon Chapdelaine, Gull Lake 159 Nolan Greene, Portage Central 160 Boston Bilek, Mattawan 160 Team Scores Gull Lake 611 Portage Central 616 Mattawan 641 St. Joseph 660 Loy Norrix 676 Stevensville Lakeshore 688 Battle Creek Lakeview 698 Portage Northern 708 Kalamazoo Central 775