By Rubin E. Grant
As Homewood was capturing the 2024 AHSAA Class 6A boys golf state championship, the Patriots didn’t include the scores of Alex Wahl.
But that wasn’t the case this spring. Homewood needed Wahl’s contributions and he delivered. Wahl fired rounds of 70 and 69 to finish fourth among the individuals with a two-day 5-under-par total of 139, leading the Patriots to the 2025 Class 6A state championship May 12-13 at the soggy Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail-Oxmoor Valley.
Homewood took home its third overall championship with a 14-under 562 (285-277), 18 strokes ahead of second-place Spain Park, which finished with a 4-over 580 (287-293).
Meanwhile, Vestavia Hills won its fourth Class 7A state title in four years and sixth overall with a 25-under total of 551 (278-273). UMS-Wright was a distant second with a 7-over 583 (293-290).
The Patriots and Rebels were the only squads to finish under par for the tournament. There were 23 boys and six girls that finished the 76th AHSAA Golf Tournament under par.
Homewood coach Jason Haithcock believes Wahl, a junior, had a little extra incentive going into the tournament. “Alex was a huge surprise,” Haithcock says. “He had not gone that low throughout the season. We didn’t have to count his score either day last year, and he knew if he got the opportunity he was not going to be remembered that way again. I think that was a driving motivation for him to get back and have a huge impact, and that’s what he did.”
Spain Park’s Chase Kyes shot back-to-back rounds of 66 to finish with a 12-under 132 to claim Class 6A low medalist. Cullman’s Will Drake shot 69-64 for a 13-under 133 to finish a stroke behind Kyes. J.P. Groat of Fort Payne shot 68-70-138, followed by Wahl (70-69-139), Murray Walker of Spanish Fort (67-73-140) and three more Homewood golfers: Jack Lowery (72-69-140), Kenan Rouse (71-68-141) and Andrew Wood (71-71-142).
Haithcock praised his team’s performance, especially since they were playing without Jonathan Peters, who graduated in 2024. Haithcock called Peters “one of the greatest leaders on any team I’ve ever coached. We lost JP, but that’s part of high school sports. Other guys have to grow and mature. I think maturity was the difference.”
The tournament had a rain delay on day one and forced some teams to finish their first round on the following day. Haithcock said the Patriots benefitted from the delay. “We were not playing well before the first weather delay,” Haithcock says. “With the time on our hands, we reset and were a totally different golf team after that.”
