The LMS Badgers won the district golf championship Monday at Meadowlakes. Pictured are, back row from left, Blake January, Logan Irvin, coach Michael Molinar, Trent Holloman; front row, Blake Graham and Dylan Singleton. Without even peeking at the leader board, the Badgers’ confidence was crushed.

Just an hour prior, it seemed so simple.

Possessing a comfortable fivestroke advantage at the district tournament with one hole left to play after inclement weather forced teams to flee the Hidden Falls Golf Course last week, the Lampasas Middle School boys’ golf team casually returned to Meadowlakes Monday to finish the round and, more importantly, pick up the championship.

It appeared merely a matter of time until Lampasas won.

Then everything went haywire.

The Badgers recorded three double bogeys to complete the round, which sent their district-title dreams crashing.

Or so they thought. After returning to the clubhouse and piecing together the missing Lake Travis scores, the Badgers discovered they survived the scare to clinch the school’s first boys’ golf district championship in 15 years.

The near collapse created a solemn excitement for head coach Michael Molinar, who assumed the title was lost after discovering his players’ scores.

“I was really happy underneath, but I was in a state of shock,” the coach said. “I was feeling really sick after the double bogeys -- not for myself, but for the guys.

“I thought about all those practices, in sun and in rain, Saturdays out of town playing, and I could see how disappointed they were. But in the back of my mind I thought things would work out.”

Having completed his round before the inclement weather moved in last week, Blake January was just an observer for the conclusion of the tournament, and his score of 41 was good enough to place third individually.

Teammate Blake Graham tied January with a 41, but a playoff tiebreaker gave Graham the medal. Logan Irvin shot a 43, and Trent Holloman rounded out the team’s scoring with a 46. Dylan Singleton shot a 54.

The Badgers’ score of 171 was five strokes lower than secondplace Lake Travis. Hudson Bend finished third.

Surprisingly, Lampasas drew motivation from losing one of its best players earlier in the season when Blake Lolato’s family moved to Copperas Cove.

“After losing Lolato, I think the boys felt they needed to ‘up’ their game if we were going to win district, and I think they welcomed the challenge,” Molinar said.

The LMS Lady Badgers’ golf team also played the final holes of the district tournament Monday, but their fate already was decided.

Trailing leader Hudson Bend (199) by an insurmountable amount, the girls’ team secured second place with a final score of 213, 53 strokes ahead of thirdplace Marble Falls.

“We had a very satisfying season,” Lady Badgers head coach Amanda Forsythe said. “We placed in all the tournaments that we competed in as a team.”

Lauren Beckwith led Lampasas by shooting a 45. Unfortunately, the seventh-grader missed out on earning a medal when last week’s stoppage pulled her off the course as she was about to attempt an eagle putt. Instead, after a week off, Beckwith completed her round with a bogey.

The three medalists recorded scores of 40, 41 and 44.

Morgan Rogers and Kena Cox shot a 51 and 54, respectively, while Jordan Cummings posted a 63. Alyssa Dickens rounded out the team with a 65.

While the team loses two key players in eighth-graders Rogers and Mariah Bishop -- who was unable to compete at the district meet -- a core unit comprised of Beckwith, Cox, Cummings and Dickens will return in 2011.