Hereford coach Todd Hartshorn can't wait to watch Bobby Gattuso compete in the state championship, Oct. 21-23, at Potomac Ridge Golf Course in Waldorf.

The senior appears poised for a strong finish after winning the Baltimore County boys individual championship last month.

Gattuso will qualify for the state tournament for the third straight year if he shoots a 79 or lower at the district tournament this week. He's a much improved player since taking 25th in the state event last year and 24th two years ago.

"With as consistent as he has been playing, and as well as he has been putting, I see him being very competitive in the state final," Hartshorn said. "I think he is a top-10 contender without a doubt."

Gattuso is a big reason why Hereford won its first-ever Baltimore County boys team title, shooting a 77 at Diamond Ridge Golf Course in Woodlawn to edge Zac Weinstein (79) of Owings Mills.

The standout's round helped Hereford (335) beat out Dulaney (2nd, 347) and Owings Mills (3rd, 353).

"What makes this so special is that it never has been done before in school history," Hartshorn said. "The competition was fantastic. There are some perennial powers. Towson won it last year and Dulaney has won it multiple years."

Hartshorn said the Bulls earned their crown the hard way.

"It was a lot of effort, hard work and practice on the part of the kids," he said. "Not only this season, but in the summer."

Gattuso and juniors Alex Dawson (6th, 82), Tyler Hollins (12th, 86) and Mike Merryman (18th, 90) helped Hereford's cause while senior Bill Vaccacio (91) and juniors Andrew Wooden (91) and Steve Eagen (91) also competed in the county tourney for the Bulls.

But Gattuso will continue to garner the most attention the rest of the season for Hereford.

"My goal is to get in the top three," said Gattuso, who hopes to continue his golf career at either Towson University or Loyola College. "I have been shooting around par."

Dulaney star's fourth title not derailed by one bad hole

A disastrous hole didn't stop Dulaney senior Carolyn Chandler in her bid for a fourth consecutive Baltimore County championship.

Chandler shot a quadruple bogie (8) in the middle of her round at Gunpowder Falls Golf Course in Kingsville, which really didn't worry Lions coach Victoria Welsh much.

"She is amazing when it comes to the mental part of the game," Welsh said. "A lot of other players have a difficult time. They fall apart."

Not Chandler. She stayed calm and composed, regaining her touch -- and stranglehold on the title -- with each ensuing hole on the way to a stunning 70.

She finished six strokes ahead of both Carver A & T's Yasmine Faieq and Milford Mill's Devonne Richardson as Dulaney captured its fourth straight team championship.

Chelsea Simanski (4th, 83) and Molly Blauvelt (5th, 84) also placed in the top 10 for the Lions.

"I was a little nervous," Chandler said. "I wanted to win it really badly. It is really cool to win it all four years."

She's likely to do the same in the state tournament on Oct. 21, provided she advances for the third straight year with a solid performance in this week's district tourney.

Chandler placed 18th last year after finishing 14th as a sophomore and is well prepared for the high school campaign by virtue of a busy year-round tournament schedule.

Chandler, who lives near and belongs to the Hunt Valley Golf Club in Phoenix, competed on two junior tours this summer, the Elite Players Tour and the Plantations Junior Golf Tour.

Last winter, she played the mid-Atlantic PGA Junior Tour and International Junior Golf Tour.

Chandler's participation in about 25 tournaments takes her to Texas, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and Ohio.

She is considering 15 different colleges for golf, some of which have offered scholarships.

"I have worked really hard throughout high school so I could get to the point where I could play Division I golf," said Chandler, who carries a 3.6 grade point average.

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