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Pat McCool’s smile grew ever wider Tuesday afternoon as he watched the scorecards come in at Longleaf Golf & Family Club in Southern Pines.

“If someone had told me before the season that we’d finish seventh in the state, I’d say no way. No way,” the Wolverine head coach said, watching his team’s surprising rise come to fruition in the NCHSAA 1A state championship.

The Wolverines, who few expected to make a deep postseason run, posted a team score of 342 to notch their top-10 finish in the rain-shortened tournament that was reduced to 18 holes after Monday’s first round was suspended with five teams yet to tee off.

Mount Airy captured the team title with a score of 320, narrowly edging Christ The King by two strokes and East Wake Academy by five. Polk County finished as the second-highest public school team, separated from Mount Airy by five charter school teams.

The Wolverines’ performance was anchored by Myles Menetre and Brody Wilkins, who each carded 82s on the challenging Southern Pines layout. Tourin Jackson and Piercen Edwards both contributed matching 89s to complete the Wolverines’ scoring, while Gage Harden finished with 100.

“I think they did really well. They jelled well together this year,” McCool said. “We just got off to a slow start (Tuesday). But this is a team that just got stronger as the season went on.”

The championship featured a dramatic finish in the individual competition when South Stokes’ Sawyer Slate and Cornerstone Charter’s Sam Caraher tied for first with identical 72s. Slate eventually claimed the state title by parring the second playoff hole.