When Carrboro carded a team 333 last week at Chapel Ridge Golf Club south of Chapel Hill, some of the Jaguars saw it as a desultory effort.

And that may be the good news for Carrboro.

After winning the Carolina 2A Conference golf championship for a third straight year, the Jaguars have high expectations as they prepare for the NCHSAA postseason tournaments.

"Honestly, I believe we can win states,” Carrboro senior Sam Brighton said in the Chapel Ridge clubhouse. "If we all show up at states we can do it. I know that."

Brighton shot a six-over-par 78 Tuesday during the Carolina 2A’s final match of the season, earning a piece of a three-way tie with conference champion Jonathan Price of Granville Central and Northwood’s Jordan McClamroch.

Like most high school conferences in North Carolina, the Carolina 2A decides its champions based upon cumulative scores for the season. Price already was four strokes in front when Tuesday’s match started, and he added to his winning lead with his 78 while most of the field shot above 80 in the blustery conditions.

“I wasn’t really worried about the score today. I was really concentrating on the conference player of the year. That makes me pretty happy,” said Price, who finished eighth last year as a sophomore.

Likewise, Carrboro was 24 strokes ahead of second-place Cedar Ridge coming into the final and cemented its championship with the day’s best total round – 333 – for a season total of 1175.

Carrboro and Cedar Ridge (347-1212) guaranteed themselves a spot in next week’s NCHSAA regionals by virtue of finishing 1-2 in the conference race. Northwood, led by McClamroch’s 78, shot a total 361 Tuesday for a 1285 total and ended up in third place for the season but missed out on a regional berth.

"This has not been our best year. We’ve had to face some adversity," said Northwood coach Henry Buckner, who noted the Chargers’ problems included the absence this spring of two top players who didn’t return to the lineup. "It’s been tough."

Matt Braxton and Ben Braxton of Cedar Ridge finished with 79 and 83 Tuesday, fourth and fifth respectively. Jeremy Shaheen of Carrboro came in at 84 followed by Pierce Isley (85) of Granville Central, Zach Hepp (87) of Carrboro and Jaguar teammates Hanson Elkins, Caleb Lester and Beb Padden – all with 89 to tie for ninth. All will be heading into the regional.

"It was pretty windy out there," observed Hepp, who knows more about the Chapel Ridge course than most teenagers since he and Brighton both work there after school. "The winds dried out the greens during the match; I struggled some on the back as the greens hardened."

Price, McClamroch, Isley and Corey Johnson of South Granville all earned at-large spots in the upcoming 2A regional, which will be held May 7 at the Chapel Hill Country Club.

"Chapel Hill Country Club is a great course, and I’m excited that we get to play it again," said Carrboro coach Brenda Leeper, who will serve as tournament director in the Chapel Hill regional. "Since I have four seniors this year, I thought it would be nice to host the regional there."