A serious knee injury forced Lyons Township senior Kevin Workman to miss last week’s Class 3A St. Ignatius regional, a tournament LT went on to win by two strokes over Fenwick.

But on Monday afternoon at the Mount Carmel sectional at Glenwoodie Golf Course, there Workman was — knee brace and all — ready to help the Lions earn a trip to the Class 3A state tournament. Despite playing with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, Workman did just that, leading the Lions (313) with a 77 to help the team secure second place in the sectional and a team berth at state.

Workman’s score was a huge boost to the Lions, who held off third-place Sandburg (314) by a single stroke. But just as important was Workman’s mere presence after he was forced to miss last week’s regional.

“All throughout the season he’s been the No. 1 player,” LT coach Mark Doyle said. “I think it gave the guys a lift to have him back, but the other guys played really, too. Without a doubt the last couple of weeks have been a team effort.”

Workman was certainly not alone in terms of production Monday. Senior Kyle Mulcahy (77) tied Workman for the team lead, and sophomore Kevin Carlson was right behind with a 78. The Lions also got solid scores out of junior Terrence Silvey (81), senior Austin Lusson (84) and senior Tomas VenClovas (84).

“I was really pleased for the boys,” Doyle said. “They worked really hard and they deserve it. They put in a lot of time and effort and it all paid off.”

Halfway through the round Monday, LT trailed Sandburg by three strokes, but a strong showing on the back nine was what helped secure the win. That, and the return of the Lions’ top golfer.

Workman tore his ACL just two weeks ago playing basketball before the West Suburban Conference meet. Since then he began rehabilitation and saw several doctors, who told him that once the ACL is torn, it cannot get any worse.

“That’s one of the things we made real clear,” Doyle said. “Otherwise we wouldn’t have had him out. We don’t want to risk his health.”

Workman was fitted with a special brace that would allow him to play for now, and he received permission from the Illinois High School Association to ride the course on a golf cart so as not to put even more pressure on the knee.

The decision appears to have paid off as the Lions are now bound for the state tournament, held on Friday and Saturday at The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course in Bloomington. Obviously the players are happy to qualify for state, but the Lions are hungry for more.

“Now we hope to go down and really compete with the very best teams down there,” Doyle said. “By making it down there, that makes us one of the top 10 teams in the state, but the boys and I have talked, and we certainly don’t want it to end there.”

Fenwick

Two golfers will represent the Friars at state this weekend after Fenwick just missed qualifying as a team.

Seniors Mike Sullivan and Mike Kwasigroch shot matching 75s. Mike Fitzgerald of Homewood-Flossmoor won with a 73.

Fenwick finished four strokes back of advancing to The Den at Fox Creek Golf Course in Bloomington this weekend.

Fenwick scored a 317 to finish fourth right behind second-place Lyons Township (313), which grabbed the last qualifying spot, and Sandburg (314). Homewood-Flossmoor (306) won convincingly.