WILLIAMSBURG -- Lord Botetourt's Clay O'Connor walked up to the bunker in front of the green on the par-5 17th hole Tuesday at Williamsburg National Golf Club.

This wasn't good. He was hoping his third shot would possibly make a run at the green, but instead it was in the back of the sand trap, some 25 feet away from the hole. It was going to take a good shot and a good bit of luck to go under par.

He swung, hoping to at least get within 10 feet of the pin to give him a puncher's chance at a birdie.

Try 10 inches.

He tapped in for birdie, then birdied the final hole to complete a stellar round.

But he didn't know just how stellar until his coach and teammates crowded him after the final shot.

"They were saying 'Good job, you've won!' " O'Connor said.

It was true. O'Connor's 5-under-par 67, the best score of the day, allowed him to overcome the five-shot deficit to Hannah Pierce of King George after Monday's first round to become the first Group AA individual champion for the Cavaliers since Mike Griffin in 1990. He's also the first player from a Blue Ridge District school to capture medalist honors since William Byrd's Ryan Ketron did so in 1992.

"That was a pretty big shot," O'Connor said. "I got lucky because it was in the flat part of a large bunker. Thank God."

O'Connor was sixth in the state tournament last year and only the top five golfers earn all-state honors. Making the top five was the goal for his senior season.

"I had no idea I was going to win," he said.

He did so by doing what very few golfers managed to do Tuesday, lower his score. He shot a 71 Monday, but a later start Tuesday (10:50 a.m., instead of 9 a.m.) seemed to agree with him.

"I was really hitting my irons," O'Connor said. "I hit my fairways and greens and got a couple of putts."

And in doing so, he quickly passed Pierce, although he didn't know it at the time. Pierce followed a 66 Monday with a 74, and she had to settle for second.

But there will not be a Timesland team title to go with O'Connor's individual crown.

Blacksburg's three-year reign as Group AA champions ended with Jamestown taking the team crown.

First-year coach Rick Mattox tried to keep it in perspective, noting that at least one preseason prediction had Blacksburg finishing second in the River Ridge District.

"If you asked me at the beginning of the season that without Brian Langley [at VCU], Courtney Ellenbogen [at Duke] and George Perkovich, whether we'd finish second at state, I'd say 'Most likely not,' " Mattox said. "They got better as the season went on."

Jamestown plays its home matches at Williamsburg National, less than a half-mile from the school's campus.

"Obviously when you play there twice and it's their home course, it's a disadvantage," Mattox said. "They have course knowledge and that helps."

Jake Mondy shot a 69 Tuesday, shaving four strokes off his Monday score. He lost to Jamestown's Seth Nooe in a playoff for third, but joined O'Connor on the all-state team.

Cave Spring, hot on Blacksburg's heels all season, defeated Lord Botetourt in a playoff for third place after both schools carded a 610 for the two days.

Jake Wilkes and Matt Harman had a 144 for the Knights and missed the playoff for the final all-state spot by one stroke.

Kevin Foster also had a 144 for the Cavaliers.

Jefferson Forest finished eighth in the eight-team tournament, but George McDaniel was a bright spot, scoring a 146.

William Byrd's Brandon Bailey and Magna Vista's Brandon Grogan both carded a 149.

VHSL Group AA Championship

At Williamsburg National Golf Club, par 72

Team scores

Jamestown 291-294--585, Blacksburg 293-295--588, Cave Spring 300-310--610*, Lord Botetourt 296-314--610, Western Albemarle 301-311--612, Loudoun County 311-311--622, Lafayette 320-313--633, Jefferson Forest 327-329--656

Individual scores

Clay O'Connor, Lord Botetourt 71-67--138

Hannah Pierce, King George 66-74--140

x-Seth Nooe, Jamestown 69-73--142

Jake Mondy, Blacksburg 73-69--142

y-Royce Kim, Grafton 67-76--143

Nick Shedd, Lafayette 71-72--143

Kevin Foster, Lord Botetourt 68-76--144

Jack Wilkes, Cave Spring 70-74--144

Matt Harman, Cave Spring 70-74--144

Victoria Newbury, Jamestown 74-71--145

George McDaniel, Jefferson Forest 74-72--146

Ben Meadows, Jamestown 71-76--147

Ryan Rettberg, Skyline 74-74--148

Brandon Grogan, Magna Vista 77-72--149

Brandon Bailey, William Byrd 72-77--149

Zach Henry, Skyline 76-73--149

Michael Bekken, Blacksburg 72-77--149

Greg Pappas, Fauquier 75-75--150

Mike Barber, Tabb 76-75--151

Sean Williams, Grafton 80-71--151

Jack Prater, Blacksburg 77-74--151

Brantley Kushner, Loudoun County 77-74--151

Robert Stallard, Abingdon 76-76--152

Patrick Leisure, Western Albemarle 78-74--152

Michael Linville, Loudoun County 76-77--153

Stephen Duetsch, Blacksburg 73-80--153

Ryan Mondy, Blacksburg 75-78--153

Ryan Davis, Salem 78-76--154

Blake Carter, Bassett 78-76--154

Robbie Failes, Spotswood 78-76--154

Ben Firebaugh, William Byrd 74-80--154

Jimmy Hewitt, Jamestown 80-74--154

Brett Engle, Western Albemarle 75-79--154

Jordan Patrick, Abingdon 75-80--155

Bruce Crodelli, Jamestown 77-78--155

Christian Moore, Poquoson 81-75--156

Alex O'Dell, Western Albemarle 77-79--156

Landon Weis, Western Albemarle 72-84--156

Nate Buhler, E.C. Glass 79-78--157

Harrison Scharf, E.C. Glass 79-78--157

Ben Kayton, Charlottesville 79-78--157

Tommy Price, Lee-Staunton 78-81--159

Ethan Lohr, Western Albemarle 77-82--159

Andrew Brenneman, Loudoun County 78-82--160

Kevin Cook, Loudoun County 82-78--160

Mikey Toy, Fluvanna 82-79--161

Matt Johnson, Powhatan 80-81--161

Zach Warring, Lafayette 81-80--161

Nick Brediger, Cave Spring 79-83--162

Scott Wakely, Western Albemarle 83-79--162

Zach Weaver, Lafayette 88-75--163

James Kasza, Cave Spring 81-82--163

Dillon Craig, Magna Vista 84-80--164

Ben Matthias, Lord Botetourt 80-84--164

Austin Broyles, Lord Botetourt 77-87--164

Matt Tomasone, Loudoun County 81-83--164

Evan Childress, Monticello 83-82--165

Josh Hunt, Jamestown 81-84--165

Michael Phlegar, Cave Spring 86-80--166

Nick Garfield, Jefferson Forest 82-86--168

Max Hinders, Lafayette 82-86--168

Jon Youst, Loudoun County 80-88--168

Jon Lively, Jefferson Forest 85-84--169

Chris Bernitt, Cave Spring 87-85--172

Rob Haney, Jefferson Forest 86-87--173

Justin Nichols, Lord Botetourt 89-88--177

Logan Smith, Jefferson Forest 88-91--179

Ryan DeHeer, Lord Botetourt 89-91--180

Mitch Mellon, Lafayette 81-95--181

Marin Warring, Lafayette 88-95--183

Ricky Buford, Jefferson Forest 90-98--188

Sam Jones, Blacksburg DNP-75

Kevin Yoon, Blacksburg 87-DNP

*--won playoff for third in team competition

x--won playoff for third place

y--won playoff for fifth place