GALION — Bryce Lehman would like to say he saw this coming, but Galion’s veteran golf coach wasn’t sure what to expect when the season started.

The Tigers will make their third straight appearance at the Division II state tournament this weekend at NorthStar Golf Club in Sunbury and Lehman is the first to admit this year’s group has exceeded expectations.

“Coming into the season, I knew they had the talent,” Lehman said after Galion defended its district title last week at Sycamore Springs, “but this is somewhat of a surprise.”

Galion lost three players off last year’s team to graduation. Only juniors Matthew McMullen and Spencer Keller returned. Junior Bronson Dalenberg, sophomore Max Longwell and freshman Nick McMullen filled the spots vacated by Jack McElligott, Matt Kingseed and Kaleb Harsh.

“Matty and Spencer are so strong-willed and our younger guys look up to those two and have fed off them,” Lehman said. “Max was an alternate for us last year, Bronson played a little bit of varsity and Nick was in the eighth grade.

“When you throw kids with limited experience into the mix, you don’t know what’s going to happen,” Lehman said. “Fortunately they have responded.”

The road back to NorthStar began with a sectional victory at Sawmill Creek. Galion shot a team total of 340, good for a six-stroke victory over Sandusky Perkins.

Keller and Matthew McMullen shot matching 80s to share medalist honors. Dalenberg carded an 85, while Nick McMullen had a 95.

Galion and Genoa tied for the top spot at the Sycamore Springs district with 336s. The Tigers won the district title on a fifth-score tie-breaker.

Keller led the way with an 81 while Matthew McMullen shot an 83. Longwell and Nick McMullen had matching 86s and Dalenberg’s 93 was the difference.

“I told them coming in that every stroke would matter,” Lehman said. “For never having been in a pressure situation like that, our younger guys handled themselves quite well.

“They’ve played with pressure before but never go-to-state pressure.”

Galion will try to improve on last year’s fifth-place showing at state. The Tigers shot a two-day team total of 679 at Ohio State’s rugged Scarlet Course.

Galion finished sixth at NorthStar in 2017 with a 658. Both Keller and Matthew McMullen were freshman on that team.

“Those two play a lot of golf and they have experience on the course,” Lehman said. “Our younger guys will follow their lead.”