In his first two years as a member of the star-studded Pinecrest golf team, Bryan Stewart didn't make the starting lineup for a single conference match.

Monday afternoon at Pinehurst No. 1, the Patriots went into their final league match of the season with their 10th conference title in a row all wrapped up. But, Stewart was one of four players within four strokes of each other in the battle for the honor of Mid-Southeastern Conference Player of the Year.

"I was thinking about that pretty much the whole day," the junior said. "I knew I had to shoot at par or under par if I wanted to be in contention. I thought that would be enough."

Stewart was two-under with eight holes to play before going double bogey-bogey. He came to the par-three seventh, his final hole of the afternoon, at even par before draining an 18-foot putt for birdie, his fifth of the day.

That gave him a one-under par round of 69 and player-of-the-year honors by three strokes over junior teammate Sam Packard who shot a 73.

"I didn't think I'd be in contention this year," said Stewart who finished with a 73.1 average to 73.6 for Packard. "I'm just glad I could do it. It's probably the biggest moment in my golf life so far.

"I was pretty excited to make that putt. That was my first round in the 60s."

After losing their season opener to Jack Britt, the Patriots won their last seven league matches. Their team score of 287 on Monday was 13 strokes better than second place Britt. All six Patriots broke 80, including Austin Dunlap 71, Dylan Harris 74, Phillip Riggsbee 75 and Pete Lineberger 76.

Lineberger, Dunlap and Riggsbee also made the 12-man all-conference squad with the fifth, seventh and 11th best scoring averages, respectively. Patriot coach Sandy Sackmann and Joe Myrtle of Jack Britt share coach of the year honors.

An all-conference player for the third time, Packard was the only member of this year's team who was in the lineup when the Patriots won the 4A state title at No. 6 last May.

"I didn't expect this quality of a team after losing five starters from last year," said Sackmann, who was wearing casts on her left arm and right foot after a serious fall at school last week. "The 10th year in a row this is awesome. And to have Bryan be player of the year, and for Phillip and Pete to make all-conference as seniors for the first time -- I can't think of anything better than that."

Sackmann was just as proud of Stewart a few weeks ago when she attended his induction ceremony to become an Eagle Scout. Other golfers making the all-conference squad were: Jake Barge, Brandon Jobe and Justin Reynolds, Jack Britt; Matt Rich, Scotland County; Harold Sellers, Davis Hilton and Bennett Gardner, Richmond Senior.

The top four teams in conference play, Pinecrest, Jack Britt, Richmond and Scotland, qualified to compete in the regional tournament at Gates Four Golf and Country Club next Monday. The top three teams from that event will advance to the 4A state championship on May 11-12 at Pinehurst No. 4.

"I like that course and they're so good to us out there," Stewart said of the Gates Four layout that the Patriots played twice this season. "Hopefully, I'll shoot another good round and we'll get in states."

First, the Patriots have a non-conference match this afternoon at No. 4 against Holly Springs, Northwest Guilford and Grimsley.

In a conference make-up match at Richmond Pines last Thursday, Lineberger was the medalist with a round of 72 as the Patriots posted a team score of 303. That was 18 strokes better than second place Richmond.

Monday's team scores at No. 1: Pinecrest, 287, Jack Britt, 300, Richmond, 305, Scotland, 335, Hoke, 372, Douglas Byrd, 406, Westover, 472, Seventy-First, no score.