His top golfer shot an 80, the winds howled at 30 mph and his team finished with one of its worst scores in ages.

Despite all that, Kennedy Coach Mark Wilden left Hunters Ridge Golf Course with an optimistic tune Friday after the opening round of the Class 4A state tournament.

And why not? The Cougars had a four-man score of 317, unusually high for them, but Ankeny Centennial was the only squad that fared any better at 310 in the 12-team field.

Kennedy, searching for its first state title since 1990, stands all alone in second place heading into the final 18 holes Saturday.

"It's great. Absolutely," Wilden insisted. "It's not insurmountable. It's happened before."

In fact, it happened once before to the Cougars when they had a six- or seven-shot lead after the first round at Clinton and let it slip away.

"Would we like to be leading? Yeah," said Wilden. "But we're in second, and that's all you can ask."

The Xavier Saints are in ninth place at 332. Washington stands 11th at 334.

From a distance, it may have looked like an ideal day for golf with blue skies and the temperature in the mid-70's, but that wind made it a tough day for many of the elite golfers in the state.

"The wind was tough. I was having trouble staying steady over the putts," said Kennedy junior Davis Sutton, the state's top-ranked golfer who had to settle for an 8-over 80.

"It was tricky out there," he said. "It was tricky for all of us."

It wasn't particularly tricky for Des Moines Roosevelt junior Adam Wirt, for some reason. Wirt fired a 1-under 71 to grab the lead, with Griffen Matthias of Ankeny Centennial just a shot back after shooting an even-par 72.

Conner Koberg led Kennedy with a 3-over 75 and Cole Murdock helped the Cougars with a 6-over 78. All the other Cougars were in the 80's.

"You just had to hit the ball low and stay in the fairway," said Koberg, part of Kennedy's all-junior lineup. "You had to really grind it today and not care about your last hole."

Kennedy has finished 2nd-4th-2nd in the last three state tournaments. The Cougars thought they might have a slight advantage with the tournament at familiar Hunters Ridge, and maybe they still will if the wind dies down.

Wilden did not want his guys looking for excuses, however.

"Everybody plays in the same conditions," he said. "We don't use that as an excuse. That's not an excuse."

Only 11 golfers in the field of 76 broke 80. Matthew Walker of Ottumwa, the 2012 medalist, shot a 3-over 75. Jeff Swegle of West Des Moines Valley, the 2011 champ, reached the clubhouse at 78.

Des Moines Roosevelt stands third at 320, with Bettendorf at 321. Dowling Catholic, ranked No.2 in the state, sits in sixth place. Waukee, which is ranked No.1, did not qualify for the state meet after winning the last two state crowns.

The last time Sutton played at Hunters Ridge, he shot a 32 on the front-9 with four straight birdies. This time he had a double-bogey, three bogeys and a birdie on the front-9 for a 40, a difference of eight shots from his previous outing.

But like his coach, Sutton left Hunters Ridge Friday with an optimistic tune.

"I'm ready to do," he said. "I'm going low tomorrow. I can feel it."

Frank Lindwall led the Washington Warriors with an 80. Kellen Gray shot an 80 for Xavier.

Saturday's round is scheduled to begin at 9:30.

CLASS 4A BOYS STATE GOLF
At Hunters Ridge
6,850 yards, Par-72

Team Standings
First Round (18 Holes)

1. Ankeny Centennial 310, 2. Kennedy 317, 3. Des Moines Roosevelt 320, 4. Bettendorf 321, 5. West Des Moines Valley 326, 6. West Des Moines Dowling 329, 7. (tie) Burlington 330, Southeast Polk 330, 9. Xavier 332, 10. Pleasant Valley 333, 11. Washington 334, 12. Johnston 335.

Top 10 Individuals

1. Adam Wirt, DM Roosevelt          71
2. Griffen Matthias, Centennial     72
3. Andrew Huseman, Centennial       74
4. Conner Koberg, Kennedy           75
Matthew Walker, Ottumwa          75
6. Mitch Elkin, Bettendorf          76
7. Erron Vandemore, Pleasant Valley 77
8. Cole Murdock, Kennedy            78
Brett GAydos, Bettendorf         78
Jeff Swegle, WDM Valley          78

Kennedy - Davis Sutton 80, Conner Koberg 75, Cole Murdock 78, Ross Grekoff 87, Seth Nutt 84, Tanner Stewart 85.

Washington - Dominic Rodriguez 85, Frank Lindwall 80, Jake Patterson 86, Evan Jankwietz 83, Max Claassen 86, Joe Slattery 87.

Xavier - Matt Junge 85, Ben Sagers 82, Jordan Even 85, John Ingwersen 91, Kellen Gray 80, Luke Winker 88.