LIVERMORE – There was no big celebration – no hugs or high-fives, no fist bumps or fingers in the air – as the members of the Webster City boys’ golf team congregated on the practice green at Spring Valley Golf Course in the late afternoon hours on Saturday.

They came to the secluded and pristine 6,327-yard track with a singular goal in mind. Did the outcome raise the eyebrows of some spectators? You bet. Did it surprise the Lynx as they waited for the official announcement of what they already knew? Get real.

State champions. Again.

Now would be the time to stand and applaud.

An underdog in the eyes of many when play got underway Friday morning, second-ranked Webster City seized the lead early and never relinquished it en route to its second consecutive Class 3A state championship.

The Lynx 36-hole total of 614 (308-306) was 11 shots clear of runner-up and third-ranked West Delaware (313-312-625). Top-ranked Gilbert (313-317-630), the pre-tournament favorite, fell off the pace during the final round and was forced to settle for third.

It’s the first time a WCHS program has ever won back-to-back state titles and only the fifth team to ever grab state gold.

“That’s the best thing about this one … it’s one thing that we won the state championship last year, but now that we’re the only team to ever defend, it just feels deeper,” WCHS senior Avery Fuhs said. “This is pretty astonishing.”

The Fuhs twins, Alec and Avery, as well as Drew Fielder, Sean Vogelbacher and head coach Dave Brighton have been a part of both titles. Connor Shannon and Nathan Ferrell are now members of the exclusive fraternity as well.

“I’m still not sure how to feel about it. I guess it hasn’t really set in yet,” Shannon, who fired counting scores in both rounds, said with his gold medal around his neck. “Alec said he was impressed with how I played and that meant a lot.”

WCHS led by five strokes over West Delaware and Gilbert after Friday’s opening round and spent the night sitting on the lead. The players were able to push the nerves aside long enough to gain six more shots over their closest competitors during the final 18 holes on Saturday.

After losing to Gilbert at the sectional, and then to the Tigers and West Delaware at the district, WCHS was out to make a statement, Avery Fuhs said. Consider that goal accomplished, too.

“Maybe to other people we were the underdog, but we never thought we were,” he said. “We knew who we were and what we could accomplish.”

Alec Fuhs became the first WCHS male to ever finish in the top two at the state tournament. The four-year qualifier completed arguably the greatest career in program history by sharing second with Sam Sacquitne of Decorah. Both players posted 3-under par totals of 141.

“I couldn’t ask for a much better way to go out. It’s a pretty cool moment … It’s just awesome,” Alec Fuhs, who fired rounds of 1-under 71 and 2-under 70, said. “Coming in, if you would have told me I’d shoot (141), I would have taken it. I thought I played phenomenal.”

Saturday turned into a head-to-head showdown between Alec Fuhs and West Delaware’s Clayton Larsen (71-69-140), who collected the individual crown by a shot. Paired together, the two blistered drives, hit pure irons and drained putts at a frenzied pace as both pushed it to as low as 5-under.

Alec Fuhs fell one shot behind when he missed a short par putt on the par-4 18th, his 16th hole of the day, and was never able to get it back. He needed a 12-foot downhill par putt to fall on his final hole, the par-4 second, to force a playoff, but it too rolled on by.

“The putter kind of left me late in the round, but I also made some great putts,” Alec Fuhs said. “It was a blast out there. I don’t even know how to describe the nerves that went through the whole day.”

It was the second near-miss for the Lynx senior. He led the 2015 tournament when he reached the easy par-4 13th hole, but left with a quadruple-bogey 8 and fell into a tie for third.

Those demons were thoroughly exorcised though. Alec Fuhs birdied the 13th in both rounds.

“Last year I felt like I lost it, but this year Clayton took it,” Alec Fuhs, who played the par-3’s at 1-under, the par-4’s at even and the par-5’s at 1-under, said.

WCHS amassed a field-best 24 birdies during the tournament. Alec Fuhs was responsible for 10 of them.

Avery Fuhs (77-75-152) collected his second straight individual medal as well. He shared seventh place with Conner Herrmann (76-76-152) of Mount Vernon.

Also expected to contend for individual gold, Avery Fuhs admitted there was some disappointment, particularly after he fell seven shots off the pace on Friday.

“Everyone was excited (on Friday) when we were in the lead, but I was in the corner kind of depressed,” he said. “I knew that was wrong, but I couldn’t help it. But to come through for the team (with Saturday’s 75) was good.”

Shannon (77-81-158) tied for 18th. His first state tournament began with back-to-back birdies at the par-5 14th and par-4 15th holes, a sign that he had his nerves firmly in check.

“(Friday) was probably the best round I’ve played all year,” Shannon said. “I didn’t quite finish the way I wanted to, but an 81 (on Saturday) isn’t something to really complain about, especially when we beat every other team.”

Vogelbacher (83-87-170) finished in a tie for 38th, Fielder (91-80-171) shared 41st, and Ferrell (84-90-174) was back in 49th.

Vogelbacher played a scoring role on Friday as Fielder struggled. Fielder regained his swing that helped him attain a top-15 individual ranking all season on Saturday and improved by 11 shots.

“When the bright lights were on, that was our time to shine,” Brighton said. “This was way more difficult to repeat than it was to win the first one. When you win it, everyone is chasing you and there’s so much pressure to play well all of the time. So I’m really proud of my guys.”

A public reception for the team will be held Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. in the WCHS competition gymnasium.