Could there be a better way to end a high school athletic career.

Imagine in your last game you hit a walk off homer, or score the winning touchdown as time runs out.

Now add in the fact your homer or buzzer beater wins a state championship,

If you are Hampton Yarborough you don’t have to imagine what it would be like, because you just lived it.

Yarborough, a Wren High School senior, rolled in his birdie putt on the second playoff hole to win the AAA state championship.

It wasn’t a walk off winner, two more golfers had to putt, but his birdie turned out to win the playoff by one shot.

“Sure I was nervous. i was nervous most of the final round,” said Yarborough, “When I lined up the putt I told myself I wasn’t going to leave it short. I gave it a run and it went in,” he said.

Yarborough had to wait for teammates to clean up two more pars before he could celebrate,but when the final putt dropped and Wren had one less stroke than Blue Ridge.

The long wait for a Golden Hurricane state championship was finally over.

“It was a long time coming and as a senior it was a great way to finish up,” he said.

Wren had been close to a championship several times over the past few years.

Last year the Hurricanes missed being in a playoff by two shots at the championship and the disappointment served as a motivating force for this year’s team.

“It stung. We met right there on the course and made it our goal to win this year.” said Yarborough.

The Hurricanes began the year as the top ranked AAA team in the state and held the spot into the post season.

First year coach Tyler Barnes was an assistant on last year’s team. He could see the determination in his players and also could see the road to a title would not be easy.

“Our team was so motivated. We thought Blue Ridge would be the team to beat and it turned out that way,” said Barnes.

The Hurricanes opened the AAA championship taking a 2-shot lead over the Tigers into the final round, but Blue Ridge led by medalist Dawson Szabo caught Wren to force a playoff.

In the playoff, each team has four golfers and a hole is won by the total score of all four golfers.

Szabo came close to winning the championship on the first playoff hole, but missed and the playoff went to a second hole.

On the second playoff hole Garrett Gillespie parred before Yarboroughs’ birdie and then Eli Clevenger and Dylan Park made their pars and the celebration started.

“We knew it was going to be a hard fought battle and our team was ready. They had a great year and you could see how important it was to them the way they celebrated,” said the Hurricanes coach.

Szabo shot the lowest round of the championship with his opening round 4-iunder par 68. His second round even par 72 gave him a 3- shot victory over Yarborough and his teammate Dylan Park.

Scores form the AAA State Championship at the Hackler Course in Conway.

Yarborough made the winning bride putt on the second playoff hole to win the AAA state championship