Staff photo / Brian Yauger McDonald’s Michael Porter smiles after making a putt on the 18th green at Avalon Lakes on Saturday during the Greatest Golfer junior championships. Porter won the event for a second straight year.

HOWLAND — As he walked off the green, there was a feeling of relief in Michael Porter’s face.

Porter, a rising senior at McDonald, took home his second-straight Greatest Golfer Youngstown Joe Dickey Electric junior championship on Saturday at Avalon Lakes, but it came down to the wire with Boardman’s Ryan Sam nipping at his heels throughout the afternoon.

Both Porter and Sam each shot an event-low 70 Saturday, but Porter’s two-stroke lead from Day 1 held. The pair have been battling all summer, with each sitting at four wins against the other. As Porter walked off the course after sinking the match-winning putt, the first thing he did was congratulate his rival.

“I told him ‘Great round’ and we were laughing about it,” Porter said. “He was like, ‘Yeah, I doubled 18’ and I told him how he gave it a great run all day, and made it really interesting. I had to make some putts, had a great up and down 17. You had to play good to win.”

Sam definitely made it interesting, keeping the two-time champion on his toes the entire match. After a couple solid holes on the back nine and with a chance to wrestle the lead away on the 18th, Sam fell just short on the final hole.

Boardman’s Ryan Sam eyes up a putt on the 18th green at Avalon Lakes during the Greatest Golfer junior championships on Saturday, July 24, 2021.

“I knew I’d definitely make a charge coming in on Michael,” Sam said. “He had a two-shot lead on me going into today. I started off and made some birdies early, a couple bad bogeys, two-under on the front nine and went to the back a little shaky. Bogeyed 11 and 12, then caught some fire.

“Unfortunately, I was a little quick with my driver swing on 18 and it led to a bad series of shots and finished with a double. Definitely made a run though. All in all, a good two days. Sucks I couldn’t get it done, but I’m so happy with how it turned out.”

Between their battles on the course, the two have gotten much closer off the course. There’s an ‘iron sharpens iron’ aspect to their success as the pair continue to improve.

“We’ve gone back and forth all summer long,” Sam said. “We’ve definitely gotten a lot closer. Just playing together, I’d say definitely two of the best in the area, it’s something special.”

Despite their friendly rivalry now, Sam isn’t opposed to teaming up with Porter once they reach the college ranks. Both have received interest from colleges to continue their careers.

“That’d be sweet,” Sam said with a laugh.

Before that however, the two will face off a couple more times as a part of club golf and are squaring off in the Northern Ohio PGA Junior Golf championship as well.

“We’re excited to see who wins,” Porter said.

Going into his final year of high school, the McDonald senior wants to make a trip to Columbus.

“I just missed last year,” he said. “I played awful at districts. I probably should have went the last two years, but I haven’t been able to get there and that’s what I really want to do. I really want to get my team there too. I just want to get down to state, down to Columbus.”