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MIDDLETOWN — It couldn't have come at a worse time, but it may just be a blessing in disguise.

Middletown had its worst round of the year Saturday in the 33rd Hadley Invitational at Weatherwax Golf Course.

The Middies shot 334 to finish 28 strokes out of first place in the Division I tournament. It was just a bad day, according to Middletown coach Dominic Williams.

"We haven't had a day like that all season," said Williams, who confirmed the Middies' worst round this year came in the season-opening tournament with a 324. "That's just golf sometimes. Just like when you hook one out of bounds, you forget about it and move on. Today is our one hook shot out of bounds. The proper reaction is to forget about it and move on."

That's because the Middies will be competing in the two-day Greater Miami Conference championship beginning Wednesday, and that tournament is much more important.

"I would rather we never have a day like this, but it's best to get it out of the way now," Williams said.

Lakota East, which won the Hadley Division I title by tiebreaker over Moeller on a controversial rules interpretation, will try to defend its GMC title. The Middies figure to be in the mix of top teams as well.

"This is a young group of guys and I think they will be able to shake this off," Williams said. "They just need to focus better and maintain some positiveness. We have the depth. We can get a good score from anybody at anytime."

East and Moeller each shot 306, but according to the interpretation of the Southern Ohio PGA rule, the tiebreaker is the score of the No. 5 player for each team. East's No. 5 man shot 75 and Moeller's had an 82.

Under Ohio High School Athletic Association rules — the rules both schools follow in every other tournament of the season — the tiebreaker is the fifth-best score.

For Moeller, that was still an 82. For East, it was 84, which would have given Moeller the title.

East coach Jeff Combs said based on the OHSAA rules, he gave the trophy to Moeller anyway.

"Everything we do all year is like that," Combs said. "I did it and I know the team would back me up."

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2852, or sweaver@coxohio.com.