On March 30-31, varsity boys golf competed in the district tournament at Tangle Ridge Golf Course. They placed second in district, advancing to the regional championship where they will play at Tangle Ridge on April 13-14.
“It feels good. We didn’t think we’d be getting out,” senior Jackson Graves said. “Just because we know how good Mansfield is. They didn’t have their best, we also didn’t have our best, but we wanted it more than they did, so we went and got it.”
In preparation for district, the boys played practice rounds on the course the week prior. They focused on improving skills and remaining motivated for the upcoming competition. Graves believes their mindset improved throughout the season, encouraging a successful season.
“[We focus on] the way we go into tournaments,” Graves said. “We’re not joking around anymore because we know how good we can be. We’re definitely a lot more dialed in with warm ups and everything like that.”
Head golf coach Christopher Word believes the boys’ biggest struggle this year was battling adversity. He encourages the motto “#ReturnWithHonor” meaning no matter the score or placement, the boys should hold pride in their game.
“We have progressed a ton through super competitive practices and qualifying,” Coach Word said. “This team has a lot of depth so they have to fight all year to stay on the varsity team.”
Going into region, the boys hope to secure a spot at state. Two weeks separates district from region, and the boys plan to use this time to fine tune their skills. They will play on the same course as they did for district, which allows them to correct according to the course.
“We played a lot of golf on the district course and each player had target lines off the tee that allowed them to take aggressive swings at conservative targets,” Coach Word said. “We feel like we have an advantage getting to play Tangle Ridge for both District and Regionals so we hope to find a top three spot out of 16 talented teams to advance to state.”
In 18 years, the varsity boys golf program has seen five trips to state, seven district championships and nine regional appearances. This season marks the first time the boys have advanced since 2020.
“There’s pressure because we want to win,” Graves said, “but we’re one of the top teams. We can be one of the top teams if we just play how we’re supposed to. We’re going to be playing with a lot of anger, and we’re going to go get them.”
