Boy’s varsity golf team kicks off season

This past Thursday, the boys’ golf team defeated Mentor by 13 strokes in a nine-hole match.  In addition, the team also placed fifth at Youngstown Country Club as well as third in the Greater Cleveland Conference (GCC) tournament last week. With recent success and standout performances by all of the team’s players, it’s very easy to get excited about what this varsity squad can accomplish this season.

The team’s coach, Joseph Nunney, is ready to lead his men to success this season and will rely heavily on his seniors to carry the team en route to a possible sectionals appearance.

“We have three returning seniors who have a lot of experience,” Nunney said.  “I’m hoping they have worked on their games in the off-season and are prepared to take the next step forward.  Our first goal is always to contend and win the GCC conference and then be one of the four teams that make it out of sectionals.”

This season comes with added pressure, however. The team´s best player, Zach Mandry, graduated last year and the team will have to unify in order to maintain their previous level of play. This is a tall order as Mandry was one of the best golfers to ever play at Solon High School, even being featured in Sports Illustrated in February of 2016. But Nunney knows just how to cope with such a loss.

“We need to put forth our maximum commitment to team success for us to have a chance to reach our goals,” Nunney said. ¨If any of our players put their own individual needs ahead of the team, our record will reflect that.”

Co-captain seniors Aaron Weaver and Tyler McRill are faced with the enormous stresses that being in a position of leadership comes with. But, both understand that the situation given to them is an opportunity, not a burden.

“I would say being captain does add some pressure, but nothing we aren’t up for,” McRill said. “The younger players hopefully look up to us, so another goal of mine is to be a role model for them and a trusted teammate who they can come to with any concern they might have.”

Weaver also shares this outlook.

“I think that it’s my responsibility to lead by example and keep the younger players engaged in trying to get better,” Weaver said. “I want to make sure that the environment is fun for everyone so that there isn’t any added pressure. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I want to be approachable so that if anyone has a problem I can help them out.”

The end-goal for both captains is obviously to make it to sectionals and beyond, but getting there is a process that will take a great deal of work. Luckily, Mcrill has been playing for the team for a few years now and knows just what mistakes can bog down a player and how he can fix it.

“We all need to learn how to control our emotions during the round,” Mcrill said. “When you have a bad hole or aren’t playing as well as normal, you tend to lose focus. With golf, losing focus is pretty much a guarantee for a bad round. If we can all maintain focus throughout the entire 18 holes, I think we can bring our scores down drastically.”

From the captains to the coach, it’s a collective belief that this team can and will succeed. Nunney’s confidence in his new captains is not lacking, as he is truly optimistic that both their leadership and skill will lead the team to a great season.

“It is my hope that they lead by both example and word,” Nunney said.  “They will be integral to our success, we will need them to play well for our team to achieve our goals.”