Falcons win first golf match of the season
Kelly Tunney | Herald-Standard
Kelly Tunney | Herald-Standard Jefferson-Morgan’s Megan Pecjak drives down the fairway during Wednesday’s Section 8-AA match at Carmichaels Golf Club against Brownsville.
Jefferson-Morgan's Gage Clark marks his ball on the green during Wednesday's Section 8-AA match against Brownsville at Carmichaels Golf Club.
Brownsville's Mark Sheranek hits a tee shot at Carmichaels Golf Club as teammate Caleb Olesko watches during Wednesday's Section 8-AA match against Jefferson-Morgan.
Brownsville's Dalton Mullen chips toward the green during Wednesday's Section 8-AA match at Carmichaels Golf Club against Jefferson-Morgan.
CARMICHAELS — Chris McManus and John Curtis understand their respective golf squads are a work in progress as the 2016 season moves forward.
But, McManus’ Brownsville Falcon squad will do so with an early season Section 8-AA victory under its belt, a 285-304 win Wednesday afternoon against visiting Jefferson-Morgan at Carmichaels Golf Club.
The Rockets’ Gage Clark was medalist with a 2-over 39.
Dalton Mullen was the low man for the Falcons with a 4-over 41.
The rosters for both teams are inexperienced past those top two golfers and the score reflected that newness to the sport.
Caleb Olesko (57), Dylan Ferguson (61), Bryant Lewis (62), and Mark Sheranek (64) were included with Mullen’s total in the Falcons’ first win of the season.
“Dalton and Bryant are back, everyone else is a first-year golfer,” explained Brownsville coach Chris McManus. “Dalton and Bryant played in the summer. Everyone else started on the first day of practice.”
McManus is taking the season match by match, round by round.
“Last year we won four or five. This year, I don’t know how it will go,” said McManus.
Curtis had a pretty good team out of the gate when he started coaching back in 1990 and had a few more solid players and teams over the past three decades.
“I had a lot of good golfers here. They had a lot of fun,” said Curtis.
The Rockets are inexperienced after Clark and their scores reflected it. Bobby Coles (58), Megan Pecjak (65), Adam Hobe (66), and Hunter Journic (76) were included in the Rockets’ final total.
One of those golfers Curtis coached a few years ago is back to help the next generation. Josh Kokoska, the course general manager at Greene County Country Club, is working with the newest members of the Rocket squad, but it’s basically from scratch for both coach and former player.
“When we practice, we don’t know golf. Most of them haven’t played 18 holes of golf on a real golf course,” said Curtis. “My 4-5-6 players never played golf before. We’re trying to scratch the surface and just trying to get better in every aspect of the game.
“We’re trying to get them to be as good as they can be and get better every time. If we win a match, that’s great. We are a work in progress each and every day.”
Curtis said the lessons learned from himself and Kokoska will carry long past the 2016 season.
“The learning the game now for the rest of their life. It’s a lifetime sport,” said Curtis.