Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
Last year, the Alma boys golf team missed qualifying for the Division 3 state finals by one stroke.
It was a tough way to walk off the course, knowing that a stroke here or a stroke there could have sent the Panthers to finals. But that feeling helped motivate the team for this year.
“We were at the course in Byron [for regionals last year] and going in, we figured out we needed to post a good score,” junior Brett Green said. “We didn’t play bad, but we didn’t play to our to potential, either. Just missing state did not sit well with us, so we made sure at every practice we worked on things that would make us shoot a smaller score. We worked on putting every day, we worked on hitting greens more, and we have more confidence this year. And we have a lot more experience from everyone.”
The extra work paid off, as the Panthers won the Tri-Valley Central Conference, won the Chippewa Hills Royal Golf Invite and the Big Rapids Invitational, and also had two runner-up finishes at other tournaments.
Now Alma heads to the state tournament with confidence to take that extra step and make the finals.
The Panthers open up the state tournament June 1 at districts at Maple Leaf Golf Course in Pinconning. Regionals is the following week at Glen Briar Golf Course in Perry, followed by the finals at Forest Akers East Golf Course on the campus of Michigan State University.
“The goal is to make it to state this year,” coach J.T. Cleveland said. “Takes two good outings – you need a good outing at districts and a good outing at regionals. I’m as confident as I’ve been in this group of golfers. They work very hard and are very talented. I’m confident and hopeful, but it won’t be easy to get out.”
This year’s talented team is led by Green. The rest of the Panthers are sophomore Jay Green, Brett Green’s brother; juniors Sean Sommerville and Justin Jerome; and seniors Nick Camargo and Jacob Welker.
The Green brothers and Sommerville made first team all-conference this year, while Jerome and Camargo were second team.
And it was all the work last summer and in the early spring that propelled the Panthers’ play.
“These kids took it the right way when they didn’t make state last year,” Cleveland said. “They worked their butt off in the off-season. After regionals last year, they went right back to the course, and that’s the attitude you need.”
Attitude is always key in the sport of golf.
“If we don’t make state, hopefully we’ll have some individuals there,” Brett Green said. “If we don’t make it as a team, it won’t be what we thought we should have done this year. We have to make it.”