Jeff Chaney
Sports Scene
Last year the Alma boys golf team just missed qualifying for the Division 3 state finals.
The Panthers finished their regional round with a team score of 334, which was three strokes off advancing to the state finals.
Champion Williamston, Ithaca, and Powers Catholic were the three teams to make it out of the regional at Glenbrier Golf Course in Perry in 2012.
But instead of dwelling on the past, this year’s Alma team has thrived. It heads into this weekend’s Division 3 district at Maple Leaf Golf Course in Pinconning with a lot of momentum.
The Panthers were first in the Tri-Valley Central Conference. It’s their second straight title and the third in the last four years. The team also won its own tournament, the Panther Classic, a tournament with a solid field.
Alma coach J.T. Cleveland is confident as the postseason nears. “That’s what you shoot for, the state tournament,” he said. “We have a much better chance this year, because our team is much deeper this year. We have been led in scoring by Brett, Jay, and Sean.”
Brett, Jay, and Sean are brothers Brett and Jay Green and Sean Sommerville. Brett Green and Sommerville are seniors, and Jay Green is a junior. All three have had great seasons.
Brett Green shot .375 over par and finished first in the conference for three of his four years on the team. He currently has a scoring average of 77.16. He recently signed to play golf at NCAA Division II Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio.
Jay Green and Sommerville have been just as good. Jay is second on the team in scoring at 80.16 and was medalist at the Panther Classic.
“I feel great,” Cleveland said. “I have a great group of kids; I’m excited. They work their butts off, get along, and are very good golfers. We have a group that not only has those three very good kids at the top, but three very good kids underneath them.”
If the Panthers are to get by districts, they would advance to the regional back at Glenbrier. The state finals take place June 14 and 15 at Bedford Valley in Battle Creek.