HANCOCK COUNTY — The 2018 Mt. Vernon boys’ golf season can be described as one with a lot of close calls.
They were close at county, close at conference and close at the sectional.
In the three biggest tournaments of the season, Mt. Vernon was close to winning all three.
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In all three, they had to settle for second.
“We’ve been crazy close,” Mt. Vernon coach Tyler Wilson said, noting the team was only a few strokes short the last two seasons at both the conference and sectional championships.
In 2018, New Palestine ended an eight-year stretch of Mt. Vernon titles, beating the Marauders by seven strokes in a nine-hole event.
The Marauders finished just two strokes behind New Castle at the Hoosier Heritage Conference tournament and 12 in back of the Trojans at the Greenfield Sectional. In 2017, New Castle beat Mt. Vernon by one shot at the sectional.
The 2019 season brings new hope to get over the hump.
To reclaim the Hancock County crown and to win titles at the HHC and sectional championships, the Marauders will have to replace graduated No. 1 golfer Xavier Dunham. Max Heitman, who tied for third individually at the sectional, was also part of the Class of 2018.
Wilson admitted the graduates will be sorely missed, but he likes his strong group of returnees. Five of them have varsity experience.
“We could surprise some people. That’s our goal, surprise everyone,” Wilson added.
Leading the way is the youngest of them all, sophomore Sam McWilliams. He broke 70 over the summer in an Indiana Golf Association event and will have the upper hand in attaining the No. 1 spot.
“I have high expectations of him and he has high expectations of himself,” Wilson said.
Juniors John Husar and Elijah Dunham are back from last year’s postseason lineup, while senior Blake Johnson and junior Haiden Rose have been in varsity matches, too.
New Palestine
The Dragons return four of five starters from a team that ended Mt. Vernon’s reign of county titles. They were also third at the Greenfield Sectional and fifth, but only eight strokes back, at the Hoosier Heritage Conference tournament.
In his 25th season as the boys’ head coach, Gregg Greene believes the veteran group can return to the form he’s seen during his tenure with the Dragon linksmen.
“We should be back to where we are contending for titles,” Greene said. “We should be able to contend for (county) again and I don’t see why we can’t contend for the HHC and sectional.”
Of the four returnees, only one, Matt Kelley, is a senior. He had the low score (80) for the Dragons at last year’s sectional.
Leading the crew of veterans is junior Quinn Dobbins, the Dragons No. 1 golfer in 2018. He won the individual county championship with a nine-hole, one-under-par 35 at Hawk’s Tail of Greenfield.
Juniors Chris Guhl and Josh Shinkle were part of last year’s postseason roster, while junior Austin Terry also brings some varsity experience.
The biggest loss for the Dragons is Elijah Domogala. A 2018 graduate, he had the team’s low score at last year’s regional (78). He was among a group of golfers finishing only two strokes shy of the final advancing spot to the state tournament.
Greenfield-Central
The Cougars will have a veteran group and a pair of players returning with regional tournament experience.
“We’ll have guys that have played a lot of high school golf,” coach Russ Wiley said.
Wiley has a large group, which includes eight seniors.
A quartet of returning varsity players lead the way.
Kyle Arrowood and Noah Mohler advanced to last year’s Muncie Central Regional, played at the Players Club at Woodland Trails in Yorktown, while Zachary Archer and Canyen Palmer are among the large group from the Class of 2019 with varsity experience.
Arrowood shot 77 at last year’s sectional, played at the Cougars’ home course, Hawk’s Tail of Greenfield. He was one stroke shy of sectional champion Spencer Stewart of New Castle. Mohler shot an 81 at the event.
While the team is veteran, Wiley likes his young talent, too. Four freshmen, Jack Weidner, Braden Smith, E. Jacob Presser and Morgan Flanagan, are a glimpse of the Cougars future.
Wiley believes a couple of freshmen or sophomores, may be able to play their way into the varsity lineup, but the lack of time outdoors, due to weather and students on spring break, have kept him from pinpointing his lineup.
Eastern Hancock
First-year coach Cody Hibbert will have a young team, but it is one he is familiar with.
Hibbert coached the Royals’ middle school program the last two seasons. He’ll have six freshmen on this year’s 10-member squad, including players that were part of a record-setting team.
Freshman John McDaniel was the county middle school champion a year ago, shooting a 40 (for nine holes) at Royal Hylands. He owns the Royals’ middle school record for the course with a four-over-par 39.
“He will be a power player for the next four years and I’m confident he will make individual runs during county and other multi-team events,” Hibbert said.
McDaniel, and fellow freshmen Mason Lardon and Sam Kesler, were part of the middle school record for nine-hole team score, carding a 201 last year, also at Royal Hylands.
Hibbert calls Lardon his best putter.
Gage Deiser, a sophomore, is the top returnee and the most experienced at the varsity level.
Keagan Rottinghaus and Dylan Grose are seniors, but both are first-time golfers.
“The season is looking promising,” Hibbert added. “I have all the confidence with these boys and I know what they’re capable of. When that all lines up and they see what they can do, I expect Eastern Hancock to show up and have quite a bit better season than in the past.”
