LT Boys Golf Team Starting Out Strong

LYONS TOWNSHIP BOYS GOLF PREVIEW

COACH: Brian Kopecky (2nd season)

2010 RESULTS: 7-2 overall, 4-2 in West Suburban Conference Silver Division; third at Silver Meet (306) and third in final overall standings; fourth at Class 3A Wheaton Warrenville South Regional  (321)

RETURNING 2010 STATE QUALIFIER: Junior Charlie Netzel (tied for 19th, 157)

OTHER VARSITY RETURNEES: Seniors Kevin Carlson and Peter Swanson; and juniors Nick Florek, Ryan Hudson and Chris Sekula

VARSITY NEWCOMERS: Senior Chance Orrick; juniors Jack Ferguson and Keegan Murphy; and sophomore Dan Hudson

OUTLOOK: Last season, the Lions appeared poised to return the state meet after a sixth-place finish in 2009, but their season ended at regionals when they were one shot shy of the third and final advancing team score.

With five returnees back from that lineup, including 2010 individual state qualifier Netzel and 2009 state competitor Carlson, the Lions again are strong and with an even greater sense of purpose. Carlson and Swanson are co-captains.

“It’s funny. You’ve got six players out there. You could find a shot all over the place (at regionals). I think they got ahead of themselves as a group last year because of what they did (in 2009),” Kopecky said.

“We never really got our mojo going with confidence (in 2010).  We had one nine-hole round when we were really good, but that’s when we were all on the same page. One of the goals is we’re trying to be under 300 and then obviously lower than that. I think a 295 is legit (for our team). That’s a realistic goal.”

So far, the Lions are more than holding their own with some of the area’s elite, most notably WSC Silver rival Hinsdale Central, which returns four from its lineup that took fifth at state in 2010.

On Aug. 17, the Lions (289) won the 18-team Addison Trail Open by five strokes over Hinsdale Central after beating the Red Devils by two strokes (304 to 306) the day before to win the nine-team Oak Park-River Forest Invite. LT’s season opened Aug. 15 with a fourth-place finish at Naperville Central’s Bob Sterr Redhawk Open (303), which combines the team’s four lowest front-nine and back-nine scores.

“It’s been a good start. They’re working hard. They did a lot of work in the summer,” Kopecky said.

“I just say (to our players), ‘Look at it this way. We want to compete with the best teams in the state.’ We’ve got a chance (to reach state). If we get to the regional, and there’s four, five really good teams, we’ve got to beat them sooner or later. There’s no guarantees (to qualify). It’s one step at a time, one match, see who gets consistent.”
Netzel and Carlson have been the team’s top overall scorers after busy summers. In 2009, Carlson tied for 35th at the state meet (159) with the Lions’ second-best 18-hole score.

Last year, Netzel tied for 14th at sectionals (74) and advanced to state through a playoff among four golfers for the last two berths. His great state performance was just five strokes shy of sharing all-state honors with a top-10 finish.

Ryan Hudson (78) and Carlson (80) also were individual sectional qualifiers, Sekula (88) lost out in a sudden-death playoff among four golfers for the final advancing individual berth, and Swanson shot 94. Had the Lions tied Glenbard West for third at the regional, the Hilltoppers still would have advanced as the third team based on a fifth-score tiebreaker.

At the Redhawk Open, Netzel’s 2-under-par 70 took second, one stroke from the medalist. At the Addison Trail Open, Netzel and Ryan Hudson (1-over-par 71s) tied for third, two strokes off first place, and Carlson (72) was seventh.

“Charlie had a really outstanding summer. (Netzel, Carlson, and the Hudsons) played a lot of the junior golf tournaments,” Kopecky said. “I think it will help us if Kevin, being a three-year varsity guy, steps up. He’s kind of coming into his own. Just looking at him, he seems more relaxed. If he and Netzel go low, we’ll be tough.”

In the WSC Silver, Hinsdale Central is going after its sixth straight overall title. The Lions finished third overall after entering the Silver Meet tied for second with Glenbard West and OPRF. Netzel (4th) and Carlson and Ryan Hudson (tied for 13th) earned all-conference medalist consideration with top-14 finishes, although actual medals were awarded based on scorecard tiebreakers. Carlson was an all-conference fifth in 2009.

Orrick is a transfer from Nazareth Academy and was part of the Roadrunners’ varsity lineup at the East Suburban Catholic Conference Meet. Ferguson (8th) and Murphy (11th) were among LT’s all-conference medalists for last year’s junior varsity team, which shared an overall Silver title with Hinsdale Central.

This year's home meets will be played at La Grange Country Club, Flagg Creek and Edgewood.

QUOTABLE: “I think that we can go seven deep (in our lineup),” Kopecky said. “I think if we play consistent, we’re going to be tough. That’s our goal. I think we seem to be on the same page. And we’ve got good senior leadership from Carlson and Swanson, our co-captains.”

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