Chris Branon has never coached the San Benito girls golf team to
a league title. But the seventh-year instructor believes that could
change this season.
HOLLISTER
Chris Branon has never coached the San Benito girls golf team to a league title. But the seventh-year instructor believes that could change this season.
It has always been a goal, he said, to win the Tri-County Athletic League. But winning a league championship this season, for a couple of different reasons, is perhaps more realistic than in previous years.
“In years past our goal was to win the TCAL, with ‘win’ being a loose term,” said Branon, who, like most coaches, often sets the bar high for his players. “This year we want to win it, and 1 through 17, we don’t have a weak link.”
San Benito’s ever-changing varsity lineup will always be youthful, though, as only Nicole Rianda, Jordan Davies, Kendall Archer and LaShea Dailey carry senior status this year. The remainder of the spots will be divided among 13 underclassmen, anchored by returning sophomore Emiley Palmquist.
In two matches this season, Palmquist has carded scores of 47 and 48, the latter of which tied her for medalist honors on Tuesday in a dual meet against Watsonville at the Pajaro Valley Golf Club.
“Last year I was more nervous. This year it isn’t as bad, but I’m still really nervous,” said Palmquist, whose 47 at the TCAL Jamboree was second on the team, finishing only behind Davies’ team-leading 46.
The Balers, meanwhile, carded a team score of 244 at TCALs to finish in third.
“I was surprised,” Palmquist added of the team’s performance at the TCAL Jamboree. “I didn’t think we’d take third because the other teams are really good.
“But our strength is our depth.”
And while Branon touts a lineup that expects to be strong up and down the roster, new rules may just level the playing field in the TCAL even more.
Unlike previous seasons, where six golfers played for the varsity team with the best four scores counting toward the team’s final total, rule changes this year will instead count the top five scores.
In other words, depth will be king.
“It pushes them to do better, knowing that their score may count, either in a positive or negative way,” said Dailey, who recorded a 48 at the TCAL Jamboree last Thursday and a 52 against Watsonville on Tuesday.
“As long as the girls don’t give up, I think it will be good,” Dailey said.
Not giving up after a bad hole or a high score will be key, Branon said. Although the team’s recent play showed that won’t be the case.
“At the Jamboree, each girl had a big score with one hole but came back to shoot lower scores,” Branon said. “They all played phenomenal afterwards. They just kept going.”
San Benito’s 244 at the Jamboree positioned them behind top-level teams like Stevenson (233) and Santa Catalina (240), but not by much. While last season’s Jamboree saw the Balers finish fourth — and 20 strokes behind Santa Catalina — the 11-stroke difference between San Benito and Stevenson this year can be made up, Branon feels.
“The depth of the underclassmen is huge, which will be good for us going forward,” he said. “But this year, they’re gonna be key ingredients to the success of the team.”
Some of those underclassmen, like Morgan DiDomenico, Lexi Branon and Victoria Kay, as well as Palmquist, have already cracked the varsity lineup, while Carly Snook and Mandy Glosser are expected to make some noise this season, too.
Leading San Benito will most likely be the senior Davies, though, who returns to the Balers after advancing to the Central Coast Section Girls Golf Championships last season. Davies recorded a 94 at the TCAL Championships to advance to CCS, where she carded a 99 while playing at Carmel’s Rancho Canada Golf Club.
“I hope it goes as well this year, too,” Davies said.
“It’s all about attitude. If you have a bad shot, don’t get down on it. It’s all an outlook.”
Branon has developed a different ranking system this year in order to decide who plays in each varsity match. While in years past the top six golfers had been selected through a series of practice qualifiers leading up to the event, this year Branon is tabulating each golfer’s score over the course of the season, from practice rounds to dual meets to multi-team tournaments. Those six golfers with the lowest scores, and even those who are swinging with the hottest hand, will earn their chance at a varsity meet.
“The hope is that there is a clear six that stands out by the time TCALs comes around,” said Branon, who had a different lineup at each and every meet last season. Whether the spreadsheet-science Branon is employing leads to a TCAL championship remains to be seen, of course.
“But we’re definitely better (this year),” Davies added. “We’re a lot closer and we’re all posting better overall scores.”
The San Benito girls golf team will hold a team fundraiser on Oct. 3. Call head coach Chris Branon for details at (831) 637-1010.
