Lone senior Chad Stange rounds out the lineup
They’re young and struggling, and they lost their No. 1 golfer
of a year ago to graduation, but that doesn’t mean that San Benito
High School’s boys’ golf team won’t surprise a few teams this
year.
Lone senior Chad Stange rounds out the lineup
They’re young and struggling, and they lost their No. 1 golfer of a year ago to graduation, but that doesn’t mean that San Benito High School’s boys’ golf team won’t surprise a few teams this year.
“The players keep saying that we’re young and that in a couple of years we could be really good,” said Baler coach Andy Parra, whose 2007 squad is made up of five sophomores and one senior. “I say, ‘why wait until then?’ I think we can be a good team right now.”
A year ago the Balers finished second in league behind perennial powerhouse Palma, which also earned them an automatic berth into the Central Coast Section championships. Much of the reason behind the Balers’ success a year ago was the Chris Shackleton factor. A low single-digit handicapper, Shackleton is now playing for Gavilan College in Gilroy.
“That was a huge loss,” Parra said. “He had all the tools for golf. He was the real deal.”
This year, the Balers have played in three matches and one tournament. In the process they beat Sobrato High twice and took fourth in a four-team showdown against league rivals Salinas, Palma and Pacific Grove.
On Monday, most of the golf team struggled to post a descore at the Monterey Bay Invitational, which took place at the Salinas Country Club.
“We’re struggling a lot right now,” Parra said. “But we have a lot of talent on this team.”
One of those talented players is sophomore Derell Aton, who fills the No. 1 spot on the roster.
A JV player a year ago, Aton consistently posts scores that hover in the upper 30s for 9-hole matches.
“He’s got a ton of potential,” said Parra after watching him fire an 80 in Monday’s tournament. “He finished in the top 20 in that tournament.”
While he has a “ton of potential,” according to his coach the one area where he is struggling is in his own confidence.
“When he can get his confidence high, he’ll really be a good player,” Parra said. “He’s fairly long off the tee. His putting has improved tremendously since last year. All he needs to work on is his short game and his confidence.”
Parra went on to say that if Aton keeps at it, golf could be his ticket to an NCAA Division I scholarship.
The Balers No. 2 golfer this year is sophomore Joey Amaral. Although he isn’t very long off the tee, Parra is most impressed with his ability to consistently find the fairway – and his off-the-chart confidence.
“You just don’t see his kind of confidence nowadays. He’s the smallest kid on the team (5-foot-4) but he never lets that hold him back,” Parra said. “As the No. 2 golfer, he is also going up against some really good players, but that doesn’t hold him back either. He’s just really tenacious.”
This season Amaral has been posting scores in the high 30s to low 40s range.
The Balers No. 3 golfer this season is also a sophomore. Josh Greenwood is also a low-40s shooter with tremendous potential, according to his coach.
“When Josh is able to combine his swing with the mental game, he’s really going to be dangerous,” Parra said. “He’s got a real solid game. He just needs to work out some kinks.”
The lone senior on the Baler golf team also happens to be a huge fan of Ernie Els and Retief Goosen. And it’s no wonder why. Chad Stange is from South Africa. Although, he’s the team’s No. 4 player, Parra sees a tremendous upside to him.
“He’s got a great game, all the tools,” the second-year coach said. “He’s long off the tee and a great chipper and putter. I think he just gets a little too nervous in matches. When he can get over that, he will play year well.”
On Monday, Stange shot an 87 in the tournament at the Salinas Country Club, which was the second best round on the Baler team. Typically for nine holes, he has been posting scores in the low 40s.
A football player who saw a great deal of action on the offensive line this fall on the Balers’ varsity team, Robby Sanchez has also showed that he has the ability to tackle a golf course, too.
A mid 40s shooter, Parra is most impressed with his work ethic and dedication to the sport.
“He’s really diligent,” he said. “He’s the first guy at practice. He likes to hit balls and chip. He really works hard and it’s really starting to show.”
Rounding out the Baler lineup is sophomore Nolan Filice – another mid 40s shooter.
“He’s a really hard worker, and dedicated,” Parra said. “He’s a good kid too, the kind that you like to have on the team.”
Although they are young and Palma is expected to cruise to its umpteenth league title in a row, the goal for the Balers remains the same this year: Top finish second in league behind the Chieftains so they can earn another trip to the Section tournament.
“I think getting a taste last year matured the kids for this year,” Parra said. “We should be okay. Nobody can seem to beat Palma. They are the powerhouse team every year. I don’t know where all of their players come from. Even if they graduate a bunch of seniors, the next year they are right back in it. There is never a drop off in talent down there.”
John Bagley can be reached at
jb*****@pi**********.com
.
