After improving to a second place finish in the Ohio Cardinal Conference last season, the Mount Vernon golf team is ready to fight for a league title.
The Jackets bring back senior Beau Bridges (2020 first team All-OCC) and junior Ben Bridges (second team All-OCC), along with junior Cooper Carpenter.
“Look for Ben Bridges to have a very solid year,” Mount Vernon coach Anthony Savage said. “He comes in after playing great tournament golf late in the summer. He has worked on his game night and day and loves to play and compete.”
Behind those three, the Jackets are looking for a solid No. 4 golfer after losing Byron Justice, Mason Boatwright and Carter Carpenter to graduation, last spring. Sophomore Spencer Hughes may be at the top of that list. So, perhaps, are juniors Dash Lepley, Maddox Snyder and Ethan Cline. Freshman Evan Stetler could also surprise.
The Centerburg Trojans boys, defending their KMAC crown, bring back the quintet of Dalton Hall, Levi Houck, McKinnon Mead, Reed Compton and Landon Griffith, who carried them to a 29-1 record and a KMAC title. They went on to place second in the sectionals and fourth at districts.
With newcomers Bennett Hill, Wyatt Kain and Wyatt Eagon, the Trojans and coach Nate Altizer, are looking for their third straight league crown.
Like the boys, the Centerburg girls didn’t graduate anybody last year, either. Seniors Amaiah Gammell and Ella Paul, along with junior Somi Bright, will lead the way for the Trojans in 2021. Also on the team are senior Lauren Beard and junior Melanie McLaughlin.
“The girls have played a lot this summer, and that includes tournaments, which have made them become better players,” said Centerburg coach Kathy Compton. “They are a great group of girls that want each to be successful.”
Emerson Grassbaugh will be back for Highland’s boys team this fall. The junior was a Central District individual qualifier in 2020. The Scots also graduated seniors Owen Mott, Bryce Rhinehart and Drew Santo. Coach Chris Rupe has a pair of seniors – Luke Cain and Garrett Fitzpatrick – along with a promising junior, Cody Yorkuvich. Also on the team are sophomores Ranger Steck and Quentin Miller. The Scots are new to the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference this season, and they will need one or two of their younger golfers to emerge to compete.
Graduation took a heavy toll on the Highland girls, but they will bring in promising freshman Cecilia Grassbaugh, along with Stevie Asher and Ellen Michela. Returning from the 2020 team are Mallory Jones, Bailey Alexander and Maddie Tack.
That will give the Scots’ girls something to build on after losing Savannah Fitzpatrick, Annabelle Zerby, Adrienne Porter, Kate Schmidt, Ashley Huffine, Ashley Gannon and Rachel Alberton to graduation.
Fredericktown’s boys team placed third in the Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference last season and seventh in the sectionals, just missing a team spot in the districts. Back for the Freddies are sophomore Will Streby and junior Ian Muka – both of whom qualified for districts as individuals. Streby was KMAC Golfer of the Year in 2020. He was also second team All-Central District. Muka was second team All-KMAC and honorable mention All Central District. Also back are senior Alex Spaulding and juniors Tristan Werner, Brady Lester and Micah Bressi. Senior Kodie Spearman will be back after missing his junior year. Cayden Statzer and John Divelbiss are freshmen.
The Freddies’ girls will be young and inexperienced, but this is their biggest girls roster in only three years. That group is headed by junior Darienne Hammond and sophomore Ava Parker. They will be joined by senior Emma Reed, who missed last season.
Gone are Makayla Frazier and Lydia Stute, who both graduated. Alexandra Hammond, a freshman, along with junior Hannah Bressi and Ariane Retolaza, a foreign exchange student from Spain, will join the Freddies partway through the season.
East Knox will return junior Ryan Morton (second team KMAC), sophomores Aidric Bocock and Dylan Reed, along with junior Landon Spearman.
“With the addition of freshman Ashton Priest, we should be very solid this year and look to improve on our fourth place (5-7 KMAC) last fall,” said coach Steven Sterling. ”Our team, as a whole, lacks experience in tournament play.”
Utica will have junior Ben Rodichock, along with Dylan Yates, Tyler Chinn, Koltin Brokaw and Ian Coulter. Matt Rodichock graduated after last year.
