Boys ready for county

By EASportsToday.com
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Updated: April 14, 2016

Donoho ready to challenge White Plains in the Calhoun County Boys Golf Championship

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

A year ago the Donoho Falcons golf team had an air-clearing team meeting at a pivotal point late in the season and it catapulted them to the state championship round.

They held the same kind of meeting a little earlier this season, and they’re hoping it produces the same kind of results.

Last year, the meeting came right before the sub-state tournament and they won it. They had this one about a week before the start of what is expected to be a wide-open Calhoun County Boys Championship that opens Friday at Pine Hill Country Club.

“Lewis (Lecroy, assistant coach) and I noticed they weren’t giving it 100 percent, so we talked,” Donoho coach Madison Williams said. “We knew that meeting helped last year and got everybody refocused.

“We weren’t being harsh on them, just telling them what we expect and they take it in a positive way. Last year it really helped motivate them and they all worked harder. This year it seems to be the case again.

“They know what they have to do and are preparing for it. Last year we got third (in the county tournament) and that was kind of disappointing after being in second. It would be a huge confidence boost to our guys (to win it). That’s something I want to accomplish. I feel good about us going in, but I know we’ll have to play good.”

There’s expected to be a lot more drama in the boys tournament than there was in the girls championship a week ago. White Plains won its first county girls title by more than 80 shots.

White Plains, the defending champion, was expected to be the favorite this week playing on its home course, but the Wildcats don’t have the same lineup they had a year ago and are expected to be challenged by Donoho and several others. White Plains’ Layton Bussey and Donoho’s Jacob Lecroy are expected to battle it out for the individual medalist.

The Falcons lineup features Lecroy, Ross Svensen, Jack Svensen, Robert Clausen and Harrison Hughston. The Wildcats won last year with a veteran lineup, but this year they’ll play Bussey, their lone senior who coach Marcus Harrell said is playing his best golf, and sophomores Nathan Griffin, Cameron McCareeth, Coleman Hayes and P.J. Sotelo.

“It’s going to be different this year because of the amount of the unknown,” Harrell said. “This is a different pressure than any other we play in besides state because everyone holds it so high in the county.

“How will they perform under that pressure? I personally think they will perform well – this is probably the most improved team through a season that we’ve had — but still there’s the unknown. I think it should be a lot of fun. It’ll probably come down to the last nine holes of the tournament.”

The Calhoun County Golf Tour has announced it would provide the medalist a paid exemption into the 80th Calhoun County Amateur in August.

On the cover: Jacob Lecroy of Donoho (left) and Layton Bussey of White Plains are the expected favorites for county medalist.

CALHOUN COUNTY BOYS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP
At Pine Hill CC
Friday’s Tee Assignments
(8 a.m. shotgun start)

Hole 1 — Layton Bussey (White Plains), Jacob Lecroy (Donoho), Jake Moore (Jacksonville), Austin Smith (Alexandria)
2 — Nathan Griffin (White Plains), Ross Svensen (Donoho), Hunter Sanford (Jacksonville), Hunter Watts (Alexandria)
3 — Cameron McCareeth (White Plains), Jack Svensen (Donoho), Zack Austin (Alexandria), Will Turley (Oxford)
4 — Colman Hayes (White Plains), Robert Clausen (Donoho), Jacob Vaughn (Oxford), Britton Proper (Pleasant Valley)
5 — P.J. Sotelo (White Plains), Jeremy Allen (Oxford), Jaxson Chaffin (Alexandria), Keaton Borrelli (Oxford)
6 — Josh Davis (White Plains), Ethan Johnson (Pleasant Valley), Trevor McCarley (Piedmont), Harrison Hughston (Donoho)
7 — Andrew Miller (White Plains), Charlie Smith (Donoho), Adam Pritchett (Pleasant Valley), Andrew Kilgore (Alexandria)
8 — Wesley Jenkins (White Plains), Brooks Davis (Pleasant Valley), Will Bowden (Alexandria), Braxton McFall (Jacksonville)
9 — Gavin Burrage (White Plains), Casey Trull (Jacksonville), Jake Munroe (Oxford), Holden Abernathy (Donoho)
10 — Jackson Fillingens (Oxford), Austin Goodwin (Jacksonville), Logan Goble (Alexandria), J.T. Barthel (Pleasant Valley)
11 — Gage Miller (White Plains), Hunter Wert (Oxford), Will Bedwell (Piedmont), Zach Nichols (Alexandria)
12 — Ethan Floyd (Piedmont), Sage Snow (Alexandria), Spencer Screws (Wellborn), Buddy Ray (Donoho)
13 — Dalton Epps (Wellborn), Cole Proper (Pleasant Valley), Logan Nelms (Alexandria), Noah Causey (Weaver)
14 — Chase Craven (Pleasant Valley), Jake Thrasher (Wellborn), Eddie Ferguson (Ohatchee), Logan Mayne (Saks)
15 — Brock McSheridan (Pleasant Valley), Chandler Cupp (Wellborn), Austin Hobbs (Saks), John Riley Miller (Sacred Heart)
16 — Colby Gaines (Pleasant Valley), Grayson Ingram (Piedmont), Luke Waugh (Wellborn)
17 — Will McFry (Ohatchee), Colton Harris (Pleasant Valley), Brett Akin (Piedmont)
18 — Terence Sizemore (Anniston), Lawrence Arenth (Saks), Gabe Tonogan (Weaver)