Regional preview today

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Twenty-four high school boys’ golf teams will converge at Pennyrile Forest State Park Golf Course today in yet another preview of the regional tournament, and each of Hopkins County’s teams have high expectations.

Dawson Springs will host the invitational and plans to show its skills on the home course, but Madisonville-North Hopkins and Hopkins County Central will also be present, vying for the day’s team title.

The 2008 season has been a rebuilding one for the host Panther golfers, and Dawson Springs coach Jose Labrado said he’s focused on development, especially with his two middle-school golfers.

“I’m going to expect the kids that are going to play to improve their scores from what they have been doing on an everyday basis,” he said. “With the younger kids it’s just a first-time experience with this type of competition.”

In addition to the two younger Panthers, senior Dylan Frost and junior Aaron Labrado will take to the course.

Both upperclassmen have been consistently shooting low scores, but Jose said there’s still room to improve.

“They’re still right there in the low 40s,” he said. “Dylan just has a couple of holes here and there where he has some problems. I fully expect him to break into the high 30s. Of course that’s his goal, to shoot 39.”

Despite having just four members on the team, the Panthers hope to take advantage of their familiar surroundings and post a good team score.

“They know how to play certain holes, even the tough holes,” Jose said. “They have figured out which ways they have to go to get across.”

Coach Labrado said the team hopes to take advantage of its knowledge of the back nine, which he said is difficult because of its many gullies.

North coach Dan Herrmann had another take on the course though.

“The front nine is really flat,” Herrmann said.

Herrmann continued to say the front’s lack of obstacles makes it difficult for golfers to judge distance. The back nine, with its hills, should allow the Maroons to excel against the competition.

For Central, Pennyrile is a course that most of the team’s golfers are not too familiar with, but coach Daniel Kukahiko has played the course several times and he said he plans to give his players tips on how to manage certain holes.

“I think it’s a course that could definitely play into our strengths,” Kukahiko said. “It’s not a very long course and that helps us out. We don’t have a lot of heavy hitters that hit the ball 300 yards off the tee.”

Many of the teams competing in today’s invitational will also participate in the regional tournament later in the season.

Becoming familiar and comfortable with the amount of golfers can help the team later, Kukahiko said.

“The biggest benefit is that it prepares you for the regional tournament,” he said. “I think it does a lot for experience. There’s no other way to simulate that.”

The Storm’s Joey Watkins, a sophomore, has quickly improved this season, even surprising Kukahiko with his play at times.

“The potential has been there,” Kukahiko said. “When he first started playing the mental aspect of his game wasn’t there, but it’s really starting to come around. His average is really dropping, especially over the last couple weeks.

“He’s told me things that he’s figured out and that’s always nice as a coach to have someone say, “ ‘well coach I figured this out.’ He’s definitely putting in some time and it’s paying off.”

With Wakins’ improved play, combined with junior Heath Williams and senior Collin Farmer shooting in the low 40s for nine, Central hopes to move well up the standings after all scores are posted today.

Meanwhile, North has its eyes set on the team title.

Herrmann said with the Maroons’ balanced roster of Cliff Carter, Ben Gatlin, Patrick Hibbs, David Rose, Daniel Stewart and company, he expects his team to come in around 320.

Hibbs claimed the medalist title on Aug. 16 at the Maroons’ invitational and went toe-to-toe with two other golfers, taking the honor after five playoff holes.

North also took the team victory, Herrmann’s first win in four years as coach for the home school’s tournament.

The Maroons will aim to win their second invitational in a row, but no matter who wins today, with 24 teams competing, there is sure to be some competitive golfers battling at Pennyrile. The first tee times are set for 7:30 a.m.

On the girls’ side, Central’s Lady Storm will host an invitational at Madisonville Golf and Country Club at 8 a.m. today.