Demon boys pushing into postseason

To say the Washington boys? golf team is ?on par? this season wouldn?t be entirely accurate.

Or, at least, boys? golf head coach Mark Berhow hopes not.

?Our focus is on how can we score birdies, instead of settling for pars or bogeys,? Berhow said. ?After each meet, we discus how many opportunities we had, and if we can keep doing that, along with managing the course well, we are in great position for us to advance.?

The Demons have used that mentality this season to propel themselves into the postseason, where they look to qualify for the state meet at the end of May.

So far this season, the Demons have won, or finished one stroke away from winning seven meets, and with one meet to go (on Friday afternoon) before postseason play officially begins, the team is feeling confident in their ability to finish strong.

?It gives us a lot of confidence and it?s been fun,? Washington senior Derek Anding said. ?Sometimes we might get a little cocky, but we just have to keep our heads in it so we can get to state.?

Postseason dreaming

If you ask any of the Demon golfers, and even their head coach, what the goal is at the end of the season, they will happily tell you that they will be going to state.

To do so, they will need to get out of sectionals in Burlington on May 13, and after that finish among the top of a crowded field at a district meet on May 20.

That district meet will be held at the Amana Colonies Golf Course, which was unkind to the Demons a year ago, putting them in fifth place.

What?s changed this year?

?This year, we are more focused and want to get to state,? Mason Rich said. ?Last year, we didn?t really think we had a chance, and then when we made it out of sectionals, we weren?t ready for districts. I think this year, if we advance, we?ll be ready for districts.?

That focus helped the Demons in their meet at the Amana Colonies earlier this year, where they claimed a meet title.

For Anding, who was two shots away from qualifying for state as an individual last year, the course will stay fresh in his mind.

?I remember it pretty well,? Anding said. ?We shot well as a team (this year), but we can definitely go lower. We have to watch out for the bunkers, because those are everywhere.?

One thing that can push the Demons over the edge is their ability to stay together as a team, despite golf being a largely individual sport.

?We have more of a bond, because we are all together,? Dalton Myers said. ?We don?t take it as serious as other teams do, but that helps us to relax and play the way we can.?

Those little things they do on the course range from handshakes to jokes when they pass each other on the course, and that bit of fun helps them perform better.

With those performances, the Demons rank third in their district at the moment behind Mount Vernon and Vinton-Shellsburg, and would need to jump one of them for a spot in the state meet.

The Demons are confident they can do that.

?It helps push us to work harder,? Jacob Van Osdol said. ?We are pretty confident. If we play like we have been, I think we definitely have a chance.?

2016?s varsity pieces

Anding entered the season as the team?s top golfer, and has gone through a few of his own ups and downs, averaging 39.1 strokes per nine holes, despite a 46 on Monday.

?I started off not where I wanted to be, but I had a couple of meets where I was right where I knew I could be at,? Anding said. ?The last meet wasn?t too good (for me), but the goal is still to go to state and I think we can get there as a team too.?

Berhow said he?s noticed a different Anding this year, as he makes a bid for individual and team state.

?Overall, he?s relaxed and figured out that if he goes out and has fun, he can play better,? Berhow said. ?He struggled (on Monday) where it all snowballed on him, but it?s one meet, and his teammates had his back. I?m proud of the way he?s persevered, and the pressure of being the No. 1 golfer; he?s playing well.?

One newcomer to the varsity squad this season was sophomore Jacob Van Osdol, who has quietly averaged 40.5 strokes per nine holes this year for the squad, ranking second on the team.

?I played pretty well for most of the summer, but it?s probably better than I expected,? Van Osdol said. ?I?m most confident in my driver, which is a big change from last year. I?ve been hitting it really well.?

Van Osdol?s play has brought a lot of solid scores to the team, ranging from 38 to 44 throughout the season, including a 78 in the first 18-hole meet of the year.

?He?s brought a lot of consistency to our team,? Berhow said. ?He played a lot over the summer to improve his game and he doesn?t have a lot of high scores. He?s getting better at having some birdie opportunities for the team.?

Sophomore Dalton Myers has the next lowest average on the team, posting a 40.6 per nine holes so far this season, and appears to be peaking at the right time, posting a 36 on Monday.

?I?m slowly climbing down the hill,? Myers said. ?I?d rather have my first meet of the season be the worst meet of the season than the best, so I?m gaining more confidence down the stretch.?

Myers spent much of his freshman year on varsity last year, and that experience is helping him now, according to Berhow.

?Anytime you come in as a freshman and you?ve played in tournaments before, it?s different in varsity meets,? Berhow said. ?There are different courses that can be a challenge, but this year has been a steadier year for him. He?s really starting to score well.?

Tanner Coleman is another Demon athlete who is coming on, shooting an average of 40 over his last six nine-hole scores, and has a 40.7 nine-hole average for the year.

That play has come as a surprise for Coleman, who didn?t think he would play this well in 2016.

?I thought I?d be shooting a little higher, but now I?m sticking in the low 40s and high 30s and I?m OK with that,? Coleman said. ?I?m stroking the ball well, so that?s helping me a lot. My putting has gotten way better, but it?s just those little dinky putts I miss sometimes, but I can always fix that.?

Berhow said the biggest addition to Coleman?s game is the consistency he is bringing to the course.

?He did some of this last year, but I think it?s sinking in to him that when he focuses and concentrates on what he is doing at the time, he?s a really good golfer,? Berhow said. ?He?s been very consistent.?

Noah Enfield has become another strong piece for the Demons, averaging a 41 nine-hole score this season, and he credits the improvement to his driver.

?I like this year so far,? Enfield said. ?I?ve been playing really well and my driver has come alive this year. Last year wasn?t a great year for me, but this year feels good.?

Berhow noted that Enfield?s consistent scoring, which has gotten down to as low as 38, this year has been a welcome part of the squad.

?He?s really improved this year from last year, and that?s a great addition to our team,? Berhow said. ?He?s a long hitter, and his around-the-green skills have improved a lot this

year.?

Mason Rich is the other varsity golfer on the boys? squad, and although his average of 45.1 strokes per nine this year is higher than he?d like, he knows it can easily change.

?It?s about confidence,? Rich said. ?After I hit a bad shot, I need to just focus on the next one and make sure it?s decent.?

If Rich?s scores can come down a couple of strokes, Berhow said the team should be a force to be reckoned with.

?He?s had a couple of higher meets, and that?s not where he needs to be and it?s not what he?s capable of,? Berhow said. ?If he can make the turn and get down to what he?s is capable of, we?ll be a very strong team.?