By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director
Coming off a runner-up finish at the Brooks Invitational in Muscle Shoals on April 17, the Cherokee County High School golf team is now prepping for sectional play.
Lady Warrior golfers Ellie Cothran and Meredith Garrett will compete in Arab at Cherokee Ridge on Monday, while the Warrior boys head to Twin Bridges in Gadsden on Tuesday.
First-year head coach Caleb Hays hopes the Warriors can continue their impressive regular season. The Warrior boys went 12-0 in match play this season. They shot a team total 339 to place second at the Brooks Invitational – their biggest tournament of the season, which included a 29-team field.
Not bad for a team that only featured three golfers last year. The Warriors now have 11 boys and two girls on the team this season.
“When Scott Farrar and his family bought the country club and turned it into Cherokee Pines (the Warriors’ home course), it’s really kind of sparked interest in the kids at our school,” Hays said. “They’ve done a lot of work to the course. A lot of the kids go out there with their families. He’s made some good deals with the junior memberships and things like that that’s improved the youth interest. There are 8 and 9-year-olds who go out there and play. It’s really sparked since he bought it, and it’s been fun to see them want to come out there and play and learn the game.”
The Warrior boys’ No. 1 golfer is senior Eli Martin. He’s coming off a third-place 76 at the Brooks Invitational. Hays said Martin has a 3 handicap.
“He’s playing well,” Hays said. “He’s averaging shooting a 38, which is 2-over in our nine-hole matches.”
In the No. 2 spot is junior Sam Dreps. Dreps dropped a 77 at Brooks, good enough for fourth place. He’s averaging a 39, which is three over on the Warriors’ nine-hole matches.
Junior Aiden Whitefield and sophomore Jack Davis are the No. 3 and 4 Warrior golfers. Whitefield is averaging 41.8 on the Warriors’ nine-hole matches. Davis is delivering a 42 average.
At No. 5 is Kole Chandler, a junior who has a nine-hole average of 43.
Hays notes the Warriors will have two individuals going to the section in junior Reid Jacoway and sophomore Dirk Wright. Both golfers have been averaging 44 on their nine-hole matches and they’ve qualified with their handicap as individuals as well.
“We’ve also got some other who have competed on our team, but we can only take seven to sectionals,” Hays said. “Zack Gaylor (a senior) has played really well. He’s averaging 45. Gunnar Rogers (a junior), Noah McCullough (a sophomore) and Alan Harmon (a senior), all four of those guys are also playing rather well. They just weren’t in our top seven. It’s good to have that type of competition on our team.”
On the Lady Warriors’ side is Cothran and Garrett. Both seniors who played on the team last year.
“Ellie is very talented,” Hays said. “This is her second year at Cherokee County. She’s golfed at some other schools. She won state her freshman year and sophomore year for 4A/5A, and she’s won over 100 individual tournaments not affiliated with our school. She was runner-up last year in the state tournament. She’s got a 1.6 handicap right now and playing really well. She shot a 75 at the Brooks Invitational and got runner-up in our division there. She’ll be one of the favorites going into postseason. She’s undefeated on individual matches and has been low medalist in every match we’ve played.
“Meredith has really come on strong. Her handicap is 14.8, which is good for a girl golfer. She’s qualified as an individual.”
Hays expects the sectional will be a tough challenge for the Warriors, but one they can handle.
“In our section, White Plains is really good. They made the state tournament last year,” he said. “I know Etowah is always good, but I definitely think we’ll have a chance to move on to substate. We’ve got a good team. If they play well, we can make it out of sectionals. Substate will be tough, but last year they didn’t have a full team and had to compete as individuals. Hopefully that will be some momentum that help our program out.”