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It takes growing pains for young players to become experienced in varsity competition, and that was the case for a Carroll boys golf team with five sophomores bringing little more than a JV resume into the 2022 season.
But the young athletes showed they’re full of surprises, giving some strong performances throughout the season and hope for the Dragons’ future. Sophomore Brian Kopf was one such athlete who won the State Preview tournament between Feb. 25-26 in Georgetown.
“He's definitely got one of the best mentalities around the golf course of anybody on the team,” says Matt Glenn, Carroll associate head golf coach. “A lot of times with golf, you can get too fired up and your emotions take a toll, but he seems to be able to handle that kind of stuff.”
Led by seniors Zan Ali, Neel Sandhu and Jeremy Lew, the Dragons continued to develop as the season progressed. At the district tournament on March 28-29, sophomore Jason Lew led the way for Carroll by shooting a two-day 153 (75-78) to tie for second individually and help the Dragons capture the district title. Carroll had 10 golfers finish in the top 17 at the event, playing at Fossil Creek golf course.
“They need to see what's out there, they need to see where they need to be next year and what the expectation is,” says Paige Martin, Carroll associate head coach. “We’re really proud about how they fought through and finished.”
SEASON RECAP
At times, the Carroll boys golf team performed like the young and inexperienced team they were. At other times, flashes of brilliance foreshadowed the Dragons’ true potential.
Overall, Carroll’s lack of experience at the varsity level kept them from reaching state, a level they haven’t reached since 2019. The Dragons finished eighth at the 6A Region I tournament in Grand Prairie on April 18-19.
“They really needed one more year underneath an older crew to let them get settled in, but they just didn't have that luxury,” says Matt Glenn, Carroll associate head golf coach. “The talent level's there, it's just how much they're going to mature to play at that level.”
The Dragons exceeded expectations at times, as demonstrated by a third-place finish at the State Preview Tournament in Georgetown on Feb. 25-26. All the top contending teams were on hand, and the young Carroll team looked strong. The event was one of four tournaments at which Carroll finished third.
Carroll took first place at the District 4-6A tournament, shooting a two-day total of 620 (315-305) to easily beat out second-place Keller (643).
“The boys got to play some of the top teams in the state throughout the fall and spring,” says Paige Martin, Carroll associate head golf coach. “It was nice to see them grow.”