After losing six matches by five strokes or less last season the Harvey boys’ golf team hopes to reverse its fortunes in 2017.
The Red Raiders return four starters from last season and 13th year coach Scott Cummings hopes that experience leads to more wins and success on the course.
“We are close to being very successful,” Cummings said. “We do have an older team with experience. They know the courses that we are playing.”
Senior Jacob Baker returns at the No. 1 spot for the Red Raiders.
“Jacob was a previous team MVP and a solid ball striker,” Cummings said. “He will challenge for one of the four individual spots in the sectional.”
Junior Dyllan Tuckey also has the potential to advance in the postseason.
“Last year’s team MVP and the best athlete on the team,” Cummings said. “He has the possibility of (scoring) low.”
Freshman Connor Hedrick, sophomore Braden Fisher and senior Keegan Bunch round out Harvey’s projected lineup.
“(Hedrick) is a freshman with raw power. He can be good as the season progresses as long as he stays within himself,” Cummings said. “(Fisher) is a solid player who thrives off of his consistency and can score well. (Bunch) is a player who uses his game to navigate around the course. He has the ability to go low when he is on.”
Harvey’s goals are simply to match or beat the school record for wins and advance at least one player to the district tournament.
“The record for wins in a season at our school is nine, so that is always our first goal–to beat that,” Cummings said. “Secondly, we would like to get a player to districts. We are not a typical ‘golf school,’ so our student-athletes do the best with what they have. We enjoy the game and try to do the best that we can.”
