Thursday, Jul. 29, 2010

Trenton native takes charge of Lancers golf team

Brent James has high hopes for his program

BELLEVILLE -- Named as boys golf coach at Belleville East earlier this month, Trenton native Brent James has his golf priorities in order.

A 2003 graduate of Wesclin High School, James will stress the short game and course management when the Lancers begin tryouts on Aug. 11 at Clinton Hill Golf Course.

East opens its 2010 season on Aug. 17 at the Alton Redbirds Classic at Spencer T. Olin Golf Course.

"If we can be solid around the greens and smart around the course in how we take care of course management that will give us a leg up already," James said. "At the high school level, excellence in those two areas are where you succeed and how you succeed."

James, 25, takes over the Lancers coaching duties from John Major, who coached East for the past two years. James played prep golf at Wesclin under coach Tom Hund for four years and then enjoyed a solid collegiate career at McKendree University.

A '07 graduate of McKendree, James taught math at Salem High School for two years before taking a teaching job at East last year.

James teaches math at East.

A longtime Southern Illinois golf power, East has fallen to the middle of the pack in the Southwestern Conference the past couple of years behind Edwardsville and Collinsville.

On the job for less than two weeks, James isn't about to make any predictions about the upcoming season.

"I've been talking to (former East) coach Jim Reynolds and he's been a huge asset in telling me how he's done some things and he's given me some ideas and how I might want to run my program," James said. "Right now, I'm getting to know my players. We don't have a lot of time so I'm hoping the players will come in to tryouts and stand out so that we can get going right off the bat."

"With the start of the season so close to the tryouts, there isn't a lot I want to do with the kids golf swings. I've got to expect these kids to be in midseason form early in the season. I'll work with them on alignment issues and other smaller things. But major changes in their golf swings? That's not going to happen."

James has high hopes for his golf team and his program overall.

"I had a chance to see some of the players compete at the Lancers Classic this summer and we have some talented players coming back this season," James said. "Based on the fact that we have a lot of players coming back who have had varsity experience, I feel we'll be able to compete very well in the Southwestern Conference."