Highland boys, girls golfers enjoy solid start to season in busy opening week of play
Week one of the prep golf season was a productive one for the Highland boys team.
HHS started the week with a decent seventh-place showing Aug. 17 at the Alton Tee-Off Classic at Spencer T. Olin Golf Course in Alton.
The Bulldogs finished just behind sixth-place Althoff (324) with a score of 327 and 15 spots ahead of 22nd place Triad (410). Senior Bryce Knackstedt and junior Dominick Emig led the Bulldogs’ cause, placing 11th and 16th, shooting 77 and 78, respectively. Freshmen Braden Schrof (83), Easton Belford (89), and Mason Emig (95) rounded out the scoring for the Bulldogs.
“We only take five to Alton for the first tournament of the year and that’s the way that tournament works,” Highland coach Brent James said. “Dominic and Bryce, I knew what to expect (since) they were returning guys for me, but the other three were brand new to the varsity squad.”
A top-10 finish in a season-opening tournament was a nice sight for HHS.
“Easton, Braden, and Mason I knew had a lot of talent, but being a first go-round ... I wondered how they would handle the nerves and their first time (being there) and they handled it very well,” James said. “They shot very solid scores that we can work with and I think if we can clean up some of our short game, those numbers will continue to go down.
“I wasn’t sure what we would get out of the three and four spots, so I was pleasantly surprised.”
Two days later, the Bulldogs traveled to Wood River for the Madison County Large Schools Tournament at Belk Park Golf Course and had an outstanding outing.
Highland shot a strong 326 as a team to finish just behind first-place Edwardsville, which won the tournament with a 305.
Knackstedt and Dominick Emig led the Bulldogs charge by finishing second and third by shooting a 74 and 77, respectively, on the 18-hole course.
Shrof finished 14th overall with a score of 85 while Belford placed 15th, shooting an 88. Mason Emig and Ben Cramer (103) accounted for the Bulldogs’ final scoring.
All in all, it was a strong early-season performance for the HHS boys golfers.
“It removed any doubt that Tuesday’s (Aug. 17) score was a fluke,” James said. “We were 327 on (Aug. 17) and 326 on (Aug. 19), so we’re right there and again it was the same four scoring for me.”
James credited Knackstedt’s leadership with helping the Bulldogs finish strong at Belk Park.
“Bryce Knackstedt has been playing really good golf, being a team leader (as) our senior and I think he really has eased some tension with the players that haven’t played much and helped calm some nerves,” James said. “Dominic (also) had another solid round and I still think we haven’t seen him peak yet.”
James believes the group will continue to be a top-tier club as the season goes forward.
“We haven’t had a whole lot of conference play yet, but I really think this group can compete at the conference level,” James said.
Highland girls had busy start to season
The Lady Bulldogs golfers also were busy the first week with four matches in six days starting with the Alton Kick-Off Tournament on Aug. 14 and then ending with the Belleville West Invitational.
On Aug. 16, the Lady Bulldogs fell to rival Triad 187-194 at Highland Country Club. Maci Miles and Kaleigh Gould paced the Lady Bulldogs, placing second and fourth place with scores of 45 and 49, respectively.
“I was very happy with (the way we played) with our home match because we were right there with them (Triad),” Lady Bulldogs coach Ashley DeSelm said. “We’re going to continue to work hard and we can be right there with them.”
Camryn Burns and Brooke Hunsche tied for sixth place, each shooting 50, while Lauren Janini placed eighth with a 51. Sidney Coziar placed 12th with a score of 57.
A day later, Highland visited Legacy Golf Course in Granite City and competed in the Madison County Large Schools Tournament. The Lady Bulldogs finished fourth in the field with a score of 388.
Hunsche led the Lady Bulldogs effort with a 16th place finish, shooting a 90 and finishing 20 over par. Gould and Miles each finished with a score of 98. Janini shot a 102 while Burns and Kylie Lawhorn fired a 107 and 112, respectively, for HHS.
“All in all I was very happy with our score. Obviously, there’s room for improvement and there’s a couple of holes that the girls knew they could do better. They made it a goal for the next tournament to try and play (those holes) smarter and if there’s trouble, hit more of a safe shot,” DeSelm said.
Highland performs well at Belleville West
The Lady Bulldogs finished the busy early stretch with a trip to the Belleville West Invitational Tournament at the Orchards Golf Course in Belleville.
Highland placed 10th in the tournament with a score of 389. Hunsche topped all scorers for HHS with a 91 as she finished 15th overall in the field.
Miles finished 29th shooting a 96 while Gould placed 37th with a score of 98. Lawhorn (104), Janini (108), and Burns (113) rounded out the scoring for the Lady Bulldogs.
DeSelm was very pleased with the team’s performance.
“We came out and played at the Orchards which is a very difficult course. It’s hard for a lot of schools to score there and we shot a 389 which was one stroke worse than our first tournament,” DeSelm said. “So, it shows me that the girls are already improving and thinking about the game a little more and it’s exciting to see.”
This story was originally published August 22, 2021 at 12:00 AM.